Carson’s Ribs Steaks and Chops

Delicious! Have come here several times in the past and the food never disappoints. The pork chop and au gratin potatoes are the way to go. I also tried a friend’s greek potatoes tonight and they were tasty. With restaurant week going on right now you really can’t beat the price either

Nice vibes. Food is okay not bad at all. I got the rib rips and ordered the dessert of the day. Valet parking is 9 bucks btw. Food came quick so we should have gotten street parking instead, But whatever I had fun.

2015 was a rough year for our family, especially December. My husband and I were not in a New Year’s Eve party mood. Rather, we wanted really good (gluten free is a must) food, and a stiff drink. We live very close to all the fine dining Oak Brook has to offer. But nope, it was Carson’s (downtown?!) that kept calling our name. So glad we listened. We’re ribeye lovers and out of any steakhouse on the Chicagoland map, this is the one! Except a few nights ago as we quietly pigged out on the most delicious bbq ribs one can find on that same map. And at the risk of sounding like real gluten free gluttons, not only loved our salads (the dressings are to die for), we also did their (oh so good!) coleslaw too (burp!).

I dined here last night for New Years eve and I am highly disappointed. I always order my steak medium rare and did so on this occasion. My steak came to me medium/​medium well. I asked the server to have it corrected, moments later a female supervisor came over. She was condescending and told me that my steak was medium rare when it clearly was not. I did not want to cause a stir since it was a special occasion so I kept my over done steak. A few minutes after, the sever comes back and asks if «I’m sure» that I want to keep it. I was honest and told him that I was not. Several moments later another male supervisor comes over and tells us that if they make another one it would come out the same way. What kind of nonsense is that? My steak was grey.
I felt bullied. They asked if everything was ok and I said that I wasn’t satisfied and they did nothing about it.
In total we had two appetizers, 3 drinks, prime rib and an almost $ 50 steak that I couldn’t eat. It was New Years eve and I had a salad and a potato as my entrée.
I would not recommend Carson’s because their customer service is lacking. Yes, they have a clear procedure when dealing with complants but they do not fix the problem.
I have attached a picture of my steak that I took when I got home. Again, this is a nearly $ 50 steak ordered medium rare. Two supervisors came to my table to tell me that I was wrong and this is what medium rare looks like.
I am highly disappointed.

Carson’s consistently provides what I am looking for. I usually dislike coleslaw, but for some reason, I love the coleslaw at Carson’s. The ribs are also delicious.

The chicken cobb salad was great but the seating was weird and the booth was uncomfortable. Our server was a tad rude but we were a party of 20. No excuse but whatever. Overall, three stars.

Christmas dinner at Carson’s this year. Check the photo of my cleaned plate… I think I liked it. The ribs are not «fall off the bone» but they are flavorful and the sauce is addictive. Of course there are better restaurants in the city, but for a family dinner, at a reasonable price, I think Carson’s was a good choice. It’s a Chicago classic that needs to be visited at least once.

Who doesn’t like ribs year round??? This was my first time here with coworkers for our Christmas lunch. I’ve always seen commercials for Carson’s and we decided to give it a try. So very happy we did!
The restaurant is very cozy. We were sat at a very large round table which seated all 10 of us comfortably. Our waiter Grant was the best! Very attentive and well mannered.
We started off with appetizers of shrimp dejonghe and crab cakes. Very delicious. I felt like the mustard sauce that came with the crab cakes definitely opened up my sinuses! A few of us were given cole slaw with fresh pepper. So good!
For dinner, the majority of my coworkers chose rib tips. One other had the pork chop, two had pulled pork and one had chicken. I chose the ginger glazed salmon and double baked potato. Oh em gee! So good and perfectly cooked. I also ate a few rib tips off a coworkers plate who couldn’t finish them. I poured extra barbecue sauce on the tips, actually didn’t need it. The tips were all kinds of awesome.
I enjoyed Carson’s. I felt very welcomed and at home. Very warm atmosphere. Ask for Grant when you go!

A Chicago institution, best prime rib I’ve had in a long time. Nestor (a 30 year veteran waiter at the place) took excellent care of us. He also introduced us to JoJo, a waitress who has been there for 38 years since they opened. Top notch service, great place!

If you are looking for a good meaty BBQ meal this is the place to go. One thing I love is that they play popular music and the lighting is just right. Not too dark or too bright. I ordered the BBQ Marriage which is a half slab and half chicken, and it was to die for. You must get the famous au gratins. Everything was hot and tasty. Our waitress Ameila was very friendly and made the visit great. Management you have an awesome team member.

Always a favorite place for baby back ribs! I’ve been coming here for the past 20+ years and it’s always a pleasant experience and brings back memories when i was younger. Except, I wish they had the pac-​man machine which would be the ultimate back to the past!
Generous portion of the entrée which all includes choice of potatoe/​side dishes, cole slaw, and the entrée itself. The shrimp dejonghe was heavily covered with garlic and seasoning. The baby back rib is always a delight with the famous bbq sauce. The 26+oz prime rib was cooked to perfection. The corn bread was soft and crust was good! The beet and walnut salad was really good and refreshing. Tiramisu was good!
The sauteed spinach and french onion soup were both drenched in salt. Overall it’s a decent place for large family gathering for reasonable price located in downtown area with generous portion size. The food and service here is better than most BBQ or average steakhouse.

My brother demanded that I visit this place during my trip to Chicago and I can’t stop thanking him. The BBQ ribs were very good. They needed to cook a little longer to get to the point of falling off the bone. The cole slaw was fantastic. Great wine selection. And I would recommend Reagan as your server. She is hilarious and kept me laughing during my entire meal. A definite stop on any trip to Chicago!

I came here with my sister-​in-​law for dinner and had the pork chop and she had the ribs. She was very pleased with them. I, on the other hand, fell in love with the pork chop. It was so thick and juicy that she wanted some of my meal too. The server was very helpful and attended to us very well. I have come here before for BBQ and was pleased then too. I am just not that into BBQ to be honest. I would go here again for the pork chop!!!

Carson’s was my Dad’s favorite restaurant when I was growing up in Chicago. Jeff Morris was a fixture at Carson’s giving us a warm welcome before he retired and passed away soon after. We always looked forward to the giant cheese ball and chopped liver ball in the bar with tasty miniature rye, before diving into their succulent baby back ribs, delicious award winning cole slaw and incredible potatoes au gratin which have never been surpassed.
So this visit was to be a walk down memory lane. My wife and I noticed that the familiar bright yellow sign had been replaced with a much quieter dark blue sign. There was a different feel as we noticed the tasty giant balls were no longer there, and the main dining room was half its original size. A warm and appreciative greeting was still given, and I was told to simply ask for some complimentary cheese and chopped liver. Margaret was our wonderful and enthusiastic server. The cocktails were a nice healthy size. Because of our tendency to overeat while in Chicago, we split a full rack of delicious ribs which instantly brought back wonderful memories. They generously gave us each a bowl of the tasty cole slaw and the au gratin still had the thick crust of cheese and nice firm chunks of potatoes. It was truly a magical walk down memory lane.
We actually did walk back to the Waldorf Astoria. The doorman asked how we enjoyed Carson’s, and we gave him our enthusiastic review. It was then that he told us he had heard they would be closing their doors over the next few months which confirmed our initial feelings about the changes we felt and saw. This would be an incredible loss, and we hope this is just a rumor. But we would encourage anyone who is a rib aficionado to head to Carson’s sooner rather than later. It will create indelible and delicious memories that for us will last a lifetime.

I love the ribs and pork chops from here. The ribs don’t fall off the bone, but they are extremely tender and flavorful to the bite. The portions are very large and I always leave with enough food for 1 – 2 more meals. I have always received A-​1 service at this establishment. The bathrooms are clean but dimly lit — much like the rest of the restaurant. I normally find parking on the street for about $ 6. Make sure you order the cornbread, it’s amazing! I suggest going during lunch hours when there isn’t a lot of traffic.

I’ve been eating at Carson’s since I was a kid. Why? My Dad LOVED this place. He grew up in the south and was very particular about BBQ. So that goes to show, that Carson’s BBQ is awesome. What’s funny is, I don’t think I’ve ever tried their steaks, its always RIBS.
Ambiance is your typical Chicago steakhouse. Great service. My favorite part of the meal? When they bring out the Bibs because they know you are about to dig in. Excellent.
So our last visit to Chicago, my husband and I had to have a date night at Carson’s. We pretty much stuck to our standard selections:
Legendary Caesar
Half Slab of BBQ Baby Back Ribs (husband gets the full slab).
Au Gratin Potatoes
So good. I have a pic of my husband’s plate of bones. Its not pretty, so I won’t post. I wonder why I gain weight every time I visit Chicago? Hmmm.
We tried having them shipped out to California, but it wasn’t the same.

Went to this place at the request of some out of town visitors who really wanted to go. «We can’t get barbecue like this at home» they said. «Why not try one of Chicago’s top notch steak places?» I asked. «We’re tired of expensive for foodie food» was the response. So ok, here we go to one of Chicago’s oldest ribs joints, known for decades as «The Place for Ribs.» I have fond memories of this place from when I was a poor student 30 years ago and all I could afford were the rib tips — barbecued pork scraps.
The inside of this place looks more like a steakhouse than a rib joint. It’s dark and luxe-​feeling. The ambience is like an old-​school power-​trip … you want to start making deals and pass some cash under the table. Good thing the place is dim — I’m kinda scared to see what it looks like with the lights on.
Our waiter was extremely enthusiastic about the menu. He «LOVES» pretty much everything on the menu. I asked him what made the «Legendary Caesar Salad» legendary and he responded «I LOVE the Caesar salad … it’s fresh romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, parmesan cheese and croutons.» Uh, ok, that’s um, really helpful … thanks.
His enthusiasm for the salad sold me so I ordered it and just like he described, it was fresh romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, parmesan cheese and croutons. Uh, ok. Tasted like pretty much everyone else’s Caesar salad.
Let’s cut to the chase — the baby back ribs. Who goes to this place and orders anything else? Armed with steak knives, napkins and bibs, we dug in. Their ribs are slow smoked over hickory wood, never boiled, marinated, rubbed or tenderized. They are not «fall off the bone» tender — this is the place for you if you like your ribs chewy, with the proper snap of the silver skin as you rip it off the bone with your teeth, like the apex predator carnivores that we are! (insert *grunting* sound here).
I don’t want to forget to mention the au gratin potatoes. This is an awesome, creamy, burnt cheesy thing. Get it. Don’t think about it too much (again, insert *grunting* sound here.)
Alas, we did not save any room for dessert. This is too bad because our waiter insisted that we try the chocolate cake — he LOVED the chocolate cake, it was the best ever. I finished my meal with decaf coffee — this was a delicious cup of coffee, among the best decaf coffees I’ve ever had — strange though, I couldn’t fall asleep after getting home … wonder why …
Dinner for 4, with drinks, tax and tip came to less than $ 200. Oh, this included an extra coupla bucks for the valet to park my care near the front.
*grunt*

What:
Passion fruit and mango iced tea (be sure to ask for sweet tea if you want it sweet)
Half slab BBQ ribs w/​cole slaw and au gratin potatoes (famous ribs and potatoes)
Where:
two circular tables combined (I would have gotten two square tables to combine. but no complaints)
When:
10pm. Saturday. Deep dish place (Lou malnati’s) had a long wait and this was right down the street
How/​why:
Cole slaw came first. not bad but kinda watery for me.
Ribs were pretty good. I liked how they had BBQ sauce on the side and the sauce preapplied to the ribs was light.
Au gratin potatoes were amazing. Cheese and potatoes blended perfectly.
Service to our table of 10, on the other hand, was poor. Drinks were refilled only when requested; service was there only when we didn’t need it. xD

This would sound both sad and funny and I’m regretful to admit it, but I’ve checked this location out for a previous years’ Restaurant Week. It was either $ 33 or $ 44 a head and there were two of us. Decided on getting full racks with differing sides and shared it all. The food wasn’t all that great. With booze we spent over a hundred and although we were quite full, we hadn’t the buzz of a great meal nor a buzz from the liquor.
It’s odd though I’ll tell you. I’ve been to the Northbrook location in recent months and ordered food based off reviews. All my life, it’s been solely about their tips but for their RW menu, tips weren’t available. Beyond the ribs, the sides and appetizer tasted of the frozen variety. Who wants frozen for Restaurant week?
If you’re planning on dining in, you gotta try their other prepared meats. Maybe the prime rib or char-​crusted pork chop. (The latter I had at their Northbrook location and it was excellent!) If dining out, the pork chop and a tub of tips should satiate that hunger.

Delicious BBQ in a fabulous city. I love Chicago and loved exploring all of the restaurants in town. A friend sent us over to Carson’s and we were in BBQ heaven. This place is so good, but beware you may just eat your face off and need to be rolled out afterwards!