Earls Kitchen + Bar

The first time I fell in love with them was at the Chicago Food and Wine Festival over the summer. First impressions were great with the tuna tostadas — Crispy chili rubbed albacore tuna, creamy avocado, cilantro aioli, radish on a fried tortilla chip. This small bite has you craving more with every crunch! I could eat these all day!!!
In the actual restaurant I started with the dynamite shrimp roll — shrimp, mango and avocado sushi, sriracha mayonnaise, black sesame, unagi maple. The mango gave the sushi a great refreshing feel but a pretty standard roll. I don’t think the point is to come to Earl for sushi but if that is what you are craving they have a bite for you to try.
As I smelled the tables food next to me the waitress says this is their featured fav and I have to agree the Bibimbap — hot stone rice bowl, with carrots, mushrooms, zucchini and soft poached egg, sesame chili sauce with tofu was delicious. Every bite was full of flavor and done just right. You would think how can a place that doesn’t specialize in these flavors and cuisine do this right but they did it complete justice.
To go along side our order of bibimbap we had another fav, the Korean wings — spicy red pepper glaze, fried onions, fresno chilis, sesame seeds and cilantro were my fav! The crispy skin and the firey flavor was amazing!!!
From the bar I have tried:
Bees Knees — gin cocktail sweetened with honey and a splash of fresh lemon juice, all in its own unique teddy bear glass. Very lemony and cute presentation.
Moscow mule — smirnoff vodka, ginger + fresh lime. Just a standard staple nothing fancy. Definitely a heavy hand sweetness and not for my liking.
Silly Wabbit — skyy vodka, lillet blanc, cointreau, ginger, carrot juice, lemon, cardamom bitters. Super fun to say. Very involved cocktail with unique flavors and perfect for the cold weather… oh and fun to say! :)
Cabin Fever — Crown Royal and tawny port, refreshing pineapple juice, with a splash of ginger syrup, a squeeze of lemon juice, and bitters to taste. This was the winner! Done perfectly without feeling sweet. I loved the presentation and the drink was spot on with the touch of pineapple and ginger.
I came back on a Sunday after running errands in the area for brunch with a friend and tried the other side of the menu… The Forager Burger –roasted mushroom patty, cheddar, caramelized onions, garlic mayo, tomato aioli, on a freshly baked brioche bun with yam fries and an aioli garlic sauce. The waitress claimed it to be a burger to even satisfy a carnivore and we couldn’t pass up such a recommendation. I did think the mushroom patty was done very well but the brioche bun was a bit to dry for me. I would have preferred a heavier hand with the sauce. The yam fries were good but felt just like a sweet potato fry. My friend had the same burger with truffle fries and I preferred those over my choice.
Overall, I love the vibe and the variety that Earl’s has to offer. The ambiance is nice and the wait staff is all very attentive. I think if you are looking for a bite to eat and no one can decide on the cuisine they want to eat this is the absolute perfect compromise. There is a little bit of everything for everyone’s taste buds!

My first review was removed since I came here for the grand opening and my experience wasn’t perceived as «normal» lol. Well I’ve been back several times since as a paying customer and it’s still 5 stars in my book. Very classy upscale bar with an array of high quality food items. My recommendation would be the Tuna Tostada or Royale burger. Yummy dessert and if you go Monday through Friday they have a happy hour with food and drink specials from 3 to 6. The cocktails are refreshing!

The atmosphere was extremely relaxing and calm
Service was prompt and friendly as well as knowledgeable
Food was on point I’ll defiantly be back

I’m new to Chicago. So, when I had a chance to sign up for a Unilocal Elite event at Earl’s, I jumped at it! Not only did I want to have a chance to meet more Unilocalers, but I wanted to try Earl’s, which looked pretty cool online.
I won’t review the Unilocal event here. I already did that. But here I’ll talk about the restaurant itself. First, I was really surprised to hear that Earl’s is a chain, based in Canada, where it is apparently very popular. There are also several other locations in the US. This surprised me because much of their food was locally themed and locally sourced. Apparently they are all like that. That’s really unusual for a chain restaurant and really, really cool.
Okay, the food. Wow. So good. The burgers are amazing. Even the sushi was good, and I don’t generally like sushi. I didn’t indulge, but their deserts look amazing, though I was bummed that their peanut butter pie was only available seasonally.
Their beer selection is pretty good, they have an acceptable wine list, and their list of cocktails is very cool. The place is kinda hipster, but not in a bad way, and so I would expect their cocktails to be equally hip. And the place costs about what you would expect for a nicer restaurant in Chicago — not crazy expensive, but not every day dining either.
We will definitely be back for more tasty treats!

All I can say is WOW! Went out for dinner Sunday night sat in the lounge bar area and had Kristy as our waitress. She is the best waitress I have ever had at any restaurant. Such a fun and bubbly person. She gave us such good recommendations. The manager was just as pleasant. I can’t really remember managers name but it was a lady with brown hair. The food was phenomenal. We had cheese corn dip, clam chowder, fish tacos, burger, and banana cream pie! EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING!!! Can’t wait to come back and try something new. Hopefully when we’re back Kristy will be there to take care of us again. Thank you Earls for such a great dining experience! :)
If managers see this please let kristy know how great she’s doing and maybe give her a free meal or something for her hard work!

The service was horrendous, very rude staff. The food took forever and was bland. The atmosphere was not impressive in the least. I’d rather eat at McDonald’s, to be perfectly honest.
Never going back, would not recommend to anyone.

Good food, came here for a Unilocal event with a friend. Since this whole new city complex opened, there have been some exciting food additions to the area. Earl’s is one of them. The menu is diverse and interesting, offering some pan-​Asian options along with some more traditional American fare. I sampled the dynamite shrimp roll with avocado, shrimp, and mango which was light and flavorful. For dinner, we split the New England clam chowder (noms!), Cajun chicken Caesar salad, and an order of truffle fries. Everything was prepared well and tasty, and even sharing everything we were full. Give it a go if you’re in the area and hungry, you won’t be disappointed.

Service: amazing
Food: amazing
A little pricey but totally worth it. I would totally recommend to all my friends and family.
I had the kung pao and that was so good. Like ¹⁰⁄₁₀.
This place is just amazing

Solid joint that caters to a lot of different consumers ranging from shoppers in the nearby mall, undecided on what type of food to eat, or even patrons that want to grab a drink and watch the game. I say this because Earl’s is located adjacent to the shopping center, the menu has a wide variety of foods from curry to clam chowder to burgers etc., and the establishment is equipped with a full bar and TVs.
I tried the clam chowder, Caesar salad with grilled chicken, and truffle fries. The clam chowder was spot on and served with a delicious square of focaccia bread. The Caesar salad was also very good. The truffle sauce was really good but the fries were just meh. I prefer thicker/​bigger fries with more skin on the outsides so I might be biased.
Service was prompt and attentive. I would go back if I were in the area!

This is like no other sports bar. As soon as you walk into this beautiful restaurant, you notice how large the space is. A dining room with large tables, the extended bar, and it was busy for a weekday winter night regardless of the Unilocal party.
The ‘Silly Wabbit’ drink was absolutely perfect! You can’t taste the carrot or ginger– so none of the flavor is overpowering– just surprisingly sweet and refreshing with green dyed sugar — don’t put it in your mouth otherwise your lips and tongue will turn instantly green. It was strong too. The staff at Earl’s was working hard the entire time– good for them!
–The Tuna Tostados had this Jimaca slaw which was creative and sweet, and I loved the chili rub spice! Different from anything I have ever Tried!
–The Hamburger: Melt in your mouth perfection. I’m not a huge fan of brioche but the way this was toasted and the guilt free beef (no antibiotics, grass fed, no hormones) made it even juicier to enjoy.
There were two sushi chefs creating the Dynamite Shrimp Roll with mango and avocado, sriracha mayo, and mango– and the presentation is the same as you see on their website– that were giving me an itch to look into sushi making classes.
It’s a wonderful location too in Lincoln Park and a great way to park in the garage if you’re looking to hang out at Earl’s and hop over to Yard House and even do some shopping.

The staff was super friendly and knowledgable of not only the food and drinks, but also the background of the restaurant. It’s a family owned place, from Canada, and they use locally sourced ingredients. On top of that, everything is made in house! Kudos!
The venue itself is beautiful. Spacious area with both restaurant seating as well as extensive bar and TVs. Outside they have a cute little patio with couches with fire pits, definitely want to check this place out in the summer.
Now onto the food and drinks. I had the Silly Wabbit, which was a carrot and ginger vodka drinks. It’s pretty sweet but the ginger overpowers the sweetness. It wasn’t until after that I realized that they dip the glass in green sugar so that the cocktail looks like a carrot! Pretty clever! As for food, they had a sushi station where two chefs rolled prawn tempura sushi with avocado, cucumber, mango, and mayo. In addition, they had homemade tortilla chips with tuna and their Royal burger sliders. Although I do not eat seafood, I heard the sushi and tuna was really good as for the burger, it was juicy and well balanced.

Earls Kitchen + Bar in Toronto’s financial district is actually one of my favorite places to hang out with my friends, have some dinner, and grab a drink or two. So I had very high hopes for this location in Chicago.
The ambience of the restaurant is very up upscale and trendy. Comfortable seats, with plenty of booths; cosy yet spacious. Décor is very chic modern, with a bar, and dining area. The lighting is perfect, and the washrooms are very clean.
We tried the vegetarian burgers, dynamite sushi, and cocktail drinks. The burger was delicious, you could hardly tell it was actually a vegetarian burger. The dynamite sushi roll was also really good, filled with lots of mango and avocado. We tried the Moscow Mule (vodka with ginger and lime), and Silly Wabbit (vodka carrot juice with cardamon bitters); both very good drinks! They will accommodate you if you’re a vegetarian.
The only downfall of the entire experience was our server, who was not attentive at all, and only spoke to us at the beginning of the service then kind of left us for other tables. She actually didn’t come back to check up on us, or care that we were there. Eventually, we did get another server but it took the longest time.
Overall, considering the excellent customer service I’ve always gotten at Earls in Toronto, this was a bit disappointing. The food, and restaurant itself is great, and perhaps in the future if they worked on their customer service skills then I would go back. For now, I am happy with the Earls in Toronto.

I had to come back after hearing so many good things from friends and after getting the matter sorted out after my first visit I learned that Earl’s is indeed KILLER when it comes to good food and good service. My steak was wrong but they fixed it and then took it off my bill. they offered to hang my coat. the staff was super friendly and offered nothing but what is phenomenal service and food.
Ill definitely be back

Had dinner here on a Sunday night around 7pm with a friend. The dynamite roll was delicious, and coming from from the coast I have had a lot of sushi experience. We ordered raspberry mojitos, cabin fever and another drink, and they were all great. The lemon glazed salmon was also well cooked and tasted just as well.
I recommend Anita for service; she was really good at recommending the best choices with our preferences and is super sweet!

The menu, staff, ambiance of this place is amazing. The hostess opens the door for patrons, the other hostess was equally as pleasant and the server was really helpful. She made several recommendations for cocktails and dinner; however, I went specifically for the Indian style curry, but I will be returning.
I expected the chicken to be yummy, but the jasmine rice and naan were absolutely delish! I also had the double lime mojito.
Even the experience of getting the ticket validated for parking was pleasant. I told Courtney (restaurant manager) how great the experience was and prior to that, upon asking her where to go for parking validation and had it validates for myself and my date. I will be going next week to try the happy hour specials, I will be a regular there for sure.

I hadn’t planned on eating here yesterday. Based on Unilocal reviews for new restaurants near my doctor, The Yard House next door sounded like a decent choice. Passing by the scrubbed, upscale New City Centre, however, the fancy light fixtures caught my eye, so I sidetracked to this joint.
There is a refreshing, costumer-​centric approach to the service at Earl’s. This happy hour which runs from 3 – 6 each weekday afternoon had not one, but multiple hosts opening the doors for the three of us, welcoming as we entered the modern, open, airy space.
The décor has a contemporary warmth. Lots of gray marble, warm wood, and Sixties modern furniture give the space an inviting feel. The light fixtures are fabulous, since it was they who beckoned me in.
The service was incredibly friendly and earnest. What my server lacked in familiarity with the menu, he made up for in accommodation and personality. One of the great benefits of the happy hour was deep a discount on signature cocktails, beers, and wines, lower than I’ve ever seen city side. There’s a special seasonal menu as well as a larger menu of traditional, updated comfort foods.
I settled on a $ 3 highball, which consisted of any basic mixed drink including any hard liquor with any type of soda. I chose a Dewars and ginger ale. The taste of this throwback reminded me of my childhood sneaking a sip from my mother’s highball and pretending I was Darren Stevens married to Elizabeth Montgomery from Bewitched. My dining partner ordered a house made raspberry soda. So delicious, and it came with free refills.
The menu is a mixture of soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers and entrees with nothing especially exotic, despite a decided world influence on some of the choices. It was getting chilly so we ordered small soups before our mains. My special cream of mushroom ($ 7) was on par with the best. Rich, peppery, and chock full of mushrooms, there was a savory meatiness to it. Another ordered a clam chowder ($ 2 add on with a sandwich) from the regular menu. That was almost too good to share, but I got a small taste of that luscious bowl of filled with meaty clam chunks and potatoes in a thick, smoky chowder. Portions were generous.
While waiting for our mains, we had a visit from the genial manager who gave us the 411 on Earl’s. Originating as a burger joint in Calgary in 1982, this successful chain has over 60 locations across Canada. It’s only been a few years here in the states with about 8 locations open now and more to come. This location is approximately 1 month old, he explained. He also shared that everything in the menu was made on premises, and the local chef de cuisine creates specials based on his or her whim. I tried the bibimbap special ($ 15) with shrimp ($ 5 addition), but could have kept it neat or added chicken, steak, it tofu. This included some crispy, chewy brown rice and a nice selection of 16 or so additional veggies including piquant house pickles. My charming server explained the perfectly poached egg in the center of the bowl represented the sun and each of the multiple ingredients, one of the provinces of Korea. Mixing them together was supposed to be a metaphor for how the sun brought the areas of Korea together. He seemed genuinely disappointed that I didn’t let him mix the dish tableside, but I couldn’t let him destroy the beauty of the presentation before I documented it for Unilocal.The smoky house hot sauce finished this nicely. Overall, this was competent, singular, and tasty. It was far from the best bibimbap bowl I’ve had, however. One of us ordered a chicken, brie, and fig sandwich on a chewy focaccia roll ($ 15). My dining mate could only eat half and said it, too was competent, but suffered from a lack of any brie flavor. Today I tasted a bit from the other half, reluctantly given from the same dining partner who begrudgingly let me sup a teaspoon of the chowder yesterday. I deemed it very delicious, even quickly reheated in the microwave. The chicken breast was perfectly cooked and the sweet, fresh fig nicely offset the creamy brie. The last of us ordered a generous portion of half Caesar salad and a generous hunk of rosemary focaccia as part of a soup and salad combo ($ 15– sense a pattern here?). This salad was perfect, a creamy mélange of lemon, garlic, and anchovy nicely balanced.
We shared a dessert off the special menu, warm gingerbread cake with cooked apples and a rich vanilla gelato flecked with bits of vanilla bean. A stripe of caramel zigzagged across the plate. Superb! The cake was moist and just a bit chewy; the whole plate was a sumptuous slice of autumn.
If I had any nits about the place, I wished bread or a side were offered with the soups. The sandwich also seemed naked on the plate alone with no side. The surroundings, service, and food quality, however, are best in class. For an upscale chain, Earl’s is as good as it gets.

Great spot in the heart of NewCityPaTown! I went on a Thursday night with three others and had a great time.
The food was awesome. I’m not sure what I would call the cuisine here as it ranges from BBQ to Indian, and sushi to steaks, very wide range of food styles here. I ordered the Jeera Chicken Curry and my fiancé tried the Bibimbap with shrimp. While my order was really good, her’s was the best dish of the night by far, I highly recommend it! As for starters, the dynamite roll and tuna tostadas were also really good.
To accompany the great food, the drink selection was pretty expansive. Great selection of cocktails, beer and wine.
Finally, the service was great… everyone was almost too nice. Made us feel at home and our server was very helpful with plenty of recommendations.
I’ll definitely come back for dinner/​drinks before catching a movie at that new Arclight theater!

This trip to Earls was a real treat! Having been to the restaurant in Alberta and Ontario, i knew what to expect and to my pleasant surprise, EVERYTHING was identical to the home country! The Cajun Chicken sandwich was done perfectly, about the best one i’ve ever had.
The Caesar (drink) was also outstanding, featuring Clamato!
Fabulous looking space they have too, the whole complex is top drawer!
I will be a frequent quest when in Chicago.

Earls has definitely lived up to its standards! Loving this Canadian based chain! We came here for dinner last night and had a great meal as well as superb service by Kelly. It was SLAMMED, of course– due to being opening week. But the hostess grabbed us a high top for two right away next to the bar. Interior is gorgeous, with lots of windows. Very large, and loud. Besides Kelly we had a few others making sure our dinner was top notch– most of them were straight outta Canada (ey!) and in for the first few weeks of their opening. Love those Canadians, so friendly. For dinner we had the sushi roll and the bimbambop with chicken. Definitely recommend that bimbambop! I know, you’re thinking Japanese and Korean? What kind of a menu is this? Well they have food from ALL over the world on their menu, and they nail each thing with its authenticity. So it’s def a great place to be when you have a group of people who all have a taste for different stuff!
We will def be back many more times!

OH CANADA
I am calling Earl’s the best export Canada has ever sent to the USA. Chicago is a huge foodie town and to get the 67^th location right in my backyard is exciting. Now I must admit I didn’t know a lot about Earl’s before I came here. I read the website which I loved. It actually made me fall in love with Earl’s before I actually walked into the door. I love that there steaks are certified Humane with no antibiotics or hormones. I also love they have a tiny freezer only big enough for gelato. Everything is made fresh here.
We were lucky enough to get a personalized kitchen tour by Head Chef Chris Memme who is a super nice guy but he’s Canadian and they are all super nice. I’ll need to visit him after he’s ridden the EL in February. He might be a little meaner but I doubt that. The kitchen is amazing. They have a computerized ordering system that tells the chefs when to fire the food which means your whole party gets their food hot at the same time. I love that. It is the future of perfect dinning. Thanks Chef for taking the time to show us around.
Now let’s talk about the drinks. I am starting to fall for the Old Fashioned and they make a great one here with Makers Mark. The mixologist uses root beer bitters which gives it a unique taste and a giant ass ice cube. The cube melts slower so it doesn’t ruin the taste of the drink. The only hard part is trying to stir it. My wife got the Moscow Mule which was really good. Everyone looks great drinking from a copper cup. They also make craft sodas and my little one had the Elderflower which she loved. I love a restaurant that cares enough to make its own soda.
The food is also top notch. We started with Poblano Roasted Corn cheese dip with sweet corn, mozzarella cheese, poblano peppers & Navajo fry bread. I loved this as a starter. I wish I had a little more Navajo bread for dipping but I blame the little one for really enjoying this fresh fried bread. It was like a non sweet funnel cake but better.
For dinner my little one got the bacon cheddar burger with cured bacon, vine ripe tomatoes, onion, pickles, mayo & mustard on a brioche bun. She also decided to change her side from French fries to clam chowder. The clam chowder was fantastic. I loved that it was loaded full of clam & fresh veggies plus it wasn’t made with a heavy cream. It was very light and tasty.
I had the 10oz NY Striploin cooked medium rare & added blackened spices. The steak was cooked perfectly and the meat quality was out of this world. For my two sides I got the delicious garlic mashed potatoes & a side salad. The side salad was one of the best looking & tasting salads I’ve had in a long time.
My wife had the fish tacos which she liked. She was very excited to see she could upgrade her fries to truffle fries. Those are her weakness like kryptonite is to Superman. I was able to sneak a few when she wasn’t looking and they were good.
For dessert we all shared a slice of pumpkin pie which is made fresh in house. I loved the idea of the fresh cinnamon sprinkle on top of the fresh whipped cream. There was definitely a 3 way race to the center as we all dug in with our forks.
The staff here is really good. I learned that Earl’s promotes from within. In fact, I heard that the GM here went from being a dish washer to a chef to getting his on location to manage in Chicago. See the American dream is not dead in Canada. In fact, I have never seen a happier staff. They opened this week and many of the staff were from other locations in Canada training the staff in Chicago. I loved all the care that went into making sure the customer experience at Earl’s is consistent across the borders.
I’ve also spent that last few days vocally bragging about Earl’s especially to my Canadian friends. Every single one of them said, «How do you know about Earl’s?» It was like I had some culinary secret that I wasn’t suppose to know about. Those same Canadian friends had no idea Earl’s had even opened in Chicago. Many of them plan on going there this weekend. That shows me how loyal the customers are to Earl’s. This brings a little home grown Canadian food concept to Chicago.
I love the outdoor space. They have two patios. One faces the Yard House which is perfect because I could watch their big screens while dinning at Earl’s. That is a tip for the guys when your trying to sneak the game in while going on a romantic date. The second patio has two outdoor fire places which are just beautiful. I heard they will be able to add plastic walls to allow people to use the outdoor space during the cold months. They even have a giant projector shooting on the side of the building. I totally want to come back her to watch a hockey game plus you might see some hockey players. Why? Hockey players are from Canada and they love Earl’s too.
So I am totally loving the «New City Experience» it just feels like a giant party in the middle & Earl’s is the place to kick it all off at. I can’t wait to come back.