Frog n Snail

Went to Frog N Snail on a Friday night with my husband and family, and couldn’t believe it wasn’t more crowded!
Service was very kind. We were in the area early and were fine with sitting in the bar for 15 min until our actual reservation time, but they sat us right away.
Cocktails were a bit sweet for our taste, so we switched to wine and beer with our food.
THE FOOD!!! The dumplings with cauliflower and chive are heaven-​sent, and the homemade ricotta we shared was cool and fluffy and delicious. I opted for the Kitchen Sink Cassoulet for dinner and couldn’t have been happier. French comfort food with a refined presentation and simple ingredient-​friendly seasoning. I also tasted bites of the salmon, chicken with stuffing (so tender!) and rabbit pierogi, and all were great. Plus the blueberry cobbler was perfectly tart and fresh.
Go eat here!!! Especially if you’re sick of the line at DryHop.

THIS PLACE HAS CLOSED!
We went there on NYE for the final dinner. The new chef was amazing. He came out to explain what we were eating and explain the preparation.
It is a shame that such a talented chef is not currently putting out some of his amazing food. Yes it is true that Nate Park will be picked up and we will again enjoy his talent.

Really enjoyed this place. We always love a good French spot, and so awesome this is in our hood! At first we were skeptical bc there was NO ONE else dining in (we were the only ones the entire time) however it was a Tuesday night. Hoping that’s the only reason bc I’d like this place to stick.
We started with a Moscow mule, which my husband’s only complaint was that it wasn’t a «true» MM since it wasn’t served in the copper mug with crushed ice. However, it was still delish.
For our app, we got the homemade ricotta. It didn’t knock my socks off, but definitely was delicious.
My entrée was the prosciutto crusted chicken on a MOUNTAIN of the most perfect mashed potatoes with capers. Uuuu, SO yummy! The hub got the stroganoff. He enjoyed it, but wasn’t drooling over his like I was. Also we really enjoyed our wine. Both French and perfect.
It also was relatively affordable. We were shocked the bill was as low as it was actually. Not your great buy kinda place, but definitely worth the cost and well deserved of its Michelin rating!
Highly recommend for east lakeviewers!

Had dinner here with some friends this past week.
We were here on a Tuesday night, and the restaurant seemed eerily empty. However, we walked back to our table, and everything opened up; there were a handful of (mostly occupies) tables, decorated in a modern style, with some organic touches. I really liked that dining room.
Since there were 5 of us, we were all able to share various fares. Here are the highlights: Loved the escargot appetizer and the mussels. The steak frites was solid (the fries were quite good). The pork shoulder was wonderful (not entirely what I expected, but, at a place like this, I just order and assume it will be delish). For dessert we all split the crème brûlée and a banana cream compote (both were amazing).
My visit here was a treat, and I look forward to returning.

I’m not really sure what to think about this place, but I can’t say that my experience was bad. The décor is more relaxed than you’d expect for a place like this.
We came at 7 on a weeknight and there was no one there, which is never a good sign. We started with some drinks – negroni for me, beer for hubs – and the frog legs. They were a little on the paltry side. While good, I hoped we would’ve had more than four, which, between two people is about three bites each. They came with a barbecue-​y sauce and a yogurt one. Tasted like chicken, which is really how frog legs usually taste.
I had the stroganoff, hubs had the steak, and we really enjoyed both. Comparable dishes at other restaurants would run $ 3-​$ 8 more, so it was a great value.
Then, having finished our first round of drinks and our entrees, the waiter brought us another round of drinks. My friend had called ahead that afternoon and bought drinks for us to be delivered when we sat down (it was my birthday). So I was a little peeved that they arrived at the end of our meal. Why not deliver them when we sat down? Or just comp what we already ordered? I didn’t want another drink. And I definitely didn’t want one after I’d eaten an app and full meal. It seemed like they were trying to get the extra $ 20 out of us for another round of drinks.
We had the crème brûlée for dessert, which we thought was pretty good but not spectacular.
Overall, I’d probably come back. I didn’t care for the cocktails, and the way they handled the ones my friend brought really annoyed me. Our entire meal was about $ 80 (app, two drinks, two entrees and a dessert) which was a pretty good value. I’d bring friends here.

Escargot was good and served differently than I’m used to at a french restaurant. Mom loved the trout, beet salad was meh — couldve used more beet and goat cheese and less greens.
BUT THAT BURGER. Oh the BLD Burger. I was so incredibly impressed.
«8 ounce prime angus, blt, sunny egg, buttermilk fried onions, boursin,
worcestershire, and frog sauce»
The fries it came with were also excellent and loved the spicier sauce that came with it in addition to ketchup.
Wine, per usual, overpriced.

This is a second outpost in Chicago of Celebrity Top Chef Dale Levitski, also of Sprout. Dale has made a name for himself with an amazing pedigree in the city. He specializes in classic and comfort food with four star reinterpretations, often deconstructing the original.
I’ve been here twice for brunch. I’m on the fence about my rating. On the one hand, the creativity in the recipes and the presentation are top notch, super good. Special surprises are that if you order a bottle of champagne for the table at $ 20, they’ll give you a small carafe of OJ and delicious homemade syrups to flavor your champagne cocktails or Mimosas. Also, the menu is amazing. The food looks like a Michelin starred restaurant on the plate. The ingredients are unusual and adventurous. Even the prices are good for what you’d be getting if everything worked perfectly. What I didn’t like about the place was that the food we ordered tasted bland. I had a skillet non skillet entrée which included small lumps of a special sausage, sauteed vegetables, a fried green tomato, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. It was either underseasoned or the ingredient quality was so-​so. Honestly, I expected it to pop with flavor based on the way it looked. My dining partner ordered the shrimp and grits, which I ordered the first time, and said the texture was boring and so was the flavor. Again, is it seasoning or ingredients that lacked? I don’t know, but I was underwhelmed. Every time I’ve been there, the poached eggs were slightly overcooked as well. These should be perfect.
Another of us ordered a Croque Madame and that was definitely a winner. The parmesan tulle around the sandwich was a nice touch and made for a spectacular plate. The homemade super thin potato chips fried just a bit brown were also super tasty. So maybe I just ordered the wrong thing?
The interior is very modern and chic with cool avocado green hues and deep ebony brown woods. There are cute little frogs and snails as well to add to a kind of modern with whimsy motif.
Drinks were pretty good – what you’d expect from a foodie type place. They have a decent selection of wines and were okay on beers. I liked my Bloody Maria and loved the Champagne bottle service at brunch. My friend did not like his cocktail so much.
Service was spotty on the sidewalk outside. Actually, I got better service for Brunch next door at Wilde. The first time I ate there, I was pleased with service. All-​in-​all, I really wanted to like this place more, but it doesn’t deliver. I’m not inclined to give them another chance.

Gosh-​where to begin? Delicious! Pure deliciousness. We came here for my birthday and it was such a good decision.
Apps-​frog legs and ricotta=amazing. I’ve never had frog legs until tonight-​and so worth the wait. Crispy and meat falling off home. Not nearly as gamey ad I thought it would be. And that homemade ricotta-​with bacon! Please give me more!
Dinner itself was so good. I had the beef stroganoff-​and the cook on the steak was just absolutely text book perfect! My friends had the duck pierogi and the stove top chicken-​and they both really liked it. My friend who had the duck pierogi said it was one of the most delicious meals she had ever had.
The service was just right as well. Attentive but not overbearing. The sever was very knowledgable about the food and drink selections. And they have port! Extra brownie points for that!
I will be back and I cannot wait to try brunch!

I wanted to try a restaurant that (1) I had never been to and (2) wasn’t downtown so I figured why not try Frog n Snail. Well after dining there last night I can say for certain I don’t feel the need to go back.
Drinks
— Tall, Dark and Handsome: The rum wasn’t overpowering, probably because of the ginger beer that was mixed with it. Was good and refreshing.
— The Naked Spur: When you take your first sip of this drink you can definitely taste the booze… which was A OK for me seeing how I like vodka. Definitely, worth trying.
Food — Appetizers
— Homemade Ricotta: Definitely a must get. The only negative was that the pieces of baguette that comes with this appetizer were slightly burnt which ruined the overall taste of the dish.
–Truffle Dumplings: When the dish was put on the table I found myself saying, «Where’s the dumplings?!» Getting this dish was a waste of money and stomach space.
Food — Entrée
— Kitchen Sink Cassoulet: Reading the description on the menu I was certain this was going to be a great dish. Well descriptions can be misleading. I was disappointed with my selection because I was expecting something that would taste amazing. I thought my palate would be dancing for joy eating this dish, instead I found myself wishing I had gotten the Beef Stroganoff. It didn’t help that my date got the same thing I did so I couldn’t even sample something different.
Dessert
— Chocolate Covered Pretzels: This was the highlight of my dining experience. Pure perfection! A must get if you like chocolate.
— Cloud 9: I somehow always forget that I hate angel food cake, until it’s placed in front of me on the table. If you like angel food cake, then I guess you may like this. If you want a dessert that will put a smile on your face… well get the Chocolate Covered Pretzels.
Service
— I must say that the best part about my entire dining experience was the waiter Sam. He was a true example of excellent customer service.

Arrived right after Frog n Snail opened on Saturday morning for brunch so it was extremely easy to get a table. We sat outside because the weather was so nice. I ordered the cracked egg salmon toast. It was a much larger portion than I was expecting. I was very full and satisfied after eating ¾ of my meal. The salmon was flavorful, the anchovies added the right amount of salt, and mmmm the mustard was so tasty! My boyfriend had the egg drop bouillabaisse which he enjoyed.
Overall it was a nice spot for brunch with tasty menu options and excellent service.
Next time I think I’ll try the mimosa bubble service.

We loved Sprout and thought we would try Frog N Snail for Sunday brunch. We reserved through Open Table. When we arrived we checked in with a young blond at the hostess station. We asked if any outside tables were coming open, she said she would check and then promptly left through the back of the restaurant. We stood there for 10 then 15 minutes she never came back. After 15minutes we asked the bartender for help. He responded that the hostess had something she had to do? After another 5 minutes we asked a passing server if we could sit at the empty un-​bussed table by the window.
We our server did arrive, he was extremely nice, but it was obvious he had more tables than he could serve. We placed the entire order drinks and food at one time, as we had already been there about ½ hour.
To the credit of the kitchen the food arrived correctly and quickly. While we dined I watched several groups come in, wait 5 – 10 minutes then leave. There was no one to greet them.
As for the food, it was good. Rabbit dish was very under seasoned. The shrimp and grits nice but the eggs were smeared around the edge of the bowl. The BDL burger was however, AMAZING. The pastry nice but the pink? butter? served with it tasted like mayonnaise.
Frog and Sprout has little to do with Sprout where the food and the service are excellent. We won’t be hopping back here anytime soon because it’s snail that describes the service.

I visited Frog n Snail for brunch with a couple of my girlfriends and we loved it! The space has a clean, modern feel with the warm wood and frog and snail statues keeping it comfortable. After enjoying a tasty Bloody Mary, we ordered Mimosa Bubble Service, just because it was such a fun concept. They bring out a bottle of bubbly (we opted for the house bubbles, why spend more when you’re going to be mixing) along with a small carafe of oj and 3 small bowls of syrups-​blueberry, passion fruit, and (I believe) hibiscus. Then you mix away to create your own perfect mimosa! At our table the passion fruit was definitely the most popular!
Along with our bubbles we enjoyed an order of the Lithuanian Bacon Buns with Whipped Vanilla Butter. I’m half Lithuanian and have yet to come across a bacon bun I didn’t like-​these were no exception. Warm, buttery, and full of bacon-what’s not to love?!
With a menu full of mouth-​watering options it was very difficult to make a decision, but eventually we settled on the 4 dishes we would share. First up we had the Duck Hash Benedict and the Shrimp n Polenta. The Duck Hash Benedict is served on banana bread and topped with brown butter hollandaise. I would never think that banana bread would pair well with duck and hollandaise but it did-​and it was fantastic! It definitely took some restraint to keep us from licking the plate when we were done!
The Shrimp n Polenta is usually Shrimp n Grits, but they were out of grits and made a substitute. I don’t know what the grits taste like but the creamy cheddar polenta was awesome. There were just so many delicious flavors going on in this dish and when you add in the beautifully poached egg and the tender shrimp you’ve got an easy win.
Our next two dishes were the Croque Madame and the Nutella Crepes. The crepes were a nice sweet addition to our meal, but unfortunately not a stand out. The Croque Madame on the other hand-​holy cheesy goodness! Hands down, the best thing to happen to me this weekend! The crispy ring of cheddar around the sandwich is like no sandwich I’ve ever eaten before. If you’ve ever eaten Pequod’s pizza… it’s like the caramelized cheese along the crust, only way better! Pictures do not do it justice!
I think it’s pretty safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this brunch experience at Frog n Snail. Their burger graced the cover of Time Out Chicago’s burger issue and it was a beauty! Since we skipped the burger on this visit that obviously means I’ll be returning to see for myself what all the fuss is about!

Ok, I’m coming clean right now. I hate frogs. They freak me out, man. Like, y’know how most people are scared or at least skittish around snakes? Yeah, that’s the feeling I get around frogs. I can trace it back to this creepy ass frog clock my mom had in her bathroom at the end of the hall when I was a small child. That thing wanted to eat me. No joke.
Oh, right. This is Unilocal,not my therapist’s couch. Moving on!
About a year ago I got it in my head that I was going to conquer a fear and actually eat a frog. Take that you gaseous, bulbous little monsters! For 33 years you tried to eat me, now I will do the same to you, b*tch!
This is not really much of a review so far, but I think you see where I’m going with this.
–
Anyway, where better to try frogs legs than Frog and Snail? We didn’t have a reservation, since we’re fly by the seat of our pants types, so we did what the norms do and waited outside. It was warm but raining (as is the summer norm for Chicago this year it seems). The inside is sleek and modern, and the entire restaurant gives off a warm amber glow. It’s very comfortable to come into after sitting in the rain for an hour. We were seated and immediately greeted by our waiter for drinks. The service was totally on point the entire evening.
We tried a couple of the Strawberry Fields cocktails because it has rhubarb in it, and that means Laura will order it no matter what else the dish or drink contains. They were wonderful. Light, refreshing and strong (but not bathtub gasoline strong, they used the good stuff).
Onto our meal. Well, kind of meal. We decided we were just going to order a couple of apps that night. We weren’t feeling terribly hungry, just wanted a light meal, so we got the escargot and the aforementioned frogs legs.
The escargot was wonderful. We’ve been fans of snails for awhile and these were scrumptious. They came with a little bit of corn and grits, kind of a crispy salad of deliciousness all together. We’d definitely order them again if we were there. And they weren’t overcooked and tough like you sometimes get.
The frogs legs were interesting. The old adage «it tastes like chicken» couldn’t be more true. It does. But they’re a bit more greasy and gamey than I expected. All in all, it was like eating a couple of large, thin chicken wings. I wouldn’t say I loved it, but I’d eat it again if I were served it. I just don’t think I’d go out of my way to order them. Overall they were a bit more greasy than I like. They came with a nice fried green tomato underneath which was also a bit more on the greasy side than I like.
Would I return to Frog and Snail? Sure. If others want to go. But overall it’s a bit more pretentious and takes itself more seriously than I like. Nothing to complain about, but just not my style.
Fear conquered.
Grant 1/​Frog 0

Frog n Snail was on my bookmark to try list for a while now and we finally had a chance to come here for a Saturday brunch and unfortunately, we were not impressed. Came in around 1pm and it was completely empty, maybe two tables in the whole restaurant. The only thing I liked about the experience is the atmosphere, it’s modern and chill, nice wooden tables and their AC works. Everything else went horribly wrong. Here is what we tried and were so not impressed:
–Lithuanian bacon buns-​on the Unilocal pics they looked so good and ours came out tasting like they were 3 days old, definitely not fresh and reheated, not straight out of the oven. The bread was stale. Although I enjoyed the taste, if they were fresh they would have been much better.
–Croque Madame-​two year aged white cheddar, rosemary ham, golden raisin mustard, shallot, apple and sunny egg. The chips were also stale and the sandwich was so salty we could not even finish it. I took two bites and I was done.
–Nutella crepes-​vanilla crêpe filled with nutella, milk chocolate cream cheese,
hazelnuts, and bruleed bananas. That is what the description said. There was no nutella, shouldn’t Nutella crepes have nutella? They were just filled with bananas and there was a drizzle of chocolate sauce. No nutella, no milk chocolate cream cheese, instead they put some raspberry sauce on top which did not do them justice. She could have at least said they changed the menu item.
–Croissant with strawberry butter-​the strawberry butter was good. The rest not so much.
Now, I can kinda forgive yucky food, but what really makes me feel that I will never come back was the service. It was like our server was completely out of it, she hardly approached us, I always tried so hard to get her attention. Than when we asked for some stuff to go in two separate boxes, she brought everything in one box. So our salty bacon buns got to meet the banana crêpe. Really? Once she brought the check it took her forever to come find us again. I was very disapointed with this place. Also, there were no frogs nor snails on their menu for brunch? Maybe dinner would be better but I won’t be there to try it.

I have been dying to come here for quite some time. I a huge fan of Sprout the sister restaurant so I expected nothing but the best! Boy did they deliver!
I came here with my mom and boyfriend for brunch before heading out to O’hare to Germany — so kind of a sending off brunch :) It was a lovely day outside but unfortunately, we couldn’t score a table outside. We got a cozy booth in the back and got right down to business… mimosas and bloody Mary’s please. They have one of the best bloody Mary’s in the city. They don’t go crazy with toppings like some restaurant/​bars do but the mix is unreal.
The three of us were torn about the menu because so many things looked good. I ordered a steak salad with a sunny side up egg on top — amazing. My mother ordered Turkey Crepadilla which was turkey, broccoli, onion & white cheddar filled black pepper crêpe with
green goddess dressing and potato chip salad, sunny egg. I ate some of hers as well and boy was it good! My boyfriend who isn’t much of a French diner went with the Croque Madame which was two year aged white cheddar, rosemary ham, golden raisin mustard,
shallot, apple and sunny egg. He thought it was a bit rich but loved it as well.
One item that we both eyed down continuously was the Lyonnaise. We can’t wait to get back to try more!

Torn between a 3 and 4 (because of the burger.) I’ve wanted to go to Sprout for a while but there are no reasons to justify overspending money at the moment so we came here for dinner instead. Made a reservation for 9PM on open table just as we were leaving just in case, and when we arrived the dining room was mostly full.
The décor is laid back and has a very «clean» feel, and it’s not too dark! So rare these days for whatever reason. And dinner was alright… though a little disappointing.
The complementary crostini and dip was delicious but… the crostini was kinda hard and borderline unpleasant to eat.
The escargot appetizer (not very easy to share in my opinion despite our waiter’s recommendation) had the yummiest grits but… the snails themselves actually tasted dirty and gritty. I’ve only had snails a couple of other times, but I’m certain they’re not supposed to taste like there’s still dirt stuck in them.
My hawkeye looked so cool when it came out! A huge flat pork with all the goodies hidden under the bun… but! No salt at all on the bland, bland chops. Did they forget? Disappointing. I could smell that it WOULD taste great, if it weren’t so bland :(Rookie mistakes…
The highlight of the meal was the BLD burger. A huge, very showy burger. But juicy and flavorful. It can get to be too much after the first few bites though. Apparently according to bf, still not as good as a simple Edzo’s char burger. I’m on the fence whether I agree. On one hand, it is a LOT of things piled on a burger, which I tend to not like. On the other hand… all the components work so well together, so it doesn’t really feel like too much.
Several relatively minor missteps in a row, so we didn’t have most shining impression of this place unfortunately, but there were a lot of great moments in our meal still. And I’m still very curious about brunch…

I visited the F n S on a Saturday with a friend just around 2 pm (they close at 3) and was able to walk right in and get a table. The place is very crisp and clean looking, so the ambiance is fresh and comfortable.
We started with the mimosa bottle service which at $ 20 for the house bubbly seems very reasonable. They bring out a small carafe of OJ (who needs much???) plus three fresh mix-​in purees (in this case it was peach, cranberry, and blueberry). Definitely a good start!
I ordered a short rib puff pastry entrée that ended up being kind of like a shepherd’s pie from heaven. It was very complex and delicious. My companion ordered the duck confit with banana bread (which sounds ridiculous), but it too was delicious and the flavors worked very well together.
The service was great, and this place definitely knows what it is doing. I will be back!

In my crusade to discover the best sandwiches in Chicago, I was brought to the doorstep of Frog n Snail to try the Hawkeye.
Upon entering, I was told by the waiter that carry-​out was not available. Intially, I was dsappointed, but I I decided to stay, enjoy my meal, and duck out of the rain.
My waiter was friendly and curteous, and seated my at a table in the back, which gave me a chance to appreciate the establishment’s décor and ambience. It was clean and classy, without any pretension. They really hammer home the frog motif with all the brass frog statues.
I ordered my sandwich and didn’t have to wait long at all. A pan fried pork tenderloin on an stuffed egg bun with housemade pickles and spicy ranch mayo, with a side of fries and a fresh pear salad.
The problem with most pork tenderloin sandwiches is that the main attraction is often too large and too greasy for human consumption. This was not the case in the Hawkeye. It was smashed flat with most of the grease drained out, and was only slightly larger than the bun. Ground marinated pork on top of the tenderloin provided a zesty zing, while the pickles and spicy ranch mayo tempered the overall taste with a coolness that evenly matched the meat.
The fries were crispy and light, and the salad was a nice palate cleanser.
For $ 15, you really can’t do better for a solid meal in Lakeview, but they should really consider doing carry-​out. Might come back to try the Stroganoff after my sandwich quest is complete.

Incredible food, incredible service, incredible all around!
I was treated by my uncle & aunt to this fine establishment, and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, this is high end, but the prices are reasonable the the staff is all for making their patrons feel like the food and restaurant are accessible.
Special shout out the Matt, who was the best waiter I’ve had in years. He even was honest what were the best dishes to get.
Chicken and Truffle Dumplings: ⁵⁄₅ $ 9 (well worth it)
Perfect! Debatable the best dumplings I’ve ever had.
Mushroom n Pear Buckwheat Crepes: ⁴⁄₅ $ 16 (bang for your buck)
The purred mushrooms inside were the best part, but the clump of it was not evenly distributed in the crêpe, and really confused me once I started tasting it. Still delicious.
Autumn Trifle (something like that) ³⁄₅ $ 10 (alright, but rather go to a dessert shop)
The flavors (especially the ginger) were all tantalizing, but were served separated. After building my gumption up and using my over sized spoon as a blender, I was a lot more satisfied. Enjoyed, but wouldn’t get it again.
I support the Frog N Snail, and would definitely recommend it for those looking for a fine dining establishment in Lakeview.

(edited down to 3 stars after second visit)
Real good on first visit. Awful lunch second visit.
Excellent dishes. Beautifully presented. Delicious. Very good value.
My first time today. Had anchovy crostini (delicious and appetizing), fried green tomato (nice), lyonnaise salad (beautifully presented and done… real good idea to have the freedom fries underneath)…
desert: purgatory cake… which was the mother of all deserts… nice…not delicate .not shy at all…
Service by Sharla. Great. She was absolutely lovely.
I’ll go back soon.
addition: visited for lunch today with high enthusiasm for lunch. ordered the burger with sunny side up egg… came cold. cold buns, cold tomatoes, cold meat patty… cool fries… barely ate ¹⁄₃ of the meal… result: downgraded them from 4 stars to 3…