Keefer’s

Flawless: soft-​shell crab, Delmonico steak (like everywhere in Chicago, order more rare than you like), sorbets & carrot cake. All superb. [Unfortunately, no longer in business.]

I can’t say enough amazing things about Keefer’s and am so sad it’s closing in a few days.
Came here to celebrate a friend’s birthday and had the best time. Our waitress was extremely knowledgeable and knew just what to suggest and what to pair with our entrees and drinks.
We started with the calamari and spicy mayo which was fantastic. I never like the squid-​y looking ones so was happy there were some of the regular circular ones to choose from. The spicy mayo really hit the spot on this.
I tried a bowl of their red pepper soup which sadly wasn’t that great, was super oily and I couldn’t even eat all of it because I had to keep wiping the oil off my mouth. It was tasty but really, lay off that oil!
For my entrée I had crusted halibut which I believe was a special, boy was it amazing! Brought me right back to my honeymoon in Hawaii with how fresh that fish was. I couldn’t stop eating it. Both my husband and our friend ordered a filet which looked so tasty and I don’t even eat meat! We ordered a side of asparagus and a side of au gratin potatoes. Amazing, amazing. Shout out to our waitress for recommending those as sides to perfect our meal.
Once our waitress learned we were celebrating our friend’s birthday she brought out a chocolate mousse with a candle in it for him, so cute and thoughtful. We also ordered the carrot cake which was out of this world.
Going to miss this place and hope its replacement keeps the staff on board.

Came here for my fiancé’ birthday dinner and we were quite disappointed in the overall experience. For this level of establishment and price, I would certainly look elsewhere because Keefer’s falls short.
Let me start by saying that service is pretty great, quite attentive. I’d rate service a solid 4.5 stars. Atmosphere is nice as well, beautiful interior and interesting fixtures. After that, everything kind of goes downhill…
We ordered the Asian Pork Belly appetizer, after seeing it praised in many reviews. It was really just okay… the pork itself was tender and had good flavor, though there was a lot of fat to take off of the tiny little potion. It literally amounted to 2 bite each for two people.
I ordered French Onion Soup, one of my absolute favorite dishes ever. This also fell short (3 stars). The portion was quite large, the flavor of the soup was so-​so, nothing better than what I get from Panera, and it was covered in a thick ½ inch of cheese. So much cheese that I could hardly manage to eat the soup without my knife.
Finally, the main course. My filet mignon was ordered medium. It was weirdly dry, despite being mostly medium with a little well done in one end. Not much flavor to speak of. Fiancé’s porterhouse, also ordered medium, was really medium-​rare. He said it was seasoned okay, but certainly not what you’d expect from a restaurant of this caliber. The Au Gratin Potatoes were yuck; very starchy chunks of potato in a plain, flavorless cheese sauce. It was really lacking seasoning at all.
We decided to cut our losses before dessert and left to try desserts at another place across the street. With so many great steakhouses in Chicago, I’d skip this one and try someplace else.

Had a great experience here on valentines day. The city view was amazing, good was really good and service was nice. Will go back for sure.

In a city filled with steakhouses Keefers falls right in the middle. The food and service is good, but didn’t knock my socks off. So will I go back to Keefers… yes. Am I running round town like my undies are on fire talking about how amazing Keefers is… no.
Food:
— pork belly tostadas: these were oh so good. I was sad when they I ate the last of the 3 because I knew they were all gone.
— chicken liver mousse: nasty, but this is just not my thing at all. my friend ordered it so of course i had to try it.
— 12 oz prime rib eye steak: was cooked the way i asked, was flavorful and good to the last bite.
— mushroom potato gratin: was the best thing i ate. i wish they would have given me more versus the little kid size portion that showed up on my plate.
— cheesecake: it was good, but isn’t all cheesecake good?

Best steak I have ever had. I had the Kansas City bone in strip cooked med rare, and my date had the filet cooked medium. Both steaks came out 100% perfectly cooked and seasoned just right. With our steaks we also enjoyed their au gratin potatoes, which were stunning and more than enough for the two of us. For an appetizer, we enjoyed the prosciutto wrapped asparagus, to which had great flavor and a excellent presentation. To sum up — if you get a chance to dine at Keefers, take it. You won’t be disappointed. No chance. One last comment, the cheese cake is a great way to call it a meal.

The thick-​cut bacon on the side salad I ordered was simply delicious. The bread was also very good.
Unfortunately, where this place stumbled was the medium/​medium-​well filet I received when I ordered mine medium-​rare. The waitstaff didn’t follow up with us till several minutes later, so unfortunately for me, I had to settle with a dried out piece of meat.
Smith & Wollensky’s did not make the same mistake.

I actually expected Keefers to be a lot more expensive than it was! It was a nice place, not too crowded or loud too, which I like. We went for my birthday and were seated in the back right by the fireplace. The place was decorated for Christmas and looked really nice and cozy.
We shared the burrata as an appetizer. It was super good! I had the filet and my husband had the porterhouse. My filet was great as was his steak. His was giant, lol! We shared a bunch of sides, potatoes (which weren’t really au gratin, but still really good) the peas and the mushrooms. i would definitely recommend them all! We had some great wine as well. Our server was really nice and not overly chatty, which is sometimes nice as well!
My husband had made our reservation on open table and mentioned that it was my birthday, they didn’t mention it at all until they brought out a birthday dessert! On the house! that was a really nice touch and you know they are reading the reservations. Overall, great experience, I will probably do some business dinners there in the future since I know they pay attention to detail and I can have a conversation it isn’t so loud :)

Snooze! How many of these old school steakhouses can one city support? I wouldn’t have been surprised if Al Capone had walked in.
Typical Chicago steakhouse. Big red meat. Same old sides (mac & cheese, creamed spinach, garlic mashed potatoes, blah blah blah).
Look, I love beef. I can take down a big fat juicy steak like anyone. I just wish that a few of these places (you know who you are– Morton’s, Ruth Chris, Gibson’s, Keefer’s) had an ounce of creativity and could add a few different or special things to their menus. You really can’t tell the difference from one to the next if you just look down at your plate.
Having said that, the food was perfectly good for what it is — expensive standardized steakhouse menu that these places have been serving for 50 years. My arteries thank you.

Came here with a group of friends on a semi-​recent Chicago getaway, and were out to try *the best* Chicago has to offer in terms of hot dogs, deep dish pizzas, and steak.
Came here for the steak and was very disappointed.
We split calamari among the 6 of us, which was a good portion, but nothing to write home about. That’s okay though right? We’re here for the steak anyway.
I ordered my $ 37 filet mignon medium well. Yes– a bit on the cooked side, but I really can’t stand to have my meat too pink. Unfortunately, my steak was bone.dry.
Like…not «left it on the grill too long» dry. But, «popped it in the microwave too long» dry. I’m one of those people who always finishes their food, because I’m afraid of waste.
I unfortunately, had to let this one go to waste. And even my husband who eats everything, couldn’t finish it for me.
Very, very disappointed. The reviews from my other 5 friends were, «nieh». Not great, not bad, but we were expecting so much more from such a highly rated steakhouse.

Fantastic steak! I’ve been here around 6 times. I always get the filet done medium rare and it is always cooked to perfection. Last time, I nervously tried the rib eye (I’m a creature of habit) and that too was cooked to perfection. The steak always melts in your mouth and has just the right seasoning. I like it better than Ruths Chris, Mortons, Sullivans, and even Gibsons (but that’s a close one).
The service is always great. The servers know their steaks and can make suggestions if you aren’t sure. Steaks for two, drinks, one appetizer and two sides, usually comes to about $ 190 with tax and a good tip. On the pricey side for sure, but pretty much in line with most high-​end steakhouses in Chicago.

Ein relativ kleiner, sehr stylischer Laden auf einer Ecke in Downtown Chicago. Da das Keefer´s im gleichen Gebäude wie unser Hotel lag und das Hotel kein eigenes Restaurant besitzt, war der Besuch dort naheliegend. Und was waren wir überrascht!
Das Personal — überaus freundlich und zuvorkommend.
Die Getränkekarte — umfassend und reichhaltig (Peroni! Beck´s!)
Das Essen — der Hammer! Unbedingt probieren: Der Steak-​Salad mit Rinderfiletstreifen. Riesig groß und wahnsinnig lecker.
Die Preise — sehr (!) konkurrenzfähig! Steak-​Salad für 22 USD!
Wer nach Chicago kommt, sollte dort auf jeden Fall vorbeischauen.

We had cousins meeting in Chicago from all parts of the country. We needed a Friday night reservation that could accommodate a party of eight. Keefer’s fit that bill perfectly. Even though this was a «chop house» their menu included many non beef offerings which most steak places don’t have.
The atmosphere had good energy and was open and inviting. Our server was a joy. Attentive enough without being intrusive as this was a group who had not seen each other in years so the conversation was both lively and flowing and the round table set up encouraged this exchange.
Our first course, the prosciutto wrapped asparagus, was top notch. The vegetable had a hint of smoke and still had its crunch. The prosciutto added that nice hint of salt and its charred edges just added to the complexity of the flavors. Restraint was used with the cheese sauce, but it provided the perfect creamy and rich component to make this dish complete. Best asparagus ever eaten by this diner.
Our server didn’t flinch when my cousin and I opted to split the ribeye. In other steakhouses this may be frowned upon, but Keefer’s had no such problem. The meat came beautifully charred on the outside with a perfect medium rare center. Every bite was luxurious especially when dipped in their house made bearnaise sauce. Our taste buds and our bellies were truly satisfied.
All in all, everyone enjoyed the experience here. It may not be the go to place in Chicago, but if you need a nice place for a get together, with good food, Keefer’s is a great choice.

I couldn’t have asked for a better anniversary dinner. Jason was our server and he was very cordial and professional. He was attentive, and gave us all the information that we needed for the dinner.
We had ordered the large filet cooked to medium rare. My only qualm about this is that when we recieved our steak, it was served rare. I’m all about eating steak tar tar, and steak carpaccio, but I like my steaks cooked a particular way. However, the steak was still very good with lots of flavor. I had ordered it the «Dianne» style which is served with a bourbon mushroom sauce. My boyfriend had ordered his with melted blue cheese. That was decadent! Your choice though. I prefer to taste my steak and I found that the Dianne style brought out the flavors of the steak without overpowering it.
As a side, please get the garlic mashed potatoes and the asparagus with the hollandaise sauce! Its amazing!!!
Paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and your dinner is set.
Its a good steak house, and I would consider going again.

At the end if the day a steak house is about one thing: The Steak.
Big martinis are fine, fancy leather booths are a-​ok, clubby atmospheres are almost expected but without a killer steak you’ve got nothing.
Keefer’s has the steak! They are the most consistent quality steaks in the city. Whenever I want a dead on bone in strip Keefer’s is the go to solution.
By contrast however they lose a star in some of those other areas. The sides are fine but not spectacular. The shrimp cocktail is kind of lame and the atmosphere, while nice is kind of generic and corporate feeling, like a safe place for a business lunch.
But THE STEAK is what it’s about. You don’t come here to be trendy or to be seen you come for the steak and on that front they deliver.

I am working my way though the top 32 steakhouses in Chicago and Keefers was next on my list (especially with the 1,000 OpenTable points it was offering). It was not bad but not as good as some of Chicago’s best, including a few within blocks.
The highlight of the evening was braised pork belly as an appetizer. If I had stopped then, this would be among my favorite restaurants. Unfortunately, i did not.
I went with my old standby, a bone-​in ribeye. It was very good but nothing to differentiate it from the old bone-​ins you can get. My disappointment was the potato croquettes. This dish is what makes Benny’s one of Chicago’s top steak destinations but at Keefers they were not much better than a diner.
Again, nothing bad about the experience but the bar is very high in Chicago for steak and Keefers did nothing to distinguish itself.

Of the various hyper-​expensive steakhouses in the Loop and River North zones, this is my favorite. I generally come and sit at the bar, and the bartenders are excellent servers (and it’s a good chance to sample a couple wines before you decide). I personally have stuck to the steak and potato components of the menu, but everything on there is perfectly prepared and delicious. (They don’t explicitly say it, but all the beef is dry-​aged by default.) I can recommend in particular the steak au poivre, which is one of the best-​executed examples of that preparation I’ve had anywhere in this country.
Where it loses a star is that the portions are, quite simply, Too Dang Big. The NY Strip clocks in somewhere around 16 oz. That is an insane piece of meat, and I have never actually been able to quite finish it, which always makes me sad about mistreating good and delicious beef. The same is true of the various potato preparations. This is doubly sad, because they could easily do a slightly lighter cut (12 oz?) and then not have to charge $ 50 for said steak. My best recommendation would be to come with a friend and split a steak if you can. It’ll be spendy even with that, but you won’t feel like quite as much of a glutton.

21 day dry aged bone-​in ribeye? Mashed potatoes so good you want to punch little babies? Yup, this place has it all.
Tender, juicy and bloody steak and with good company and with the waiter who knew everything about the menu (including drinks menu), you can’t ever go wrong with keefer’s. It’s well worth the price!

Solid 4 stars :)
I ordered the porterhouse which came out perfectly cooked medium rare. My date had order the surf and turf, which came with a 9oz filet and a pound and quarter lobster tail. Filet came out perfectly cooked as well, however the lobster came out a bit tough. We figured that this was the case because it was grilled rather than steamed. The tail definitely did have a lot more flavor than a traditionally steamed tail. They do over several different options on how you would like your steak prepared, along with thee traditional salt/​pepper/​butter combo.
Service was good. The waiter I think could tell that we weren’t interested in all the details about the menu, so I’m not surprised we didn’t get an entire speech from him on everything there is to know about the menu. However, if there were any questions we had, he was very knowledgable and more than willing to answer.
If there one thing I can suggest for first timers, ask to be seated at the booths along the windows near the bar. I think the seating there seems a bit more formal than being seated in the main dining area. We got seated in the rear in front of the fire place, which was romantic at first but got a bit uncomfortable towards the end. Be sure to call ahead to make reservations. We had called day of and they could only accommodate for an early dinner or late dinner. We typically eat early dinners, so it wasn’t a big deal for us. :)
Overall, it was an enjoyable dinner and the price was reasonable. Definitely worth a try if you’re in the area!

It’s been a while since I have eaten in a high class restaurant. This is where the owners of the company I work for decided to take us for Holiday Dinner this year. Since I work so much, sometimes too tired to do anything after work or during my weekends, it’s become such a treat when doing something outside of the norm.
Parking is always hard in Chicago, and the valet for $ 10 definitely helps. In Chicago, $ 10 is a steal when it comes to parking for more than an hour. Just remember, you get what you pay for. When I went to get my car back, they didn’t even bother driving it to me. They just gave me my keys and said it was across the street. Maybe I just got used to Las Vegas version of Valet service but is this how Chicago does Valet?
The restaurant itself is very classy and looks like one person would have to save up a week’s worth of wage just to be able to enjoy eating here. It looks very expensive from just how it looks. After being seated, the servers pour water in your glass and ask if you would like to start with a wine. I ordered a Shiraz and the wine came in a small glass container enough to fill a wine glass. It’s very different and very fancy, nothing I’ve ever seen before.
For a starter, I ordered the Calamari with Spicy Mayo. I was impressed because they didn’t just give you the rings, they also gave you the other part of the body. This to me is actually the better part. It’s breaded perfectly and cooked just right. Calamari wasn’t tough or chewy. The texture was just right.
For my main course, I ordered Grilled Tuna Steak with Soy Ginger Marinade, Wakame, Pickled Ginger & Wasabe. I ordered it rare as they said that was the best way to eat the tuna. I’ve never eaten Tuna this way before so I can only give you my opinion based on this first experience. The texture of the Tuna as a rare dish is very delicious and I think I could never go back to canned tuna or eat it well done or medium or medium rare. Rare is definitely the way to go. By itself the taste is great and there is no fishy smell like I thought there would be. It is also good with the soy ginger marinade. Either way, it’s very enjoyable. I would eat the wasabi as is, just becareful not too put too much in your mouth as you’ll burn off all your nose hairs. I think that almost happened to me.
As for the service, I was very impressed because they knew their menu and what to suggest for the evening. For a restaurant like this, I was advised that all employees should know what they are serving. The attentiveness was 100%. When our wine was almost empty, they asked if we wanted another glass, or when our water was almost gone, it would be refilled immediately. If there was a drought, we would never be thirsty here.
If I had a chance to take my family from out of town to take them to a nice dinner, it would be at Keefer’s. Thank you for the best experience.

In a city FULL of steakhouses, I’m not surprised that I hadn’t really heard of Keefer’s before my fiancée suggested we give them a try for dinner last week. Morton’s, Captial Grille, Gibsons, Smith & Wollensky, Joe’s, Ruth’s Chris, Wildfire… these I know, and have tried. You could even throw in newcomers Chicago Cut and Mastro’s and I could say I’ve heard the names. But never Keefer’s. Thanfully that has changed and I can share my not-​so-​hidden treasure with the world!
The steaks we had at Keefer’s were undoubtedly some of the best we’ve ever had. Kansas City Strip and Bone-​in Ribeye cooked to a perfect medium-​well, spiced with salt & pepper with a generous dollop of melted butter on top… simple and perfect. Throw in their velvety Lobster Bisque, flaky Soft Shell Crab, and drool-​worthy Potato Croquettes… now that is a meal to remember.
Our server was friendly, my martini was delicious, and the Pinot Noirs we tried were a perfect match for our dinner. They have a great outdoor seating area that is perfect for people watching and enjoying a gorgeous Chicago summer evening. If you’re a fan of steak and have never tried Keefer’s, I strongly urge you to give them a try!

I had the best steak of my entire life at Keefer’s.
Ok, it was a tuna steak. But holy mother of goodness, what a tuna steak it was. Enormous, perfectly seared, perfectly tender and juicy, and perfectly seasoned. I dream about that tuna steak.
The rest of my family went, I suppose, the more «traditional» steakhouse route (pshawwww): three filets, all cooked to perfection (yes, and that includes my mother, who orders filets well-​done. Cringe, I know).
Aside from the meat, the evening was perfection from beginning to end. I could not have picked a better place to impress the parents. Our server was extremely knowledgeable, attentive, and completely catered to my parents and their oddities. The sides were plentiful and delicious (though the grilled asparagus could have used a touch less oil), and our servers wine recommendations were spot on.
With a modern, classy atmosphere while still retaining a classic steakhouse charm, amazing food, and attentive service, Keefer’s is a must among Chicago steakhouses.

I’m so torn as to what to rate Keefer’s due to the following reasons:
Filet mignon — 3.5 stars. But for a price of $ 35 (although price doesn’t include sides), it’s pretty damn good but it could’ve been more «melt-​in-​your-​mouth» type.
Porterhouse —? stars. All I saw was my friend across the table devouring this huge chunk of meat like a beastly carnivore. His entrée came with a filet mignon and he claimed that both were cooked the perfect medium rare and bloody the way he likes it. Safe to assume it was a good piece of meat.
Mashed potatoes — 5 stars. PERFECT level of creaminess and thickness sprinkled with bits of garlic on top. I couldn’t stop eating my friend’s bowl.
Lobster bisque — 3 stars. You couldn’t taste much lobster as you’re more overwhelmed by the taste of evaporated milk and the lack of creaminess of the soup. It was very thin and not as flavorful as I’d hope. Although if you mix it a little more you’ll discover bits of lobster at the bottom.
Scottish salmon — 4.5 stars. Yes, yes I ordered fish at a steakhouse (I tend to do that because salmon is my preferred meat), but I thought it was cooked better than the filets – a little pink, but not too rare. The buttery cream with lentils and capers gives a light flavoring to the perfectly seared crust.
Fries — 5 stars. I’m not a fry person but god damn I couldn’t stop eating my friend’s basket (this is why I didn’t order my own sides). They were cut thin and at the perfect crunchiness without any of the greasiness. And portions were more than enough to share around the table.
House salad — 4 stars. The mustard vinaigrette was pretty damn good, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t like mustard. But I’d prefer the veggies to be chopped up more rather than in huge chunks.
Service — 5 stars. Incredibly hospitable upon the moment you step in. Two of my friends ordered the filet mignon – a medium and a medium rare. When they cut theirs open, it looked more like medium well and a medium. And when they showed our waiter, he without hesitation took them back and ordered new ones. During their wait (and I was trying so incredibly hard not to quickly devour my salmon), the manager had swung by to apologize and to ask if they wanted any appetizers while they were waiting. They said no thanks, and later we found out their new filets were on the house! He had also brought an extra bowl of mashed potatoes on the house as well, probably because he saw me sneakily eating my friend’s entire bowl. Needless to say, we definitely tipped a quite bit more.