P J Clarke’s

This was the most forgettable meal that we had in Chicago. While we felt that the establishment’s surroundings were pleasant, the food was not in keeping with the price, nor with the other meals we had in such a terrific city.
To start, we ordered chips and guacamole. The guacamole, while house made, was bland, and had a quarter of an avocado that wasn’t even mashed up.
I ordered the Chicken sandwich. The chicken was anorexic to the point that I tasted more of the bun than I did of the chicken. The cutlet was dry, and thin. If the piece of meat had been 3 times thicker, it may have been an adequate serving.
My girlfriend ordered a burger. The bun was rock hard, the meat was not seasoned and was flavorless. It could have been soy protein, as there was no way to tell it was beef by the flavor and lack of juices.
It was a shame that the fare was so poor. We wanted to like this place, especially with the history attached to the name, but we won’t return next time.

One of my favorite brunch spots. Unfortunately, it is closed without explanation and all the booze has been removed from the bar. Sad.

First time back since they reopened and I used to be a regular. I only live 3 blocks away. Was told that Rosebud bought the place. All I can see is… W…T…F?! The food was absolutely horrific (we had the fish-‘n-chips Friday special which was nothing like the old), the service sucked (waiter was a complete newbie), the menu lacks most of the goodies they used to serve, only two sucky desserts (cake, ice cream), and the interior has only modestly been changed… and in a bad way (they took down all the photos and left the white brick). Seriously, we thought a joke had been played on us. Rosebud runs a top notch operation, so I’m completely baffled… especially by some of the reviews here. Don’t believe me… I BEG YOU to go in there and try for yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

SO GOOD! We are out if town and they were so friendly, they even suggested places to visit. The food was also aaaaammmmmaaaazzziiinnngggg! The atmosphere was also very cozy and friendly.
We also got a sample beer!

Okay, I went back for one day I saw the new menu and they had my very favorite omelet, so knowing this omelet like the back of my hand, I thought I would give it a try and WOW, what a delightful surprise, it was fabulous, just the way I remembered it from before they closed. I have to say, with the new updates on the menu, it will keep me coming back. Service was so improved and outstanding… can’t believe what a change from earlier when they reopened. Someone must of put a bee in their bonnet for the changes are great… and I never give 5 stars for nothing is perfect in life… but that omelet sure was close.

I was a fan before they closed up shop to revamp everything. Know that things change, I was skeptical of what was to come with the «new and improved» everything. After waiting close to a year for them to reopen, I was disappointed to see that they made a few changes to the décor, but essentially kept everything the same.
The first visit in was just for a quick drink and snack. The snack ended up being their guac and chips. The guac was overloaded with onion and just not good. So a few weeks later we decided to try the wingettes and soup. The wingettes were decent, but the BBQ sauce was like Open Pit w/​a dash of honey. The chicken noodle soup has a distinct grease slick on it and couldn’t be eaten.
Now for the service. It was a pretty slow night when we came in. We sat at the end of the bar near the service bar where our bartender (nice-​ish gal) served us just one drink and never came back to ask if we wanted another. She walked by plenty of times while chatting away with the waitresses who were also kind of a distraction as they were busy texting on their cell phones.
It’s just a let down to have a place that looks so promising on the outside, but run like no one has ever been in the business before.

Great food and great bartenders here. Literally the best old fashion I’ve had in town. Mike was very friendly with us and made us feel at home. Will be back! I Chicago!

My boyfriend and I moved here in June and have been trying to find a place where we can go to grab a drink and a bite without being too overwhelmed by people. This is a great place that is comfortable, quiet, and welcoming. The bartender Marty is very kind and seems very nice. We plan on continuing to frequent PJs weekly!

Came in from Texas with a work group. The place was awesome. Stayed about 5 hours.
We had some things off the menu, which were incredible, fresh, beautifully presented and yummy. Our boss decided that he wanted a couple of pizzas which were not on the menu so the GM Lafayette and our server Magan, who was taking care of us, had the chefs make a few for us custom. TALK ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE. It was a great experience. This is a GREAT Chicago Bar!!! What’s more refreshing is that we received High End service with FRIENDLY professional attitudes that we only would have expected from a High End Steakhouse etc. that we were regulars at. This is the standard that I think most people would appreciate from a High End local bar/​restaurant. Thank you Magan and Lafayette for the most memorable time on our Chicago trip.

stopped in for dinner. Had a perfectl burger… my companion had the patty melt. Both loved our meal. Substituted onion strings for fries– yeah. Good, friendly service. So happy to have them back in the hood!

Well it’s open again, and it’s still pretty mediocre compared to the many years it was a popular restaurant/​bar here in Chicago and had the same menu/​quality as the New York City locations. Similar to what happened in the year or so before it closed. The interior was stripped down to very little… a lot of the wall décor is gone. Also gone is much of the menu. It’s pretty stripped down version of what it was before, and does not match the website. Food was OK but nothing special and in an eating town like Chicago they’ll need to step it up before it gets up and running again. Good burger at least. I understand they’ll keep adding menu items and décor as the weeks pass so I’ll withhold too much judgment until they’ve had a chance to get up and running. For now I have to give a middling review but will be back to update sometime in the next couple months.

PJ Clark’s reopened!!! I am so happy I love this place!!! I had the outstanding mini burgers that I missed so much!!!

It re opened a couple days ago. Smaller menu than before and without the old classics. The server said they would slowly re introduce them. Service and food was shaky. Tables on both sides of us returned some entrees. Ours were borderline but we didn’t expect much so soon after re opening. I hope they do well since we enjoyed it before they closed.

The first time I’ve ever gone here was over the holidays and it wasn’t that bad!
Although it’s an open space it still feels cozy. The bartender and manager working that night were amazing. Very friendly and personable!
If I’m ever in the area again, I’ll definitely be back!

We have been going to PJ Clarke’s on State for the last 8 years. Ever since it changed owners, the service has suffered and the prices have increased. Tonight, we were promptly seated but the service was terrible. We waited a long time to place our drink order. And then waited a long time to be served. Dinner was okay and we ordered dessert to go. The specials menu included triple layer chocolate cake. I asked for the chocolate cake but when we got it home, discovered it was lava cake. The server couldn’t have asked which cake we wanted? Based on our last several visits since the ownership change, we may not be visiting again. Too bad since it was a great neighborhood dining spot.

So I am really torn updating this review as the image I hold of P J’s was such a positive one and yet the experience I have had the past two times I have come here have not been so good.
The positives? There was live music on both occasions and the bands were very good. Also– this places pulls a good crowd no matter what night you pop in.
But on the last two visits, the food and the service suffered. We came with a larger sized group and got great seats in the bar area. But our glasses were empty more than they were full and we had to keep running up to the bar to get them re filled.
And the food? Eh. Bar food. I remember the burgers and fries as being much better but the pot pie still fared pretty well.
All in all, it’s okay. But I think I wanted it to be so much more. .. like it used to be!

The PJ Clarke’s that closed down next to the AMC 21 was MUCH better than this. It’s unfortunate that I can no longer go there. Every time I’ve given this location a chance, they’ve only disappointed. Last year, when I took my wife for the first time, the table clothes had crusty food stains, the table was extremely wobbly, and there was a pungent rotting odor coming from their heating vents next to the window. It was so bad that we had to move to another table. The food was fine then, for the most part. The waitress was talking a lot at the other end of the bar and wasn’t interested in filling my beer glass. I’ve been here at least 6 times and every time, I’ve had to grab someone else to fetch her. Tonight our server was a little more friendly but took a little long to come check on us. And again, we were not asked if we wanted more beer or needed anything else. Another night of empty glasses and slow service. The Holiday décor was nice, but again, a fat chunk of dried pasta from the previous visitors greeted me on the table cloth. The food has always been pleasant, but this time was a disaster. We both ordered skirt steaks and shared calamari. We expected fried calamari and requested it to be crispy, but received a basket of rubbery blandness. I ordered my steak to be medium rare. One was, but the other was well done. My wife ordered hers medium well. She was given overly well done. Our potatoes were dry and some were even difficult to chew. Some weren’t even cooked thoroughly and many had dark black spots. She couldn’t even dent her meal. Luckily, the manager was nice enough to give us the option of taking it back or taking it off the check altogether.
I enjoy music and atmosphere, so when I see a jukebox, I immediately find something to play to interrupt the horrible pop music or random Led Zeppelin song. I spent some money on it only to realize that they had another loud speaker playing obnoxious music over it. We couldn’t even hear the music we selected. Pointless having that don’t you think? Sorry PJ Clarke’s, but your other location downtown was SO much better. I have to say goodbye.

PJ’s is a delicious spot for brunch and burgers. They Are located right in the Gold Coast, and you can’t beat the price! Great music Great service Great location
Will definitely be back!

I was visiting friends in Chicago and we decided to go here to meet up with other friends. It was not our first stop of the night, so we had already had a couple drinks, but I enjoyed the atmosphere on a Sunday night. We did try some of the food and it hit the spot. Our bartender, Brandon, was great! He took care of us and we all ended up having a great time. Would definitely check it out again and after reading other reviews, I’d want to check out the brunch.

This is just your typical bar/​restaurant, right next to all the other bars on clark and division. Was here to watch the Blackhawks in the Stanley cup finals and it sure was a great place to be. Food and drinks are your basics. If you’re looking for a crowd to cheer with though, all of these places at clark and division have got you set.