Sam & Harry’s Steak House

I recently traveled to Chicago and Schaumburg for work and it just happened to be my birthday. My colleague and I were all set to go try a different restaurant, rather than eating at Sam & Harry’s (we were staying at the Renaissance), but rain and a very long day made us opt to eat at the hotel rather than venturing out. I had eaten here before and knew it was good but pricey.
Our server quickly greeted us and brought a plate with molasses– coated bread and crackers. We then ordered two different glasses of wine – a Pinot noir and Cabernet. The wine was drinkable.
For appetizers I got a shrimp cocktail with jumbo shrimp and spicy cocktail sauce. My friend ordered the crab cakes. I thought the shrimp were good but didn’t care much for the crab cakes… too much filler, not enough crab.
The chef was making rounds and stopped by our table. We discussed different entrees at length and we both ended up ordering steak based on his recommendation. I got a grass-​fed ribeye, which was way more meat than a person can eat, my friend got a NY Strip and we shared asparagus and a half order of mushrooms. We also ordered a second glass of wine. Our server mistakingly poured some of my wine in my friends glass and caught her mistake and then poured my friend’s wine on top of it. So not only was I shorted wine, but my friend’s wine was tainted. She didn’t even bring out new glasses when we ordered different varietals. I mentioned that my wine was short and she did add a little more.
We really enjoyed the meal but it was way too much food. Everything was good. I’ll definitely eat here again when I stay at the Renaissance.

Meredith thanks for the response — what is the best phone number to reach the F&B Mgr?

Atmosphere: it is a hotel lobby. The steaks were cooked improperly: kind of a big problem if you claim to be a high end steakhouse. service: it wasn’t steakhouse service. Service level was that of a Chili’s. Server didn’t know the menu. There was no clearing of items, just very casual. The mashed potatoes were that if instant quality. One positive… the bread was good.

So, after a series of disappointing re-​visits to old time favorite restaurants (like, 8+ years ago…). Which made me go: «oh yeah, can we try this restaurant I once loved years ago? It’s a no fail dinner out, I promise!!»
…a hundred dollars later plus a shouting match during the ride home for suggesting a once-​infinite-​star-​rated-​restaurant– to only find that its now short-​cut quality… Should’ve left that memory where it was.
But Sam&Harrys? I recall going here in ’07 and ’10.
I foresee this place going on for more decades to come and stronger.
Ordered the screi fish (black cod– if you like halibut, you’ll love Screi just as much. Served in a bed of hollandaise-​like cream sauce with fingerling tatoes.
Never had a fish so delicate, yet well seared and far from flaky-​dry.
Wagyu short rib.
Friend says they «Suvied» the meat– French cooking technique where meat is sealed in a pack and bathed in water that heats gradually vs shocking the meat so it’s perfect meat each time?
I don’t know and somewhere in between her description of the technique, background noise suddenly muffled and it was just me and the wagyu.’nuff said.
In Sum:
Clean, comfortable, crisp atmosphere and just the right tune in the background.
Girls: you don’t have to keep powdering your nose or keep caking that paste on your face– lighting is just right!
Anyone who thinks Fogo is the best steakhouse?
How do you like your choice ‘a meat? Salty and burnt or bleeding and fatty?
Sam,
Harry,
I applaud you both, whoever you two are.

Ate breakfast here one morning while at a conference. There was something for everyone. Fruit was exquisite, for sure. The little strawberry apple juice that the server brought was a delicious sweet treat. Eggs were fluffy and smoked salmon was a nice addition for a protein option. At $ 19, buffet is expensive, but probably normal for this type of hotel.

Jose Jr. A server at Sam and Harrys went above and beyond for my mom and I last night! The food was amazing, he was extremely nice and always bringing everything in perfect time order! He was very personable and we will definitely be back and be requesting him as our server!

Hosted another dinner here tonight.
This place gets it.
We asked for music in the private room (which is in the center of the restaurant, primarily surrounded by glass) and what happened next blew us away. The restaurant manager brought out a nose stereo system that allows us to play our own music in the private room. If that’s not customer service– I’m not sure what is?!
So we jammed to 90’s tunes while drinking Pinot noir (David Bruce, my favorite), and a fantastic Malbec (see photo). We ordered calamari, shrimp, and crab cakes along with the cheese/​meat plate.
In really wish I took a picture of the cheese plate– mustard, chutney, honey, bread, meats, three cheeses. So much deliciousness. Definitely recommend.
Next came the soups and salads. That lobster bisque beats anything I’ve ever tried elsewhere. Re-​freaking-​mark-​able.
Then the steaks.
You know that moment when you cut into the steak for the first time, and it unveils its juices and tender insides? That, plus an orgasmicly robust flavor, cooked to perfection. Why don’t all steaks taste like this? Oh yeah, not all of them are from Sam and Harrys.
Jose, our server never let a glass run dry, nor a plate empty. He was always available when we needed him, but never over-​cumbersome. The staff was a welcome addition to our evening, and made us feel welcome and cared for the entire night.
Dessert was impeccable. The tiramisu was an incredible journey to Italy, and the apple crisp was pure decadence. The tort was a chocolate lovers fantasy and well polished with the raspberry sorbet, and just get the key-​lime pie. Just do it, cause there aren’t words to adequately convey its beautiful plating and it’s refreshing tart-​sweetness.
This is the second event I’ve hosted here, and it won’t be my last.
Shout out to Patty, who accommodated the reservation and helped me create an evening that will live on in our hearts and bellies for a long time.
If you haven’t experienced this place– treat yourself. It’s worth every penny!
Thank you Sam and Harry’s, for giving me an opportunity to give back to some amazing people in my life– it was an unforgettable night!

Good food. Pricey, but expected that at a hotel restaurant. Split your plate of food for proper portions. Service was good but slow for a very large number of people at one table — with no other tables filled. Cashing out was a pain due to the need to split the check, shared meals, shared bottles of wine. Conference style lunches were okay food, but were certainly served well.

This place is absolutely amazing! My husband and I have been here a few times, most recently last night, and it always lives up to our expectations.

Cheeseburger review:
$ 12, comes with fries. The hamburger patty i would bet comes from costco. I buy those same patties and im familiar with it. They cooked it so dry that its almost carboard like. But im hungry and had limited lunch time so i finished it. Fries are okay.
Their soup of the day is good though. Tomato bisque.
The greeter julie seem cold and aloof but the waitress julie did a good job.
Is nice and accomodating

I’ve been here for Mother’s Day brunch for 2 years in a row. They have a buffet brunch which provide you with many food options from carved beef to breakfast items and pretty dessert or just fruits!
Costs:
$ 45 for buffet adult
$ 25 for buffet children
The restaurant is connected/​located inside a restaurant.
Atmosphere: great for famiy, friends, dates. Attire can be business casual, no sweats please.
Parking — plenty of parking spots in the parking lot.
I would definitely recommend this place for Mother’s day brunch.

Took the family here for Mother’s Day Brunch and the women in my family are no strangers to fine dining so I wanted to make sure this experience was amazing. Not s big fan on buffets and the crowd they bring, but the brunch was top of the line and offered the most decadent and flavorful meats, salmon and fruit we could have wanted out of a brunch. I even think Sixteen (which is in the trump towers can take note), because this definitely topped their last year Mother’s Day brunch. I digress, so after the waiter was very attentive and entertaining he offered free mimosas and at the end of dinner brought the hospitality director to offer us 20% off dinner on our next visit. I will definitely recommend this amazing restaurant to my clients.

We came here one night after an event at the convention center. To start I ordered the lobster bisque soup. I probably wouldn’t order it again if I came here. It was more of a paste than soup and very much lacked in lobster. It had a brownish color to it and a thick texture that wasn’t appetizing.
For my meal I ordered the filet done medium rare, leaning more towards rare. It was done perfectly! Such a great flavor and so tender. Some of the people I was with had to send theirs back due to dry meat or it not being cooked well so I’d say I was the lucky one!
We ordered the asparagus, grits, mashed potatoes and mushrooms as sides. The mashed potatoes and grits were pretty boring and flavorless. The mashed potatoes actually tasted like a powder mix, not creamy as most mashed potatoes seem to be. The asparagus and mushrooms however were amazing! I swear the mushrooms were soaked in butter but i didn’t care. They still tasted amazing.
For dessert I ordered the soufflé. I had it once before the last time I stayed in this hotel so I was looking forward to it. It was absolutely amazing once again! It was lightly crusted on top with a creamy center. It came with a raspberry sorbet on the side which added a nice tart kick to it. My only complaint is that the waitress kept trying to make me get up to see how it was made. She even pulled my chair back while I was sitting in it. I explained to her that I’ve had the soufflé before and I knew how they were made and I appreciated it but I wanted to stay sitting with my group. She kept hounding me practically making a scene. The person next to me told me to humor her and walk back to the kitchen with her. It was incredibly uncomfortable and I really disliked how she pulled me away from my group.
Overall our waitress was a bit overwhelming with conversation and questions. Yet scarce when we needed drinks refreshed or plates removed. She recommended a few steaks to our table which turned out very dry and not to be the best of cut. She then went on the tell us it wasn’t the «season» for that cut of steak. We were a bit confused why she would recommend it if she knew it wasn’t «in season.»
This is an ok place to eat if staying at the hotel. Make sure to order the filet and you’re sure to have a good meal.

Sam & Harry’s is an excellent restaurant (this coming from a dude who ate there two nights in a row!)
My first visit was with a party of four. I ordered salmon and it was perfect! Our waiter was excellent and we enjoyed a leisurely meal with excellent food and great service.
My second night was with a party of eleven! I ordered a NY Strip steak and it was perfect! Our wait staff was flawless and we all enjoyed an outstanding dining experience.
Sam & Harry’s is the type of place you’d expect top-​of-​the-​line ambiance, food, drink and service — we received it all both times.
5 stars — highly recommend.

From LA to NYC, this is the best steak house I’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing in all my travels.
Love them!

First and last time
I went with my family here for new years eve because it was the only place with availability but now I know why.
We started with the lobster bisque based on some of the reviews on this site. It was the worse I had by far. Morton’s has good lobster bisque don’t bother here.
We also had the prime rib we order it medium rare but rather than telling us up front that it was all cooked well we waited 45 min to get our meals just to be disappointed. We ate it only because it was to late to order anything else, it was dry as expected the dipping sauce was good. Want good prime rib try Lawry’s downtown.
The mash potatoes were salty and the vegetables over cooked. We also order stake it was plain but it was cooked to the right temperature.
There is a door to the terrace that is not properly insulted so if you are dinning in the winter probably a good idea to ask to be seated far from it.
Overall I think this place is mediocre and very expensive. You will be much better off going somewhere else. Needless to say I won’t be back.

I will start this review by letting everyone know I did not eat at this restaurant. This review is based solely on the service. My husband and I walked into the restaurant and were directed to the bar where we sat for 15 minutes without being helped. 5 workers stood a few feet away from us without asking if we needed anything.
Luckily, Michael the bartender saved the day. Nice guy, great conversation, truly the only reason we would ever consider returning. We chose not to eat here because of the blatant disrespect. Instead, we left. The stars are for Michael!

So I dined here on Tuesday night for a business dinner. The space was impressive and had very comfy banquettes albeit probably not the best for dining but better for lounging. The restaurant was relatively empty except for a large group of suits in the private dining section in the center. Service was good. Food was not. I ordered the Niman ranch ribeye with horseradish crust medium rare. The steak came out medium and it was dry and not very flavorful. Also got grilled asparagus with ham and it was super salty! Eck! It was also missing an egg on top which was described on the menu. Deserts were ok. Wine selection was excellent. I’ve been to the one in DC and this suburban outpost just doesn’t cut it. For the cost, I’d rather go to Wildfire or even (should I say it?) Weber grill. So disappointing. I so wanted to love this place.

Steakhouses seem to be a dime-​a-​dozen in Chicagoland, and in the burbs — this is probably one of the two best in the area.
Came here at peak dinner hour on a Monday, and it was pretty empty. There is something to be said, that a packed restaurant always makes your food taste even better — and part of me wishes that were the case.
Luckily I didnt pay with my own money (work did) otherwise i’d be underwhelmed with my meal. i got the dry aged Ribeye — which is my usual go-​to steak cut — so i’d ascertain myself to be connoisseur when it comes to ribeye steaks. Overall — cooked well, however underseasoned, good char on the outside, and good marbeling. The side of roasted garlic was dry, and looked to be mass roasted and refrigerated the night before. I got it with the yukon gold mashed potatoes which were very good.
The carrot cake donuts were delish!
Overall, i’d come here again. The restaurant is decent, nothing too special though.

Let’s talk about Sam & Harry’s breakfast. Beyond good. Beyond hotel decent. Damn impressive, I tell ya. Not only is the service spectacular, but the menu is nicely edited, creative and delicious. While it’s a little pricey, let me tell what you absolutely must order…
Corned. Beef. Hash. I was Harry Caray-​ing it the whole time…“Holy Cow!” Imagine fresh chunks of tender brisket having a part with perfectly flavorful diced potatoes, a fluffy but not overly runny poached egg and a smattering of spices. It was perfection and beautifully done (not even remotely salty). I’m still salivating over it.
I’ve also tried the blueberry pancakes and oatmeal, both of which are hearty and tasty. I can guarantee you that I’ll crave that corned beef hash time and time again. Five stars for the corned beef hash and pleasant service, 3 – 4 stars for a fairly pricey hotel resto menu.