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Chez Joel is a quaint neighborhood bistro where we enjoyed a 5 star delicious meal and outstanding service! The restaurant is exceptionally generous in their portions and reasonably priced as well. We enjoyed our complimentary bread basket filled with French baguette slices accompanied by butter and calamata olive tampebade. The latter tampenade is the only item I did not care for. We started with sparkling rose and Cabernet - both excellent! Next was the soup du jour which was a lovely cream of mushroom soup with just the right texture followed by a superb salad comprised of lettuce, pecans, goat cheese, slivers of apple, accented by radish and tomato In a delectable vinaigrette. Both of our entrees were fantastic, generous and beautifully presented: Steak au poivre with a basket of delicious perfect-sized frites in the most spectacular Au poivre sauce. (I had to ask for more to smother my fries it was so good!). We also enjoyed salmon over asparagus and spinach in a lemon buerre blanc sauce which was fabulous! We completed our meal with yummy chocolate mousse cake with cherries, creme brûlée and coffee.
I am a huge foodie and eat out often and I’m very particular about the details. I had not eaten here in 18 years and that was my loss because my return meal was just as fantastic as the first time I remember… I highly recommend this restaurant for both the food and the service! I’ll definiteiy be back again soon! (Oh inexpensive valet too- only $7!
Thank you for a wonderful evening…
A true neighborhood gem great for lunch, dinner or brunch. In line prices for food that arrives at your table freshly prepared. Nice cocktail and wine selections. Been enjoying the food and drinks here for years and continue to recommend Chez Joel to friends looking for a "special" dining experience. Only drawback...I can't dine there every day!!
A unique, intimate spot to enjoy well crafted French food. While for some the menu may seem a bit intimidating or hard to navigate, after being there I would encourage you if you’re going to truly explore French cuisine this would be a place to try it in Chicago! We had salads and pommes frites to start with their warm table bread and then Flounder, Filet Mignon, and Mixed Seafood platter. Finished with desserts. All were outstanding and I cleaned my plate! Atmosphere for me was a bit dated and average thus the lower rating, food outshined that for sure!
Loveddddd this little intimate French bistro! Definitely a new favorite. The bread with their special oil is great. French onion soup is bomb! We had the grilled calamari, good flavor but I know now I just prefer fried calamari. The steak with the peppercorn sauce is oh so yummy. I had the half chicken with mashed potatoes; the sauce was very tasty. Went for my birthday and they brought out the creamiest vanilla ice cream. We will definitely be back. Highly recommend.
Free street parking if you can find it. We found some free spots close to our reservation time. Service was exceptional. Every dish was superb, can’t find any faults. Price is standard for this type of cuisine.
-grilled calamari with pesto, arugula, and roasted peppers
-Frog legs with garlic spinach, capers, and brown butter sauce - not on current menu unless you ask
-Rack of lamb, mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes, au jus - any lamb is good on their menu
-magret et confit de canard, sauce a l’orange
-gateau aux amondes
-profiterole
Was my first time there with my wife. I seriously don't have enough words to complement this restaurant. The whole experience was excellent. Our server Nancy was fantastic, friendly, helpful. Food was great, I have to say the onion soup, I could drink a gallon of it! Sooo good! Seriously. Even on the end of the night, our valet parking guy Juan Carlos was so attentive and nice. You guys are doing a fantastic job. I have to mention the ambience of the whole place inside and outside is breathtaking. Definitely a place to come back over and over....
One of my favorite Chicago restaurants that always makes a repeat visit on my list. The service is outstanding and the ambiance to die for. Outside is a magical oasis and inside is charming and elegant. So many delicious entrees to enjoy I could pick just one. Save room for dessert. The frites are a must. We tasted each others meals and all agreed the lamb shank was the winner over duck and steak.
Love this quaint little French restaurant! We enjoyed the green salad, coq au vin and seafood stew. Everything was delicious. The portion sizes are large and the prices are very reasonable.
Exceptional cuisine, a charming ambiance, attentive service, and beautiful music. Very happy that I celebrated birthday here and look forward to returning with friends and loved ones
We really enjoyed our dinner here on St Val 2023. The stand out dishes for us are the mussels & the duck.
We had spent 2 weeks in Belgium this past summer, and ate mussels everywhere. We both agreed that the flavor here at Chez Joel was better than any of the many we tried in The Land of Mussels...even Brussels!
The duck was perfectlycooked and so flavorful. And the creme brulé is a must here as well.
Our only regret is that we are lifelong Chicagoans and we should have been here years ago.
We chose the restaurant to celebrate a 2 year anniversary and I recommend this venue to anyone looking for any occasion - but it definitely leans towards intimate/romantic.
My partner speaks French, so we were both pleasantly surprised when our waiter, Omar, who was welcoming and witty, was able to speak fluently and take our order in French.
The menu was thoughtfully procured and the food presentation was above average for the price.
For myself, I had just returned from a European trip and eating at this restaurant made me teary-eyed as it brought back amazing memories of Paris from the music playlist to the intimate restaurant layout.
Most important to us was that there was easy access to ample free street parking! (Valet was also available to those who were wondering.)
Great local spot with amazing French food. I'd highly recommend any special they offer, especially the soups. The mussels are also ridiculously delicious when they're in season. Also, don't skip dessert!
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