I have been patron of RJ grunts for over 30 years and unfortunately it has turned into nothing but an outrageously expensive burger joint.  Seems they have found their niche to be zoo visitors as the place is pretty quiet after 8:00 p.m.  Also tells me that the locals know what a racquet they have going -- $15 for a salad bar that is 3 foot by 6 foot?  Come on!  It was just ok, nothing all that special, and as fresh as you would expect any salad bar to be.  Service just ok, food is ok, burgers are the best choice.  There are many better restaurant  choices - save your money.
Review Source:Love this place. I have been going to this joint since i was a kid and have some of my fondest restaurant-going memories there. All their food is pretty darn good and the atmosphere is super relaxed accompanied by some really good music. They are popular for their burgers and salad bar. Their burgers are super hearty and they don't slack on the homemade potato chips on the side (fries are extra) but you can get a good burger in a bunch of places in the city. The salad bar on the other hand does not parallel with many others. They have tons of fresh ingredients and antipastos as well as 2 soups and this one dangerously delicious sweet cream chocolate ship dip. For desert, you have to give their cookie/ brownie a shot. It is one of the most decadent yet satisfying deserts i have had. Their bar is great and carries Three Floydds which should be enough said. As for the service... 5 stars (out of one). That's right. I know its a serious statement but I have not had a single rotten experience there in the 18 years I have been eating here. In case i didn't drive this point home: Go to RJ Grunts for dinner tonight.. you know.. if you can beat the rush.
Review Source:Holy Salad Bar!
If you are hungry and in the neighborhood this is a wonderful place for lunch or dinner. Appetizers, burgers, fries, beers are all delish but salad bar is where it's at. Really, really fresh ingredients and a lot of um.
The menu is really cute and it is fun to check out the old servers pictures that are plastered all around the restaurant.
I'm becoming a big fan of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants. Â Every one I've tried I've liked, some more than others, but overall they have a pretty strong lineup of places.
This was my first trip to RJ Grunts, it was a cold Saturday afternoon, and parking in Lincoln Park was a huge pain, ended up paying almost as much for an hour and half parking as for our meal, and had to walk 3 blocks in the cold. Â My first observation when walking upto RJ Grunts... they offer valet parking, D'Oh! Â
We arrived at the tail end of brunch, we waited in the jam packed bar area for a good half hour for a table. Â 2nd thing I learned, it would be very wise to make a reservation during the popular brunch hours.
The place was opened back in the 70s, and apparently has not changed one bit since. Â I mean that in a good way, the retro music fits perfectly with the quirky decor of the place. Â It's a fun place, retro-divey without a manufactured theme restaurant feel.
When we got our table brunch was only about 15 minutes away from ending, so I figured I'd save that for another day rather than risk getting the end of brunch scraps. Â So I went with a bacon cheese burger, and my wife had the nachos as an entree. Â The salad bar looked great, another thing I will try on a future visit. Â They make a great burger, it was simple but very well done (well actually medium rare, but you get what I mean). Â It came with "house chips" which are a thick cut fresh made potato chip. Â For another buck you can upgrade to fries, but I don't know why you'd want to - the house chips were fantastic, crunchy and warm just out of the fryer.
For dessert we decided to split a caramel shake, our waitress surprised us with a cookie sundae concoction since we were first timers to RJ Grunts. Â By the way, our waitress was very good, the place was bursting at the seems crowded and just a constant flow of people and she was working a ton of tables, and never missed a beat. Â She was friendly and personable, and never made us feel rushed despite her being very busy. After a few recent bad experiences with poor service, it was a treat to encounter a true professional.
RJ Grunts is a great casual restaurant, and my wife and I both left saying we definitely want to go back. Â If they were closer to home this would be our go to place for a casual meal.
My husband and I went here for a casual date night tonight and had a great experience. Our server was so sweet, I wish I had gotten her name. Â We both had the salad bar which was good but nothing special except for the chocolate chip cream cheese. It was totally addictive. At the end of our meal our server brought us a complimentary cookie sundae because it was our first time there. So nice! The cookie was warm and delicious but, unfortunately, we couldn't finish it because we were so full. We will definitely be back!
Review Source:First of all, I did not eat at their renowned salad bar that has been there since their opening 1971. What am I? A rabbit? Nope. But I did eat some Soup, Chips and Guac and a Burger with Sweet Potato Fries. All were A-OK and I even had a gift certificate so it made my visit there even better.
It was a blustery cold day and I wanted some soup and RJ Grunts was there to warm me up. I bellied up to the bar and ordered a Pabst Tallboy and a cup of soup. The soup du jour was Loaded Baked Potato and it was a tasty cup of soup. I noticed they have half off appetizers from 3-6pm on weekdays. I order the Chips and Salsa/Guacamole app and it came out promptly. The bartender was friendly and kept the Tallboys coming. The chips were fresh and fried fresh in house. The salsa was ok, but the guac was really good. After I devoured the half priced app I asked for suggestions for an entrée from the bartender. "French Dip or a Burger?"I inquired.  He said "get the burger". I got the burger.
I ordered the Gruntburger, medium, with Sweet Potato Fries. And when it came the burger was cooked to a perfect medium and the meat was accompanied with fried onions and bleu cheese. No need for catsup and mustard here. The Sweet Pots were crisp and there were a lot of them. There better be a lot of fries for the extra $2.00 they tagged on to my bill. It was a good burger, it wasn't a Lockdown, Kuma's or Bad Apple quallity burger, but it satisfied.
RJ Grunts you are ok. I shall come back again to experience more Tallboys and half priced appetizers. I did not even see or notice the renowned salad bar, by the way.
If this is the first LEYE establishment, then one of 2 things have since happened- they haven't changed much from their original ways and/or, they've provided a lesson on how to improve future LEYE establishments!
We came here tonight in a super early reservation at 4 pm before going to Lincoln Park Zoo for Zoolights (that in itself is another review). Â We were surprised how packed this place was and the place was tiny! Â Waitress said they're known for their salad bar and the steep $14.99 pp price tag was accompanied by an ever-threatening message on the menu reminding you not to share plates! Â I scoped it out and about the most exotic thing the salad bar had were the pitted kalamata olives. Â
I ordered the burger and little did I know I shouldn't have assumed that it would come with lettuce or tomato- it's a good thing I ordered a mushroom Swiss burger or it would've been just the meat and the bun. Â We had a big group with 4 kids in tow and no one was impressed enough with their food to even mention anything about it. Â It was also an uncomfortable dining experience, with tables packed elbow to elbow and when you get up, you run the risk of either bumping into the server or another diner. Â
All in all- I've had better and for the quality of the experience, I think it's more nostalgia that people come here for.
I had high expectations for this place since it is a lettuce entertainment restaurant, and it was everything I expected. The kitchy decor and menu were cute and unique, and the food was delicious. I went with my mom and two teenage brothers, and it was the perfect lunch spot for a family.
They're known for their burgers & salad bar & of course, the temperature soup! Their soup is priced based off the temperature outside! The colder the weather, the cheaper the soup, which is awesome. 22 degrees=22 cent soup! The buffalo chicken nachos were also delish. The prices were a little steep for a burger joint, but the food & atmosphere makes up for it.
I've been to RJ Grunts a million times - usually to eat a club sandwich or french dip. However, I recently discovered that they have one of the best GRILLED CHEESE sandwiches in town. Â Yummm, I can't stop thinking about it. Their homemade chips (cottage fries) are dreamy too.
The only downfall is that on an unlucky day you might land some shoddy service or an awkwardly cramped seat. I'll happily take my chances to eat the delicious food.
RJ Grunts is a great casual dining establishment close to the main entrance of the Lincoln Park Zoo. For those who are fans of the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant Group, this restaurant where it all started. A fun and eclectic atmosphere that proves to be fun for all ages.
I made my first trip to RJ Grunts during the Summer as I had heard good things about the restaurant. I felt lucky to find a seat inside (a small restaurant with a small but fully stocked bar). The service was great from the beginning, giving you a feeling that you had been there a thousand times before.
Since it was during the Summer season, I was looking for a great sandwich and go for the awesome looking salad bar. A fried-green tomato BLT Sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries definitely caught my eye... And I'm glad it did. All tasted very fresh and was just what I wanted. I also saw a great line of burgers on the menu that I will likely tryout.
Overall, I was impressed with the restaurant and will likely return.
Great food and atmosphere. Â The staff is very helpful. Â We were an hour late for our reservation and we were seated immediately anyway. Â We also find that booths fit our family of 4, with one child that is 2 and the other 6, much better than tables. Â Though we were seated at a table, as soon as a booth became available we were able to move. Â The salad bar has to be the best I have ever had. Â It is constantly being restocked with fresh food. Â I had a hard time paying $15 for it at first, but it really was great and I'd get it again. Â We will definitely stop there again on our next trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Review Source:I don't really get why this place has a 4star rating... Maybe in it's heyday? Like, four decades ago? I think yelp needs to filter out archaic ratings.
I did not have a bad experience here, but a rather "Meh" one. Like everyone else, the $15 salad bar is kind of crazy. I peeked and saw nothing special about it.
It's already overpriced, but then, anything you want extra is a dollar here and two dollars there.
Burgers were $11 with 'chips', if you want to substitute reg fries for that, +$1, sweet potato fries +$2. A scoop of tuna salad with your salad bar? +$5!! Are you kidding me?!
Ok maybe.. if the food is really good. but it isn't. I was kind of disappointed at how soggy my burger was. It was loaded with mayo and too much of other slop. I could barely hold it, as the bun slowly disintegrates with every bite. The burger was just alright.
So all in all, save your money and walk a little bit more to Clark street or Lincoln Ave and find you another bar/restaurant.
I Â hate being a contrarian. I never want to be "that person." But RJ Grunts did not really measure up.
The salad bar that everyone exalts didn't look super exciting or well-stocked, especially compared to others I've seen. The brunch buffet was extremely limited as well. I got the green chile burger with cottage fries. The fries were basically unevenly cooked chips. The burger also had grated cheese on it - not something you see often. I've had messy burgers before, but this was completely impossible to eat, almost as if no thought went into how someone would actually eat it. Props to them on the green chile being spicy, as well as the waitress being very nice, but I do not get why this place has such high ratings!
I have been coming to RJ grunts for a little over 10 years. There is a reason for that. Â
So, the place has been here for some time. Â Early 70s I think, and really, it does not look like it has changed much. Â Really, it does not have to. Great atmosphere and fantastic service in a city known for both. Â I must confess, whenever there I go directly for the salad bar. Â It is, by far, the best I have ever had. Â The variey and freshness of the items is great. Â And the soup...... Liquid gold. Â Last time I was there, I had the corn chowder. Â I actually blacked out and woke up with three empty bowls in front of me. Â If your really lucky they will be serving the potato soup. Â My irish uncle made the best potato soup I have ever had. Â This may be better. Â
Aside from that, the burgers are excellent, wings are strong, and the drinks are great. Â
For me, it is the atmosphere that sells it. Â Walking around on a fall afternoon and stopping by a warm friendly place with good food is just so chicago. Â I really love it and cannot recommend it enough.
Kind of baffled as to why I've never written a review for RJ's. Classic Chicago, the first LEYE restaurant does not disappoint. While it can get incredibly crowded, I've never had a bad dining experience here. Definitely make a reservation as I've arrived to find large crowds, even at off times. Once made the mistake of taking my grandparents here...they couldn't hear anything anyone was saying the entire night. Definitely noisy and cramped, but that's just part of the atmosphere!
Everything I've had at RJ Grunts is deeelicious, especially their turkey burger, onion rings, and milkshakes. Their wings and chilli are also great options if you're looking for something on the hearty or filling side. Typically, I go with the salad bar. Filled with tons of toppings, you can make an impressive plate of greens. It also comes with a couple kinds of soup. RJ's offers a brunch buffet as part of the salad bar which is decent, but I'd stick with lunch and dinner.
RJ Grunts is still really good! I was walking in Lincoln Park yesterday on a rare beautiful day in December and looked over and saw RJ Grunts. Â Actually forgot about the spot until I saw it. Decided to have dinner because, I Â remember oh so many moons ago of being there (at least 15 + years) that I enjoyed the atmosphere & food.
Inside still the same trendy laid back 70ish style restaurant. Love the old photos everywhere that adorn the walls of folks you feel like you know. Â Staff was friendly with smiles everywhere. I had a turkey burger with fries. Â Delish Delish Delish! Â A staple of Lincoln Park that still has it. #Love It
At this place I had the single most horrible service ever. Â I understand busy on a Friday. Â I see that it's been around for years. Â This was my first and also my last time going. Â The food was actually good and the salad bar looked amazing. Â It was really crowded and hard to finally get to our table because the seats were so close together and I actually felt bad having to squeeze my way through rubbing against people that were eating.
Our waitress, an older woman was horrible. Â She was curt to all of us taking our order. Â Food came quickly and we ate pretty quick also and I thought it was good. Â Â We did ask for to go containers and the woman placed them on the table. Â I will admit that there was quite a bit of talking going on because there were friends I had not seen in a while and we only get together twice a year.
Our "friendly" waitress came up and with her bare hands, she took my other half of my patty melt and put in in the container and then dumped my fries in on top and closed the container. Â I looked at her with my mouth open not believing that anyone could be like that. Â Even when the person who goes to this place often tried to engage her in conversation, she was nasty with him.
Needless to say this was my first impression and my last. Â I will never go to this place again nor will I suggest it to anyone that will be on that area.
Are you kidding me! I have been going here over the years since 1991,,,was looking at menu after the Xmas lights at the LP Zoo, and a CheeseBurger is $12.95??? Who are you kidding? Seriously, I had a bite of wifes, it was just a burger, nothing great...this place has succumbed to the mindless yuppie families in LP that dont look at prices, and just order, but that is highway robbery. $13 for a burger...give me a break, it better be the best one in Chicago...period.
Review Source:I have been coming to Grunts for almost 40 years, when the Salad Bar was originally around 5 dollars... Though I still love the restaurant, and all that it is has continued to be, I was totally taken back when I got my bill yesterday. Two salad bars for $15 dollars each!!! My friend had one cup of soup and a few greens. I had a couple cups of soup and one plate of salad. What was once reasonably priced is now quite expensive. I will still go there, but the original aura of Grunts along with the waitresses of the past are now gone...
Review Source:This place is dangerous to be within walking distance of my apartment.
I had the Yowza burger (awesome!) and the sweet potato fries (equally awesome!). And, to mitigate the significant hangover and lack of sleep I had, I topped it all off with a strawberry oreo shake. In case you're wondering, as I was, what the heck oreos were doing in my strawberry shake, it was awesome and RJ Grunts will mix flavors for you because that's what cool kids do.
Their salad bar has everything under the sun, which I will definitely check out the next time I am there.
This place is like a non-Italian Bucca de Beppo of the North Side. Â Lots of photos adorning the walls, friendly staff, cute drawings on the menu. Â There are lots of options...burgers, entrees, HUGE salad bar (get it, $5 add on with a dinner...there is cream cheese chocolate chip dip up there), and a nice drink menu that even includes glasses of wine. Â
My vegan friend picked this place - so it's vegan approved.
My bacon burger was good, nothing to scream about, and their fries were yummy. My only complaint is that it's a bit tight. Â Ask for a booth, their a bit small, but I wouldn't want to be bumped by passer bys and salad bar lines at a table.
American as apple pie!
Heard of this place a few times and just happened to pass it while hangin' around lincoln park zoo and north ave beach. Â Stopped in for some lunch and it also just happened to be part of the lettuce entertain you network to which I had a gift card on me. Even better. Â The whole menu is fair priced, surprising given the area.
For lunch, along with another diner, we went halves on a california chicken wrap and the patty melt. Â Both executed perfectly to the point I can't pick which was better. Â For sides we had regular french fries and sweet potato fries. Also cooked well I just have a personal bone to pick with shoe string style. Â Appetizer on deck was a milder version of red robins tower of onion rings but they were classic and a more modest serving size.
Lettuce entertain you gave me the push to go in and I'm glad I did so. Â The atmosphere inside is a little rustic and I had to ask the server what was up with all the pictures on the wall of mostly women, but some men. Â Turns out I thought right that they were all pictures of every server that has ever worked there up to the current staff. Â I would definitely go back if I needed some lunch and I was in the area again.
Grunts was pretty good. We tried the grilled cheese, cheeseburger, and chicken fingers. The french fries were ok. My husband really liked the cheeseburger and the kids loved the grilled cheese. I had the chicken fingers which were just ok.
Our waitress was really nice and the service was good. The kids enjoyed themselves as well, so we would try Grunts again if we're in the area.
This is NOT a place you want to go to on a weekend night without a reservation. Who knew you had to make reservations to a pub-like burger place.
It is small...dark....and we were a bit creeped out by the walls full of pictures of young ladies from the 70's. Seating is really tight in the middle area...they put way to many tables and not enough space to breathe or move your chair without bumping into someone.
Prices were reasonable for the quality and amount you get. Menu is pretty standard..wings, burgers, sandwiches. There is a great (so many choices) salad bar and soup combo.
We ordered milkshakes (Strawberry & Oreo)which were great...who cares that they are like a million calories anyways!
Many burger options...from bacon..to green pepper. The burgers are a great size.. and the fries are thin cut home-made potato chip like. My mom loved the burger...it also had some great aioli sauce that added great flavor.
We also ordered the chicken wings which were crispy and super saucy! Loved them!
Overall, just for the food it is a great place for a lunch! Another LEYE restaurant to love!
Waited 50 + minutes to get a burger and fries to go, when I was told it would take only 20. The fries were saggy because they left it sitting on counter for more than 30 minutes. So not only am I dissatisfied with the service I am now dissatisfied with the food.
1 person behind the bar, 2 cooks in the kitchen in an over-packed restaurant.
Never EVER coming back to this crappy place of a restaurant.
Came for the chicken wings only because I was craving some deep fried food.
I got a takeaway for the BBQ and the Hot chicken wings. With all honesty, the description says "onion rings" served on the side. These aren't onion rings! They're like deep fried onion threads!
The BBQ was OK but not as tender as I'd like - was SLIGHTLY dry for my taste. As for the hot chicken wings? I should've opted for the super hot, because I'm asian and I couldn't taste the spiciness anywhere. They even give you an whole uncut jalapeno on the side - what's up with that?? Even the jalapeno was spicier than the wings.
I'm not coming back for the wings -- I'm not impressed.
This place is too damn busy, and the hype is too damn high for what this place really is...an over-priced burger joint. Ya, the atmosphere is cool; however, it's totally cut-off. Is it a bar? Is it a family restaurant? Is it a tourist trap? I have no clue. I just don't like it here.
The salad bar is amazing...so I've heard (I have not seen anyone order a salad here). Â the burger was not CRAZY awesome like all the poster/bus ads may lead you to believe. The seats are cramped, the waitresses/hosts are dippy/ridiculously under-trained, and the menu is not THAT impressive.
I really expected more from this place. I suppose its one of those places where all the little tidbits add up: Poor service, dumb staff, mediocre food, small spaces, no elbow room, slow service, no parking....ugh...it just gets to you. It IS close to the zoo, though....so if you're starving and need a beer before you go home to shut the kids up, then I imagine it's an ideal location. the only reason I am providing 2 stars is because the service was not horrendous, and the soup was pretty good.
I came here for lunch on a rainy Monday. They had several things on the menu that sounded good, but I stuck with the cajun chicken sandwich with cottage fries.
My food was good, but nothing spectacular. The chicken sandwich was pretty boring even with the cajun spices. Maybe a better bread would make the sandwich better. The cottage fries are just potato chips (real fries are $1 more). I wasn't a fan of the chips. They needed some herbs and spices. I only ate a few and didn't bother with the rest.
It was too early to drink, but they have "adult" milkshakes with alcohol. Yummmm.
I wouldn't come out my way to eat here, but if I'm in the area again I'd give it another try.
This is one old school, straight outta 1971 cramped joint. My guess is there was more room to move around on the dance floor at Studio 54.
Usually, I don't care about the "intimacy" of the seating. But RJ Grunts revolves around their "famous" salad bar, which requires diners to stand up and walk back and forth to the...well, salad bar. While impossible, a couple of more inches between tables would be nice.
That being said the--no joke--inch-thick burgers are cooked precisely to the requested doneness. The servers are efficient and engaging Sunday through Thursday. Fri/Sat? Well, on those nights, the seating isn't the only thing cramped around here.
The salad bar really isn't much to brag about, but it's a nice add-on to your dinner.
Cross your fingers and hope the salad bar offers tortilla soup during your visit. They cook a deliciously mean one.
There always seems to be a Lincoln Park family with an unruly toddler, but I've begun to find that aspect endearing...."HANNAH! Â STOP KISSING PEOPLE!"
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