Roister

We were in Chicago for a couple of days in June and Roister came highly recommended. Our group of 6 was seated for an early dinner around 5:30PM. I loved that it was a completely open kitchen that I could peek at throughout the meal and see how the chefs were operating.

The aged cheddar rilettes were 11/10. I'm still thinking about the bread.

We also got oysters, roasted duck, smoked cauliflower, and the roister chicken. Though the duck was different from the traditional Peking style, I still really enjoyed the flavours. I wish all iterations of this dish came with scallion pancakes.

We ended off the meal with the Cookies and Milk. I wasn't sure what to expect from its name, but this dessert was delicious.

Overall, the quality of the restaurant was apparent in its unique menu items and level of service. I would definitely return the next time I'm in the city!

My favorite restaurant in Chicago, hands down.

The fried chicken is a MUST if you haven't had it. It's full of flavor and crispy.

The rigatoni with crab is a second runner up for the best dish Roister has to offer.

The prawn is also really good, but is not as filling as the other dishes.

The prime rib was tender and cooked deliciously.

You can't go wrong ordering anything off of Roister's menu! We always took our visitors here and every time it's a hit and Roister is their favorite meal of the entire trip that they still think about! I live in NYC now, and there's no restaurants here that are doing new-American cuisine like Roister.

We were expecting much more...We arrived on time for our 8:15 reservations but were told our table was ready and please come back in 20 minutes. We did so and still waited another 20 minutes.

Even when seated outside the music volume made conversation difficult.

When asked about some menu items the waiter rushed through his explanation so quickly that he was difficult to understand.

A second round of drinks was forgotten.

New dishes were not placed on the table but almost dropped with a clatter.

The Caesar salad was underwhelming.

The pastrami short ribs were delicious but with only two ramps and 3 morel mushrooms. I guess they'd served mine to earlier patrons.

One bright spot: the cheesecake was truly delicious.

In all, our bill was $100 per head. Not worth it in my opinion.

And they added an automatic 20% tip - for a table of 3?

Disappointing.

Unique brunch choices. Very yummy. Ambience was perfect for a date. Staff was very accommodating.

My boyfriend and I went here for brunch and I loved it!

We started with the cheddar rilettes, which was easily the highlight of the meal. I would go back solely for these. They were buttery, the rolls were soft and perfectly salted.

We also got some espresso martinis which were fantastic.

I ordered the mushroom toast. I loved the cheese on top, and I am a huge mushroom fan so I really enjoyed it. The toast was a little hard to cut and chew however.

We also got the sliced potatoes as a side and they were so crispy!

The staff were super nice and we sat at the counter so we got to watch them make the food which was cool.

I would absolutely come back for their brunch especially!

This is a really late review, so I'm sure what I have to say echoes so many people's opinions.

It was a bit of a trek getting to Roister due to all the construction happening on their street back then. But the food, the vibe, and the top notch service was all worth it.

The food was sublime. The dishes were made of ingredients that one would never think could complement each other, but their magical kitchen performs feats of culinary alchemy. Pasta with clams and mint? A chocolate bar made with duck fat? And those oysters that haunt my dreams to this day...I'll never be the same after that meal.

When my hubby expressed how big a fan he was of Grant Achatz, the head chef invited him into the kitchen to observe their operations. So he stood there as they prepared dinner for all the diners. That experience is something that he talks about to this day.

All in all, we had a wonderful time at Roister, and we will definitely come back to Chicago and plan our vacation around this restaurant. Their food and kindness left lasting memories for our family.

Very expensive, and we kept being rushed to finish our dinner even though there were plenty of tables around us on a Sunday night. The flavors are simply too salty and don't work together. The menu is discombobulated with no theme. Most likely would not return.

This is my 3?4th? Time back and Roister never disappoints. Their chicken is so crispy, cooked to perfection. My best friend comes to Chicago just for Roister's chicken and waffles, not for me.

Service is always so pleasant and ambiance is relaxed but not loud. Perfect brunch spot!

The fried chicken dish was fantastic, the best fried chicken I've ever had. The pastrami short rib and broccoli dishes were fine but quite overpriced. The short rib had four tiny bites for $45. My cocktail was good. Ambiance is nice. Overall, too expensive, but maybe worth trying once for the chicken.

Per Roister wine menu:

"Raveneau 'Butteaux' Chablis 1er Cru 2015
Just try to find this on your own... we'll wait."

Ridiculously obnoxious and pretentious to say this about a wine on your list. It is not exclusive to you. I have 3 in my cellar. It is readily available from many retailers inside and outside the US as well as all the top US wine auction houses. Plus at about 1/3rd what you are charging.