Girl & The Goat

Tips for visitors: Plan to park valet parking out front as parking around is limited on the weekends. MAKE RESERVATIONS in advance and don't be like me stuck with a 4:30p reservation because I booked only a week out.

Regardless of the reservation time, Girl and the Goat was well worth every penny and minute of time.

The food was tremendous. It is served tapas style and my party of 2 split 3 different plates - Green beans, goat empanadas, and the pork shank. It was all cooked to perfection and presented well. Definitely end with the pork shank as it is pretty filling, The ambiance was great and our server took good care of us.

The only complaint I had was the table spacing as a whole, it was pretty hard to have intimate conversation or get out of the table with how tightly packed they were. Not a deal breaker, but a small detail that matters.

Yeah we definitely over-ordered for two people but there was no way I would be back soon so I had to try these signature items. I couldn't believe we got arguably the best and oddest seats in the house too right in front of the chefs in an open kitchen.

We started off with goat empanadas which are a great appetizer especially with the chili lime crunch. I couldn't really tell it was goat because the filling was so flavorful. Our other app was the goat liver mousse which wasn't particularly my favorite because the mousse had a pretty strong taste that I couldn't get past. It's so crazy how talented chefs are to think of such a concoction of putting together pickles, mostarda, mousse, and golden beet giardinaire because it only tastes good with all of them together and not individually.

I was surprised by how good the roasted pig face, which we ordered because it was recommended by our waitress. It reminded me of a breakfast dish since the base was potato stix, slightly sweetened by the red wine-maple and topped with a sunny side egg.

The dish that we probably shouldn't have ordered because we knew it was too much was the sticky glazed pork shank. This is one of their popular items though so I couldn't resist. It came with two pieces of flatbread, two sauces, and two mini side salads to build your own wrap which was a fun concept.

We were also kindly given sautéed green beans on the house. Although they were a bit too salty to eat, we could understand why they're also a popular item that people order since they're easy to snack on.

This review is specific to a private event with the California Fig Advisory where we had a customized menu highlighting figs as our event & menu theme.

After going down some stairs, passing the restrooms, storage doors and even an exclusive staff only security door, we were brought to a dimly lit, secret room. It was beautiful, quiet and perfect for our dinner away from the loud, bustling main dining room upstairs.

For each course, we were presented with figs prepared in various ways. Everything from a fig mostarda, fig & olive oil vinaigrette, sliced figs in salad, stuffed figs, cooked & spiced figs, fig sauce, and caramelized figs were represented. Each course was beautifully presented, as seen in the pictures below. I thought everything tasted wonderful, given the focus of incorporating figs. The service, food, and ambiance for the entire event was outstanding!

- Pretzel Ring Bread whipped butter & fig mostarda

- Goat Carpaccio w/fig, olive oil vinaigrette & smoked whitefish roe
paired with '08 Lemelson Six Vineyards Williamette Valley Pinot Noir

- Kohlrabi Salad w/mission figs, queso de mano & ginger maple dressing
paired with '09 Graham Beck South Africa Chenin Blanc

- Escargot Stuffed Figs w/smoked tomato, bacon & mizuna
paired with '07 Conde de San Cristobal

- Grilled Baby Octopus w/guanciale, wax beans, radish, favas, pistachio-lemon vinaigrette

- Green Beans w/fish sauce vinaigrette & cashews

- Seared Scallop w/smoked goat, spiced figs & cucumber
paired with '07 Larachette Manciat Les Vielles Vignes Pouilly-Fuisse

- Rogue Smokey Blue Cheese w/fig sauce & Marcona almond florentine
paired with '08 Hedges Family Estate Mountain Cab-Merlot

- Pork Fat Donuts w/caramelized figs & candied eggplant
paired with NY Louis Boillot Crement de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs

Every dish was delightful, but I absolutely loveddd the strawberries and cream semifreddo (this is special since I generally prefer savory dishes). The roasted pig face had a wonderful crunch to it with the potato sticks beneath the pig cheek. The sautéed green beans were also flavorful, but perhaps a bit on the saltier side.

The bartenders were also attentive despite a busy night!

A must try if you're visiting Chicago or wanting a nice date night! Easily can make reservations online. We were a group of 4 and for dinner time we shared 7 dishes because everything is family style.

Salmon Poke: 9/10 (simple but perfectly executed!)
Goat Empanadas: 7/10 (wish there was more goat meat, not gamey at all)
Naan and Dips: 5/10 (nothing new)
Sautéed green beans: 6/10 (great aroma but waaaayyy too salty)
Halibut: 9.5/10 (must get!!!)
Pork Belly: 9/10 (very delicious)
Chickpea fritters: 8/10 (perfect Mediterranean blend)

Apparently the halibut is seasonal for the summer so you must get it! It was cooked perfectly and the blueberry complemented it so well. Our waiter was excellent in his recommendations and the vibe was great.

This restaurant is worth the high reviews overall!

Overall, good bites, but definitely very pricey. Marketed as "sharable bites" there are definitely some dishes that are very small (might need two plates) to share. Expect to spend a decent amount, but the quality is good (minus the dish below). All the dishes were different, but our favorites were the pork belly and pork face! Very rich and homey.

The low stars is because 1) the green beans (which they are known for) was definitely over salted. My friends had visited them before and was surprised by this dish they had again ( probably an off night?). I was dissappinted. 2) Also, there is a weird optional surcharge (4%) in some places in Chicago. When I asked for it to be removed, the waiter agreed, but when they came back, it was still on. Why make it optional and not just a surcharge? Very confused.

The ambiance on the inside is very nice, but it gets very busy, so it would be best to make a reservation.
Service here is fast, but because of the size of the dishes, pacing is a little off.

Food overview:
The espresso martini 4 of 5 [not on the actual menu]
Chili Crab Noodles: 3 of 5
Chicken Skewers: 5 of 5
Crispy Short Ribs 4.5 of 5

The chili crab noodles were unique but underwhelming for the price, and I would only recommend if you just want to try the dish. [It's basically a fried whole crab with a chili sauce, noodles, and strawberries].

The chicken skewers are probably the best bang for your buck for price and flavor. The seasoning on the chicken is delicious and combines flawlessly with the mushroom oil and cashew butter.

Finally, the crispy short rib. This definitely packs the most flavor for sure, but it leaves you wanting more since there are on 5 or so pieces. But the chili crunch and pineapple do elevate and carry the dish.

Wow. My first trip to Chicago and I was lucky enough to dine at Girl and the Goat. Everything was good, standouts were the short ribs and crafted cocktails. A lot of attention to flavor and vibes which were close to perfection.

The earliest reservation that I could get was 8:15, and it was still super packed at that hour. We had to wait 20 minutes to be seated, which was a bit annoying, but the restaurant generously compensated our wait by giving us a free beer brioche appetizer.

My table ordered a whole array of dishes, as Girl & The Goat is a family style restaurant - the naan, Szechuan tomato salad, green beans, pig face, crab noodles, pork shank, shrimp salad, and the goat belly.

There wasn't one dish that I didn't like, and most of them were phenomenal. My favorites were the green beans, pig face, and pork shank. They definitely don't skimp out on salt, but oh my gosh it tastes so good.

You'll be paying a fortune to eat here, but the food is wonderful.

I am not exaggerating when I say this is my favorite restaurant ever. I've dined here every time I've visited Chicago and the food is always top notch. Most recently, I came with friends for dinner on a Friday. We made a reservation about a week in advance so seating was quick and easy. Service was amazing-they never let me have an empty water glass. The ambiance is great for a date night or an intimate gathering.

We ordered so many dishes including:
- beer brioche
- green beans (my favorite!! a classic must try)
- roasted baby squash
- chili crabby noodles
- roasted pig face
- sticky glazed pork shank

Everything is beautifully plated and exceptionally delicious. My personal favorites are the green beans, pig face, and pork shank. The meat on the pork shank is so tender and falls off the bone.

For dessert we got:
- yuzu coconut milk cake
- hazelnut praline sundae
- strawberries and cream semifreddo

They were all scrumptious but the yuzu coconut milk cake was a stand out. Such a perfect combination of textures and flavors.

I think this place is best enjoyed in a group of 4 because you can try a bunch of dishes but it still doesn't feel too crowded. Cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. You just need to try it!!