Dinner at Navy Pier

I'm going to the Shakespeare Theatre at Navy Pier with some friends and we wanted to grab dinner before hand. Can anyone recommend anything in or around the Pier? With the weather so "Chicago in January", it may be best to stay in the Pier, but I fear that the options are limited and not great. Thanks.

Riva is a quality restaurant on the pier with a diversified menu of both fish and steaks. It has nice decor and a wonderful view of the lake.

Jesper wrote:Riva is a quality restaurant on the pier with a diversified menu of both fish and steaks. It has nice decor and a wonderful view of the lake.

Jesper, I agree with everything you said about Riva: big menu, nice decor, wonderful view, and it's the only "quality" restaurant on the pier...BUT, I've been there several times (The Wife and I always get series tickets to Shakespeare, and Riva gives a discount to theater-goers) and have been consistently underwhelmed by the experience. It's not bad food, but for the price (even with discount) it seems a poor value. It is, however, convenient. Me, I prefer to eat at Shaw's (I know, it's a Lettuce joint...I love it); it means parking twice but for me it's worth it.

Hammond

Ditto on Riva. A passable, pleasant-enough, somewhat-overpriced, only-game-in-town experience. When we're desperately hungry or desperately lazy pre- or post-Shakespeare, my wife and I usually wind up eating at the bar where you can get an entree and a glass of wine and keep both the cost and the schtick of dining there down. Our version of fast-food.

And again: had a corporate sponsored lunch there. Everything was passable and about 10-15% more than what it should have been. If you're really going for the Shakespeare, not the food, Riva won't kill your evening, but it won't add any grace notes to it either.

I somewhat dissagree about Riva. While they certainly don't break any culinary new ground, the food is well prepared and fresh. I have found it a great place to take clients and out-of-town visitiors. A table with a view of the skyline, especially at sunset, is a Chamber of Commerce picture postcard view of Chicago. When I go, which is infrequently and always for the purposes listed above, I don't mind paying a little premium considering where you are. I think the prices are so high partially due to the fact that the City gets not only a high rent for the space, but a percentage off the top as well.

stevez wrote:I somewhat dissagree about Riva. While they certainly don't break any culinary new ground, the food is well prepared and fresh. I have found it a great place to take clients and out-of-town visitiors. A table with a view of the skyline, especially at sunset, is a Chamber of Commerce picture postcard view of Chicago. When I go, which is infrequently and always for the purposes listed above, I don't mind paying a little premium considering where you are. I think the prices are so high partially due to the fact that the City gets not only a high rent for the space, but a percentage off the top as well.

Stevez, I guess one basic question would be: would you go to Riva if it were located in a less picturesque (or convenient) location? I don't believe I would have gone more than once. No one would debate the view or convenience to Shakespeare, but my sense is that you, me, and others usually put the view behind the food in the hiearchy of restaurant desirability. If the view is a priority, then Riva is probably a good choice.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:

stevez wrote:I somewhat dissagree about Riva. While they certainly don't break any culinary new ground, the food is well prepared and fresh. I have found it a great place to take clients and out-of-town visitiors. A table with a view of the skyline, especially at sunset, is a Chamber of Commerce picture postcard view of Chicago. When I go, which is infrequently and always for the purposes listed above, I don't mind paying a little premium considering where you are. I think the prices are so high partially due to the fact that the City gets not only a high rent for the space, but a percentage off the top as well.

Stevez, I guess one basic question would be: would you go to Riva if it were located in a less picturesque (or convenient) location? I don't believe I would have gone more than once. No one would debate the view or convenience to Shakespeare, but my sense is that you, me, and others usually put the view behind the food in the hiearchy of restaurant desirability. If the view is a priority, then Riva is probably a good choice.

Hammond

You're right. As I said, for me it's a destination for client and out-of-town guest entertaining. If I was going to Shakespeare and it was a one time deal, then I might consider Riva purely for the convenience of it all. If I had a season long subscription, probably not.

Thanks everyone for your input. You're all awesome.

We're gonna skip dinner at the Pier and just grab something in the neighborhood before the theater.

Browsing this thread in hopes of coming up with some new option on/near Navy Pier. The new bright spot on the Pier appears to be Harry Caray's Tavern. I'm sorely tempted by CND Gyros & Lounge as an off-Pier choice, but I bet I can't talk my dining companions into it.

Bump...

Any good options for lunch at Navy Pier (this Saturday 3/24)?
I got 2 free tickets to a showing of Mirror Mirror at the AMC River East and I'm taking my daughter. The show is at 2:00 so we thought about grabbing lunch first.
Navy Peir is close by but Harry Caray's Tavern and Bubba Gump appear to be the only real options. Are either of those decent or are there beter options in the areas for lunch? Riva might be an option I guess and looking at Google maps the Purple Pig appears fairly close.
So what say you LTH?

I'm still trying to talk her into a Red line ride after the movie for some Chinatown snacks - she wants to head over the the UC to see if we can score some SRO tickets for the Bulls.

Any particular cuisine or price point? There's plenty of options in Streeterville & Mich Ave, & even River North is an option - just hop on the 65 bus on Grand Ave to get to the Pier. Bubba Gump's or anything else at the Pier is not a good option IMO. And The Purple Pig is definitely doable - its walkable to the AMC (sorry, I misunderstood that's where your show was).

I'd like to stay around $50 for lunch and I think that's doable seeing as there will be no alcohol.
After doing a little more digging (looking at menus etc.), Harry C's and Bubba Gump are out but I’m still considering Riva and Purple Pig.

I thought I had a stroke of genius but it turns out Ginza is closed for lunch on Saturday.

You can't go wrong with Purple Pig, & that would probably be my first choice. Also Sable Kitchen should be doable for lunch under $50 with no alcohol.

Also lunch at David Burke is an option (I forget if the Chef week lunch special is still running, but the regular menu is great) as is Lawry's if you're in the mood for beef or Joe's Seafood. Xoco's walkable & a less expensive option.


Also I've been recommended but not tried this place (its a couple of blocks away from the AMC)

http://www.gyu-kaku.com/il/index.htm

Anyone familiar?

I'll add - http://www.pjclarkeschicago.com/streete ... rants.html - to the list.

When we hit AMC River East( Showplace Icon is now our preferred & it's closer to Chinatown) we usually eat across the street at Fox & Obel. Mr.Pairs4life adores the Cobb salad and the lobster club.

I would second the recommendation for Fox & Obel as your best bet. We had early evening apps at Riva on the pier after the flower show and spent over $50. Not impressive. Nothing else on the Pier is close to being a good value unless you are interested in McDonalds.

bean wrote:Nothing else on the Pier is close to being a good value unless you are interested in McDonalds.

Harry Caray's is fine, the Billy Goat is fine; the food court is adequate; but I would not suggest eating on the Pier unless you are actually going to an event on the Pier. Just getting on and off the Pier is a hassle.

In case you are up for Armenian, Sayat Nova is near by. Great spinach pie among other things.

Riva used to be OK, but wasn't the last time I was there. I'm hoping that the major reboot of Navy Pier (if it happens) will create a Pier that's less honky-tonk-tacky and more attractive to interesting restaurants. (I still can't figure what the Chicago Shakespeare Theater is doing there.)

Riva used to be OK, but wasn't the last time I was there. I'm hoping that the major reboot of Navy Pier (if it happens) will create a Pier that's less honky-tonk-tacky and more attractive to interesting restaurants. (I still can't figure what the Chicago Shakespeare Theater is doing there.)

The Independent Garden Center show is there every summer, aaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllll the way down at the end of the Pier, and it is the most colossal pain in the ass to get there imaginable. Hate that place anymore. It makes Fisherman's Wharf look downright elegant and refined.

Had dinner at the Bistro at Fox & Obel after a matinee at CST (so we got there around 5:30 - it opens at 5). I highly recommend it. I had the prix fixe menu - quite a bargain at $17.99 - mixed greens with beets and goat cheese, lamb chops (4 ribs) with wild rice and vegetables, and a pineapple pavlova for dessert (the only part of the meal that was not completely successful since IMO pineapple is not the right fruit for this dish and the meringue was a little soggy). Hubby had fried calamari for a starter and steak frites (hangar steak and shoestring fries), all excellent. We had a nice bottle of wine and after dinner we checked it out in the store - no mark-up! All in all, a really good option if you are going to Navy Pier.

Chicago Cut Steakhouse is our "go to" place after visiting Navy Pier. It's a short cab ride away.

Pieces of the new food puzzle at Navy Pier are falling into place.

The tourist hot spot locked up leases with Chicago-based DMK Restaurants and Goddess Restaurant Group for locations in the roughly 30,000-square-foot dining space being built just east of the pier's current food court.

The largest new tenant will be DMK, which leased 3,000 square feet for a DMK Burger & Fish and a "grab-and-go" takeout window that will offer frozen drinks.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... -navy-pier

Dave148 wrote:

The largest new tenant will be DMK, which leased 3,000 square feet for a DMK Burger & Fish and a "grab-and-go" takeout window that will offer frozen drinks.

According to this article in Eater, DMK will be opening two separate restaurants on the pier, one that is a DMK Burger Bar and the other that is a Fish Bar:

Navy Pier Tourists Getting Both DMK Burger Bar and Fish Bar

And both will have outdoor patios and takeout windows.

(I realize you are quoting Crain's, so any misstatement would be theirs, not yours.)

That's good news.

We had a company event on the pier last summer - sailed on the Windy then dinner at City Porch. Now I did not expect big things from City Porch and I can enjoy burgers and beers for such an event but they made the worst bad food ever - we began with some wings that were ok sorta but then a basic green salad and a basic burger were both sooooo bad they were inedible. I rarely go to Navy Pier but it would be nice if there was something marginally ok there.