Central Standard

I was in town for a football game in October of 2013 and we ate a Central Standard on a Friday night. Upon walking in I felt a good vibe from this place. At first I was confused, is it a bar or restaurant? It’s definitely a restaurant, but the bar gives it a more relaxed feel. We were seated and greeted by our server. He was the best server I’ve ever had. This guy was more like a friend than a server in the way he spoke to us and discussed the menu. I could not decide between two wines and he immediately asked if I wanted to sample them first — two thumbs up.
He explained a few menu items, specials and joked with us. I ordered the mac and cheese as an appetizer and this was one of the best mac and cheese dishes I’ve had. Really cheesy and you could taste the different types of cheeses used to make the dish.
We ordered steak frites and a steak sandwich as our main dish. My friend who loves steak said the steak frites was great and nicely cooked.
The steak sandwich I order was mouth watering. The steak alone was tender, juicy, and cooked perfectly. The carmelized smashed potatoes were great with the steak sandwich and very tasty.
I was stuffed, then amazing happening. Our waiter asked us about dessert, then offered to buy our dessert! I was surprised and attempting to make room in my stomach. I ordered the seasonal cobbler! It was just as good as our dinner. Everything we ate tasted fresh and was presented well.
Every time I visit Chicago, Central Standard has my business. Customer service goes a long way, combined with good good food is unbeatable.

I like this place! It’s nearly a mile hike from my work but since it’s one of the only decent bars around, I am willing to make the trek.
The food here is great, but I mostly come here for the the drinks, which are priced on the higher end but are still good. There is a decent beer selection, and the servers are friendly and wonderfully accommodating.
Drinks and food aside, my favorite part about Central Standard is the décor and atmosphere. The restaurant is spacious and open but dark and intimate at the same time. It feels so homey. And I love the high-​top tables! I am always crossing my fingers that my co-​workers want to come here for happy hour, totally recommend it!

I so wanted to love this. When we were scoping out places to eat before our latest weekend adventure to Chicago, I had really liked the brunch menu for Central Standard I’d found online and we made reservations. The space is beautiful and it is in a great location. Our server did a good job. But the food was just ok. We were in for brunch on a Saturday and both of us decided to indulge in biscuits and sausage gravy. It sounded so decadent, but was somewhat disappointing. The sausage gravy was underwhelming. The eggs and cheddar biscuit were fine. Not steaming hot like I’d expect, but fine. The potatoes were good. They do have a variety of brunch-​style cocktails and my husband enjoyed his bloody Mary.
When we got there at 11:30 for brunch on a Saturday, there was one other party in the restaurant and when we left, I’m pretty sure we were the only customers in the place. Maybe I would have a different reaction if we’d ordered off the lunch menu or ordered something else for breakfast. The hostess handed us regular menus, not brunch ones when we walked in and we had to ask for brunch menus. Maybe that was a sign I should have recognized.
One note — we were here in August. I just finished up the review.

Went here with two of my girlfriends last weekend. On a Saturday in Chicago, this was one of the few places we could get a reservation at the last minute, and I was excited about the concept.
The restaurant was not crowded, which should have been a tip off. Our waitress was nice, but totally clueless. She misheard my friend’s order and was so obviously annoyed about replacing it with the correct item that she actually accused her of ordering the dish she was served because «the names are really similar».
None of us really liked the food we ordered. We started with the cheddar biscuits with bacon butter, and they were cold and extremely dense. You can get much better biscuits at Red Lobster! I ordered the grilled cheese sandwich, which was so terrible I ate exactly one bite. It was more of a panini– griddled foccacia bread stuffed with unmelted, lukewarm cheese and tomato jam reminiscent of domino’s pizza sauce. Gross. My friend ordered the chicken sandwich, but received the half chicken. Once they brought her the correct dish, it had onions, which she’d ask to be left off. Not wanting to wait any longer to begin eating, she picked them off herself, but she clearly did not enjoy this sandwich. My other friend ordered the gnocchi, which was definitely the best pick of the evening. We also enjoyed the fried brussels sprouts, but found them overpriced.
Overall, this place is overpriced, with mediocre service and poorly executed food. I like the concept, but the execution is extremely poor. I won’t be returning.

Out with the girlfriend for apps and dranks. The live DJ was nice but made it a little harder to hold any meaningful conversation.
I started with the watermelon hoprita, A-​Mazing. We ordered some finger friendly foods to share: sweet fries and the bison & chips. The fries were great but the bison and chips was hands down the best. A richly flavorful bison chili that had my taste buds screaming for more of its fan-​freaking-​tastic-​ness. It was served with a few (and by a few, I mean like 4) large tostados chips. Not nearly enough chip to consume all that delicious chili with but our server gladly brought more when we finished them… I would have gladly finished the rest with a spoon but I was practicing being a good sharer.

Don’t really know how I feel about this place. The charcuterie and cheese was pretty good, nothing outstanding.
The one thing I did love was the summer vegetable salad. Then I got the grilled cheese. Nothing special. Pretty expensive for what we got.

I went here with a $ 50 gift card that i won from a Unilocal event.
I made reservations for about 5:30pm on a weeknight.
It was relatively empty while we were there which I thought was strange for the location.
The décor was neat looking. They had a party atmosphere lounge area which would have probably been nice if it were not empty.
We selected appetizers, cocktails and entrée sandwiches.
They were all really good.
Sweet potato fries or regular were included the sandwich entrees.
Service was excellent.
Would like to go back for the Poutine.

We made reservations a few weeks ago for a Friday night for 14 people and asked for a table in a little quieter area if possible. We got there and got seated almost immediately… at two separate tables in the middle of the room.
10 minutes later, after a quick complaint/​reminder that we would like one table since we were one group, we got ushered up the stairs and given the private room up there. Yay Central Standard! Excellent fix!
Christine was our server and she was terrific. However, as the night went on, she would disappear for increasing lengths of time, which was frustrating. I am guessing the restaurant management doesn’t quite have staffing down for busy nights because this is a common complaint on Unilocal.
I had the alligator appetizer which was good. We also ordered the Bison n Chips appetizer which was good.
Entrees included flank steak, catfish, and ribs. Ribs were a huge hit.
To me, this is a great place to come for apps n drinks before going somewhere else for a dinner where you can talk. Well, not talk… because you can always talk… I mean where you can hear. So… if you are out on a date and don’t want to hear the person you are with, this might be one of the best places in Chicago to come. You can have a whole meal and not hear a single thing your partner says.
If you are having an event… the private room here isn’t bad. No windows… but bathrooms aren’t far and the room is fairly quiet. The food is good… nothing adventurous, but nothing too scary for those picky eaters we all occasionally meet.

A-​OK is right.
Stopped in here for some dinner.
The space is pretty «standard.» Like every other bar that has been going up recently. Dark wood, nice lights, etc. Nothing to wet your pants over.
Our server was actually really good. She was constantly checking on us, offering suggestions, etc. She was attentive and not annoying. Just what I like.
The food was really were it was lacking for us. Also, we went for the supposed po’boy but there was none on the menu… bummer :(
Pierogi’s-OK. There was so many flavors going on and it didnt really go together. It was like tart and then savory and then sweet. I would definitely pass on these. The dish looked much prettier than it tasted. Cheers to foodspotting, boo to eating.
Burger-​was done… way too done. Also, it was just meh. It sounded so finger licking from the menu, but most definitely deliver. It left my meat hangering still wanting more. BOOO The fries didnt do it for me either. They were almost overcooked and old. Bah.
Bison chili-​this was actually pretty good. It hit my taste buds like WA-​POW! I would definitely order this again.
Mac and cheese-​it was bland. Definitely required some salt, etc. I wasnt impressed.
Pretty standard crowd, chicks out with gf to get it in the area. It reminds me of Hubbard Inn like 3 years ago… recycle and repeat. Been done and now its old… there is nothing here that is worth going for. If you are in the area, it will get the job done, however I think there are much better places.

My fellow reviewers ain’t lying. The service here is just terrible. Our waitress checked in on us one time. The hostess was a mess. Hell, I think the busser did a better job taking care of our table than our server did. I would NOT come to Central Standard with any anticipation of feeling special, comfortable or that you’re dealing with a staff member that has even half a clue of how to treat diners.
With that said, there were a few positive things. First, the concept is great. Food from locations in the central standard time zone. It gives the chef an opportunity to play with the menu and offer a diverse set of food to appeal to a wide audience. I was feeling it! I also thought the space was fantastic. It’s chic and well done and a place I would want to be.
So while I liked the concept of foods from the central standard time zone, the actual menu didn’t wow me. What was advertised on the website didn’t line up with what we saw on the website, which I think is crucial. We rely on the web to make choices about our dining experiences so it’s important to make sure they jive. If you’re going to change your menu daily, just don’t post one online. I also thought that the menu was really heavy on apps and charcuterie/​cheeses without giving a lot of actual dinner items.
The biscuits with bacon butter where great. Super moist and yummy. The corn chowder was just ok. It was actually not really hot when it got to the table. And my Wisconsin Grilled Cheese… eh. Again, kind of cold and not interesting.
With heavy hitters in the area like Gilt Bar, Central Standard is going to have to step it up. Big time.

This place is amazing décor and feel. It is a huge venue for just about any gathering from casual to chic to sporty with all the TVs.
Our waitress was absolutely adorable and knew so much about every dish.
The food was amazing and very original. With a local feel.
I wet my pallet with an amazing summer beverage called the Watermelon hoprita
jim beam, espolon, cointreau, lime juice, watermelon, agave nectar… all I can say is I will be copying this drink at home!!!
I tried the blue crab cake — mango-​orange relish and smoked paprika aioli as well as the fried local goat cheese — tabasco red pepper sauce.
The best part of the meal was dessert though! I tried the warm beignets with powdered sugar — chocolate sauce, bourbon caramel sauce, raspberry sauce; honey crème brûlée whipped crème fraîche with lemon curd, housemade granola, raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries and the warm bananas foster bread pudding
banana gelato, caramelized bananas, banana confit, pastry cream, spiced rum gastrique.
Overall I like this new establishment in my hood!

First off, I have to say that whoever came up with the theme for Central Standard is AWESOME. I love the idea of serving food themed around a single time zone; it translated into a varied and unique menu with options that would appeal to a wide variety of people.
I had dinner here over Memorial Day weekend while visiting Chicago with a friend. Our original intention was to go on Saturday, but by calling ahead we found out the restaurant would be nearly impossible to get into without a reservation. We decided to rearrange our plans and go on Sunday evening, and made a reservation just in case. Much to our surprise, the restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived the next evening. Not sure if this was just due to the holiday (family gatherings/​picnics) or what, but it was definitely unexpected.
I have to say that I LOVED the décor in this place. Amazing light fixtures, a cool mix of rustic and modern finishes, and an awesome second level lounge/​bar area that I’m sure is packed on a Friday or Saturday evening.
The menu was pretty large and offered many options. For an appetizer, we made some selections off of the «mix and match» charcuterie menu. We ended up choosing «ducksciutto» (YUM — tender and buttery), a smoked gouda, and homemade pickles (also delicious). Something along the lines of bagel chips were also served on the platter.
I ordered the chicken-​fried steak which was served with mashed potatoes (with gravy) and bourbon-​glazed carrots. The steak was tender and the breading was extremely flavorful. This was definitely some quality comfort food. The large portion size was great after a busy day of sight-​seeing and walking around. Even the carrots and potatoes were great. Couldn’t really find anything to complain about with the food if I tried.
It might seem a little pricy, but given the portion size I don’t think it was unreasonable. Not somewhere I would go all of the time, but great for special occasions.

The restaurant theme of featuring food from the Central time zone is unique and well-​received. Menu items ranging from Minnesota walleye to Wisconsin grilled cheese to Louisiana Po’Boys to tex-​mex enchiladas. Good bit of variety without being overwhelming.
I ordered the Green City Market vegetable plate which was very flavorful and an excellent vegetarian option. Really tasty cheesy grits, with grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, peas and a tabasco-​based sauce. My companion ordered one of the sandwiches which also looked good.
Prices were standard for the area, with mains ranging up into the low twenties but most salads and sandwiches in the $ 10 – 14 range.
Décor is nicely done for this ground level/​basement type space. It feels light even though it’s sunken below street level in parts. Kind of a rustic midwest meets texas type feel.
They have TVs which would be great on the weekends to watch sports, but I wasn’t as much of a fan during lunch with a colleague.

Gave Central Standard another shot to get the service up to the level of the food but once again the food outshone the staff.
The good? Katie the manager was terrific– knowledgeable and friendly– if only she could pass her smarts and style on to her staff.
On this visit– the server, while nice, really didn’t know her stuff. When we asked her about something on the menu– she just grabbed the menu from us and read the description that was printed. Uh, miss? I can read it myself. What I wanted was MORE information.
And don’t ask her to pronounce Perrier. It might make you laugh.
Maybe three times is the charm. I’ll give it one more chance as I like the clientele, the food and the ambiance. Just wish the servers had it together as nothing will kill a place faster.

After eye-​balling the menu and drooling I was pretty pumped to come here for my friend’s birthday. I was quite disappointed though… the service was terrible, rude and slow. Our waitress was beyond slow on taking orders and dropping drinks off and she did it with an attitude. It’s called smiling, ever hear of it?
Anyways, the food was OK… my friend ordered the fish dinner and instantly felt sick. Not sure how you mess up fish but she said it was charred on the outside and made her have a stomach ache for the rest of the night. The cheese board we ordered for the table was pretty good — they offer a wide variety of cheeses, but don’t bother asking the server for a description of the cheese because ours couldn’t at all.
I had the prime rib sandwich which anybody knows that prime rib is not steak, so therefore, a prime rib sandwich is not a steak sandwich. Well the food runner dropped the sandwich saying «steak» and I knew immediately it was wrong. I asked the server what it was and she said «prime rib is steak»… OK whatever. I tried to argue because I saw a steak salad on the menu with the SAME flavors as the steak sandwich they gave me. But her and her dumb manager still couldn’t explain it. They took it off the bill but she stuck by her story that «steak is prime rib». Whatever…
Would I go back? it’s an overpriced meal with bad service… I mean if i was in the area and had no other option, I might return but I’d say probably not.
I ordered: prime rib sandwich: hand cut smoked prime rib, market tomatoes, horseradish-​garlic aioli, avocado, toasted telera roll
I received: grilled steak: ancho marinated flat iron, grilled onions, arugula, avocado, queso fresco, charred tomato vinaigrette
I don’t think the «steak» sandwich had any of the toppings named above and it especially did not have the horseradish aioli or avocado as it was supposed to!

Central Standard has been touched with brilliance.
Recently opened in River North, Central Standard brings together cuisines from everything in the Central Time zone. The menu goes from all the way north with poutine and pierogies to the south with po boys and Andouille gumbo. They do an excellent job of taking classics from across central USA and give them a face lift using market fresh and local ingredients. You’ll see the theme throughout the menu and the interior. How brilliant.
The true brilliant moment was when I read under their salad options. They have a chicken and biscuits salad that has southern style fried chicken, buttermilk biscuit pieces, and grilled corn mixed in a bacon sausage vinaigrette. I guarantee you that this will be the most overlooked item on the menu because most people aren’t looking at the salads (unless you’re a vegetarian or a health nut). This dish was simply amazing — crispy, salty, savory, sweet, and acidic. If there was ever a Southern low carb diet trend, it would all start with this one dish. Truly brilliant.
Central Standard has now set the standard for all salads. From this point on, all salads must have something fried in it and made with a vinaigrette from pork fat. Brilliantly delicious.

Love trying new restaurants! Central Standard opened last month so my gf who also happens to be a foodie and I wanted to try it. First of all, the restaurant is very spacious with various seating options (which I like) There was a rather large bar, plus a lounge type area and the entire layout was very open and inviting. We tried several appetizers…
Fried Brussel Sprouts: Aaaamazing and perfectly cooked. I could eat them day and night. And, they were even that fried, more like perfectly baked.
Crispy Pork Wings: There were tasty, but a little on the dry side for my taste. The slaw that came with them was fresh and flavorful.
Burnt End Tostadas: They were very tiny, and not flavorful enough. The meat was cubed and pretty scarce.
All in all, I enjoyed the wine and brussel sprouts and the restaurant as a whole. I would like to try it again and order an entrée.

Came here for the grand opening party and really enjoyed it! The space is very cool (and huge!), the service was attentive and the food was yummy.
We sampled the veal jam, crab cake, fried goat cheese, pork rillettes and some pork mini tacos. All were delicious. Drinkwise we tried the Texan Paloma (tequila and grapefruit) which was delicious, definitely for a sweet-​tooth. We also had a lovely cab (not sure what kind) and Moet (gotta love a restaurant that knows its bubbly!)
The low point was when the bar ran out of champagne flutes, but since this was a private event with everyone arriving at once, I doubt that would happen again.
All in all, I highly enjoyed myself and would come back again!

Came here for a birthday and had a wonderful time and wholeheartedly agree with the review by Nataliya A. — the food was great and service was lacking, but this is to be expected at brand new restaurants.
If you’re going to be a place that’s been barely open for a week — don’t expect perfection!
No entrrees for us this time, just a variety of small plates:
Duck prosciutto — perfection
Head cheese — too slimy for my taste
The toast points could have been a bit softer.
Smoke trout was too fishy
Chicken liver pâté, goat cheese and pickles were good
6 items for $ 15 — can’t beat that!!! Especially when the head cheese, pâté, and pickles came in generously-​portioned jars :)
Grilled mushrooms were fantastic (Especially the onions)
Buffalo chili was very hearty and delicious

Celebrated my birthday on March 23^rd here, and had an absolutely delicious evening!
When we arrived the servers were very nice and accommodated my request not to be seated close to the doors.
Food:
Appetizer: Fried ravioli — spot on. Just enough crunchy and soft, perfectly complimented by the tomato sauce.
Entrees: Duck — I will proudly say this is the probably the BEST duck I’ve ever had! and I am a duck snob :-) The turnips had the perfect crunchiness to it, without getting too soft… mmmm
Smoked Chicken — smoked to perfection. It had the perfect balance between smoked, a hint of salt, and extreme tenderness (even the white meat, which I am usually not a fan of but this was delicious)
Drinks:
michigan cherry collins: was not too boozy, was not too sweet, just a hint of sour, just how I like it!
Dessert: banana bread pudding — I did not know it has chocolate ice cream on it, made me a very happy girl! I can’t say that I was in heaven when eating it, but it was very tasty, not too banana flavored, which was great.
EVERYONE was veeeryyy happy with their food and drinks.
Splitting of the checks went flawlessly, but I did have to ask the waitress to come back to pick up our credit cards, because we were now in a rush.
The space is big and beautiful. On the main floor it looks like everything is either a high-​top or a booth, very comfortable. The upstairs is more of a lounge area that looks spacious and has a relaxing feel to it.
The service — here is where I will be a little more understanding because they haven’t even officially opened yet, and I expect them to change things up after reading some reviews ;)
I ordered the duck for my main entrée, at which point the waitress advised me that that’s not very good and I should order something else… but I still ordered duck because I love duck (good decision on my part because it was amazing)… I later found out that the waitress is a vegetarian so she hasn’t even tried the duck…
When I was ordering the appetizer and entrée, I made sure to tell the waitress that I am starving and can’t wait for my food… it took almost an hour to get our table’s food out, and the restaurant wasn’t very full… the main entrée came out before my appetizer. Guess what, the appetizer is meant to be eaten before my main dish, especially if I tell you that I am starving. I wouldn’t have gotten the appetizer otherwise because the main dish would have then just killed my hunger… When I questioned the waitress why we haven’t gotten our appetizers when our main dishes already arrived, she said she didn’t know we want the appetizers before our meal… please ask the table their preference before making that assumption next time…
My boyfriend requested a candle to be put into my dessert… they honored this request, but they brought it out when i was in the bathroom… The waitress should have been more attentive… she knew that it was my birthday, and she should have checked whether I was at the table before bringing it out.
Many people at the table ordered a dessert, but they only brought mine out, no one else received theirs, that was weird, but they did not get charged either.
I WILL return for the delicious food… and hope that some of the service and cook time flaws will be fixed :)