The Refinery

I had been the refinery before for a birthday dinner months back and my boyfriend and I had really enjoyed the meal. We were excited to come back to this joint with a group of our friends who were all here from out of town. When we arrived the place was completely empty. Which is always a shame because we enjoying dining out for the atmosphere. When we sat down to order, I was disappointed to find that all of the items we had previously ordered were no longer on the menu. It was a completely different menu and really only offered burgers and sandwiches which was not something we were looking for. Part of it was my fault for not looking at the menu prior to going.
Service was OK only had the server come back a handful of times for a group of ten. Expected a bit more being as we were really the only people there.
The worst thing they did was change the menu. Food was absolutely horrible. I was mortified bringing my friends here only to have them all hate the menu options. So sad.

I really don’t like to write bad reviews, but sometimes you can’t come up with enough good things to say about a place. Unfortunately, this is 100% the case with The Refinery.
The space… the interior is humongous, and is really nice-​looking. A decent sized outdoor patio makes the space itself a win. The ambiance in general is nice, but the music playing was bizarre… a weird mix of 90s pop that you’d expect to hear at a doctor’s office.
The staff… our waitress was really friendly & seemed to know what was going on for the most part. The menu we were presented wasn’t 100% accurate to what they were serving, so I kept trying to order things that they didn’t actually have, and she’d go back to the kitchen & ask what the substitute was for that particular thing. One of the beers we ordered rang up at the wrong price, which I wouldn’t even normally notice, but the experience here was so weird feeling that I actually looked… so just pay attention to your bill upon receipt.
The menu… as I said above, they were in the middle of a menu change, I get it, but to be out of so much? A quick menu print takes no time, costs next to nothing, and would lessen confusion for the diners & the staff.
The drinks… decent prices on certain beers (the ones on special), but overall I thought the drink prices were a little steep, even for Old Town.
The food… Waaaaaaaaay overpriced. Way way way overpriced. Did I mention it’s overpriced? I ordered the chicken. It was 1 tiny little breast, on top of 6 tiny little potatoes, on top of 3 tiny little stalks of broccoli, with a swoop of sauce on the bottom. On top of that, there was so much red pepper sprinkled on everything that I could barely eat it. This was over $ 20.
It seems as if the new menu has made it’s debut since my visit a few weeks ago, and the prices look much better, but I had such a disappointing experience the first time I’m not sure I want to go back.

Wow this place blows.
The décor is trying really hard, but the food was below average.
I was the only one at the bar, but the bartender couldn’t be bothered to see my drink was empty. She looked tired and more interested in gossiping about how this job was so much better than her old job.
She found it more important to clean glasses that were sitting at the end of the bar then ring up my bill when I asked.
I stopped in on game 7 of the hawk/​kings game and it was totally empty.
Just move along when you see this place, just move along.

I ate here last night with my girlfriend. Wells Street was rolling everyplace was packed. Everyplace.
From the street it looks perfect. Great looking venue. But we should have taken note that the marketplace had already spoken. Note to self: When everywhere else is packed and a good looking spot is totally empty that should be all the information you need. Hard Pass!
The menu is off, the food below average and the staff is very very weak. The wait staff seems unhappy, untrained and (not that it matters) hugely unattractive. I am told appearance does matter in the workplace.
I live in the area. I have been past this place a million times and never seen it and it has never come up in conversation. I asked the hostess if the restaurant is new and she smiled and said «everybody asks that same question… no we have been open over a year». A YEAR. Come on. I was floored.
In short, markets are efficient. And if a great looking restaurant is empty on one of the best days of the year (after the Winter we had) on three day holiday leading into the unofficial start of Summer… don’t take my word it’s no good… just look at the market’s reaction to the place. Empty.
If you want to try it you better act quickly. With crowds this light and can’t last. D-.

I can’t speak for the dinner fare, but their brunch is actually pretty good. The service, however, leaves a little to be desired. The place was not extremely busy, so I don’t understand how it could have taken over 15 minutes to get a drink. I ordered a mimosa. OJ and champagne, not exactly rocket science when it comes to mixology.
Food-​wise, we ordered the shrimp ‘n grits, pork belly hash and chicken ‘n waffles… all delicious. I live in the area, so will likely give this place another shot, but the service needs to step it up a bit.

Pleasantly surprised!
Great place for drinks before a meal. Great atmosphere. Pricey, but reasonable drinks. All of the cocktails we had were fabulous. Lots of great beers on tap too!

I loved this place! I wasn’t expecting to bc they have other locations and I try to support local one of a kind but it was awesome! Went for restaurant week and had the octopus, char and cavassa chocolate dessert. I also had the Manhattan on tap-​delicious-​the cherries are to die for! Oh my goodness! I loved the octopus, oxtail and dessert the best. If it hadn’t been restaurant week I prob would have thought the prices were high but I would pay $ 12 for that dessert anytime!
And service-​amazing! We were able to chat and sit for a while without feeling rushed which was exceptional! I will be back!

This place was great. We booked it before a Second City show during restaurant week, but ended up ordering off the regular menu. We started with a delicious half-​dozen of oysters-​3 East Coast and 3 West Coast-​amazing. Love the tiny Tobasco Sauce bottle. Then enjoyed Ox tail Arronccini, and then we got the duck entrée nd the hangar steak. It was all amazing. We got dessert-​I recommend the pretzel bar.
Overall, amazing service, amazing flavor and great ambiance. I highly recommend the Refinery!

I came here during their opening week or so back in July. I had been visiting before moving over to Chicago from overseas later in the year. Having now lived in old town for a number of months, I definitely think the area needs more places like the refinery, the more refined (haha) places are lacking from Wells st which seems to be more cozy family cooking restaurants.
It’s been a while since we went there with four of us and we shared a number of appetizers and entrees between us. The waiter we had was VERY good with helping us with recommendations as well as being very attentive. I’m hoping that it wasn’t just because it was new and the service is still good now. The dessert was good from memory, nice touch with the candies which you can get one of the different flavors.
I’ll definitely be back to check it out and see how it’s settled in after 5 months.

I have been to The Refinery 3 times since its opening in July. The first night I went was opening week and the food was delicious.
I dined with my boyfriend during opening week. We started off with the Crudo. It was really good– I had never had it before. I am a pescatarian so I eat fish but not other meat. The waiter (Rodney) was really good about telling me what was in every dish so I didn’t accidentally eat any meat. Then we had the Mixed Lettuces salad which was great… give me anything with beets in it and I am a happy camper.
The we moved onto the Whitefish Sliders. The homemade coleslaw was great as well as the fish. They give you 3 so we were fighting over the bigger side of the 3^rd one :) I also love the little bottle of Tabasco on the side.
For dinner, we got the Pork Belly and the Oxtail Scallops. My boyfriend really enjoyed the Pork Belly and the Oxtail parts of the meal. He said it was great pork belly, some of the best he’s ever had. I carefully picked around the oxtail parts and scarfed down the scallops… they were amazing. Normally I am pretty picky about eating food that has touched other meat but I really couldn’t help myself. They were too good!
Desserts were also phenomenal. Pastry Chef Hetty Arts is awesome at what she does… The desserts I have tried there are the watermelon jelly, the rootbeer fudge, popcorn caramel, the cookies and cream crumble, the homemade oreos, and the crowing jewel of Refinery’s dessert menu: CHOCOLATE PRETZEL BAR. If you go here for dinner and do not try this, you are missing out.
Aside from this dinner, I have also come to the Refinery for brunch. I highly recommend the house-​made juices, the brioche cinnamon roll and the chilaquiles. All amazing! Perfect place to sit outside on a summer morning and eat delicious food.
I have also stopped in for drinks and a quick appetizer a few times. My favorite drink is the Refinery Punch. I have also tried the Moscow Mule and La Paloma. All great! You really can’t go wrong with the specialty cocktails. Great wine list as well.
Overall, I love the ambiance of the Refinery. The waitstaff is well educated and service has always been great for me, even on a busy night.

Came her on a Sunday for a friends bday! We had reservations– we arrived to a fairly empty dining room (maybe 5 other tables) and were instructed to wait at the bar? Really we see our table ready. After we didn’t all sit down at the bar — and just stood their annoyed they let us sit down. We weren’t sure if we should order s bunch of small plates and share or order entrees — the server provided zero guidance. We asked the manager to bring out a special dessert after dinner — the forgot but brought it after the bill.
Overall the food was overpriced and nothing special. The ambiance was nice. But not great food and high prices — I can’t imagine this place will be around for the long haul.

C’mon Unilocalers! Where’s the love for this new place in Old Town? Open only since July, The Refinery must have done quite a bit of «refining since many of these reviews, as we had a great night of service, food and ambiance.
We went on a perfect night to partake in their outdoor patio. We were seated at a cozy table for two and within seconds, our server, Kristi was over at the table, bubbling with personality and telling us a little about the place. I was a little skeptical, having read the reviews here on Unilocal that we were going to have a good experience, but under Kristi’s expert guidance, my fears were allayed and we were off to a great start.
Now I am not the easiest person to please right now when it comes to food as I am on a bit of a restricted diet for the next few weeks, so while my friend was going to be able to order everything off the menu the way the restaurant wanted to serve it, I knew that I was going to be full of a lot of requests that were going to require some teamwork between the chef and the server. But you know what? They pulled it off beautifully.
It was almost funny at one point as Kristi took our order and then came back to tell me that the entrée that I ordered would not meet my dietary requirements. But the chef was quick to tell her what he could do…and we were off and running. And I also appreciated the vigilance of the total staff as when items came to the table that were on my «no no» list– they alerted me to them. .. .even if they were just being consumed by my dining companion!
The kitchen is headed by Chef: Lawrence Letrero (most recently of Untitled fame) so know that this is not just bar food, but freshly prepared food you can get the way you want it! A big thanks to the team for pulling this off!
The menu is quite nice (and you can bet I will be back when I can indulge more) From two kinds of raw oysters, cheese plates, octopus, and a range of small dishes to share. To a sizeable list of entrees from salmon to steak to chicken, all uniquely prepared and delicious. And there is also a fish and beef special of the day and on this day it was a rib eye and a sushi grade fluke.
The wine list has several of my favorites on it, as well as there is a specialty cocktail list that your server will tell you about. This restaurant prides itself on locally grown foods (farm to table approach) and the servers will name for you where the chicken, beef, potatoes etc all come from.
And while I didn’t eat dessert (darn dietary restrictions!) the homemade candies were a unique touch as were the array of desserts that were also on the menu.
I think it’s important to note the pricing structure as this is NOT a bar but a mid scale restaurant. Our bill for two (with plenty of drinks for my friend!) came to about $ 180 as the entrees are in the $ 25 — $ 30 range. Add in some small plates, drinks and dessert and you can see how easily it adds up. So while the ambiance is casual (the inside is very bar like to me with the TV’s behind the bar and the exposed ceiling) the prices are much more restaurant like which is where the disconnect comes from, I think in these other reviews.
Also know if you drive, that they have valet parking out front for $ 11.99 or you can park in the new parking garage just north of the location for $ 14.
All in all, a fun neighborhood place with good food served by a staff that really goes out of their way to make sure you get what you want. And isn’t that what a night out at a good restaurant is supposed to be?

Ultra attentive service, good food, and a pleasing space. We enjoyed a relaxing meal outdoors and look forward to returning.

Good spot for drinks with nice décor & patio in old town. In my opinion, the food is overpriced, portion size small, and there aren’t enough appetizer options/​small plates for sharing purposes. I would say the food isnt anything to rave about but they have a nice wine selection and good drinks.
I have mixed feelings about the wait staff as well. The first time, she was great and very knowledgeable. The last time, one of our waitresses accused us of stealing one of her pens/​followed us to a new table when we were able to move outside to ask us if we took one of her pens. The last person in my party who used the pen happened to be in the bathroom at the time, and the waitress came back over a second time to inquire on if the person had seen her pen. It turns out she had mistakenly grabbed the pen and she gave it back to the waitress. It was somewhat strange.

I have visited 3 times now mostly due to location and the patio scene. I hope that they tweak their menu a bit.

Food was really good and service amazing. Our waitress knew so much about the menu and wines and we were shocked as it was one of the first weeks they were open. I didn’t know which wine to choose and she brought me some «samples» w/​out me asking-​very nice!
LOVED the little fish sliders and scallops. Location can’t be beat.
I’m surprised at the negative reviews for this place… I think they’re exaggerated or people were expecting too much. Give them a break, the first week a restaurant opens there will be a lot of things to work on esp if staff is new.

Needs Refining.
We gave it a week to work out some of the kinks as it’s not fair to judge a place on the opening night. Unfortunately it seems they still need more time, not to work out the kinks, but to figure out who they are.
The drinks were clever and well thought out. We enjoyed the margarita and the daiquiri. Both had fresh fruit juices and were an nice way to start off a warm evening.
Half our table liked the daiquiri best, the other half the margarita. The meszcal pour added a nice touch.
A amuse boche was a popover the size of a teaspoon. A nice start but not enough to hold us over until the appetizers arrived. Bread service would have been nice.
Appetizers were pricey $ 10 — $ 15 and amazingly small. My beef carpaciao, though delicious, was devoured in three light forkfuls.
Dinner was also small portioned. We ordered up the chicken, duck and a burger.
The duck was well cooked and tasty, however it was rather lonely on the plate with a couple of pieces of carrot and onion. The chicken the same.
I don’t mind if the main courses don’t come with a side, but then there should be an option to order some side on the menu.
My hamburger made a McDonald’s hamburger look generous with meat. It was served on a bun that dwarfed it. My first mouthful had so much bread I wasn’t sure that I had bitten into any meat. The remainder of the burger was eaten with only the bottom portion of the bun so I could taste the meat portion.
With the citrus drinks, beef carpacio, burger, fried chicken and duck breast we were a little confused as to the them of the restaurant. Inquiring with the staff confirmed our opinion that they really were not sure what they were going for either.
The only consistent information was that the name ‘refinery’ was supposed to refer to refined dining.
We ended the meal with a good but equally confused dessert.
Total was $ 200 for the three of us and we left feeling as though we had yet to eat a main course.
I’ll give it 90 days to decide what it wants to be since its new. However the price, portion and lack of consistency in food and theme would cause me to give The Refinery a pass.
Three stars, one added since it’s new and a nice addition to the neighborhood and we wish them the best.

Went for Sunday dinner so can’t comment on bar or late night scene, but will be back to do so. I’m guessing that is a great experience as well.
Anyway,…This place is fabulous and a most welcome addition to a neighborhood with no shortage of wonderful, interesting restaurants and pubs. This place, just opened a week, can not only hold its own, but I predict will soon become a neighborhood gem both as a restaurant and a nice place to hang with friends for a glass of wine, craft beer or interesting cocktail.
The décor and ambiance is comfortable, welcoming, hip, casual, sophisticated and friendly. The brick, concrete, wood, fireplace and beautiful, comfortable leather chairs come together and settle you right in. There is a long bar and communal table that also imparts an informality. The floor to ceiling glass front windows open completely to the street like an open loft.
The food is delicious! The upscale comfort food menu is meticulously prepared by a Chef than hails from one of the best and most sophisticated restaurants in the country, Eleven Madison Park in NYC. Accompanied by another chef from Chicago’s Untitled, the two turn out delicious interesting homestyle dishes from a menu that is progressive and innovative, yet grounded. The shoshito peppers and whatever that was that we were dipping them into were sensational. The whitefish sliders, ground short rib burgers etc, etc all impressed. Desserts… wow! We shared two beautifully presented desserts. From the home made marshmallow ice cream, glazed cherries, cassava, chocolate, almond and whatever else was going on, the flavors came together in your mouth perfectly and went down fast and easy!
The staff couldn’t be nicer, friendlier and more professional. With bright eyes and big smiles they seamlessly worked our table as if they were serving family. Allison, our server was teriffic and was genuinely so happy to hear that we were enjoying our food and experience, which we told her several times. Even the assitant bussing the table and I apologize I didn’t get his name, was polished, sophisticated and highly professional.
This place is a welcome addition and neighborhood gem. Go and enjoy.

M and I went to the Refinery last night for dinner and were really impressed by the decorations, drinks, food, and especially the service. Oh Mimi. We would return just for you and your quirkiness.
The Refinery is just a baby (only ten days old) and was brought into this world by a pair of brothers. It is clear that they are working hard to raise their baby to be successful.
First, the service is ridiculously friendly. They somehow instilled the importance and pride of the Refinery into all of their staff members. At one point, I noticed that there was a line of black-​shirted staff just waiting to serve. When I asked the assistant manager about the number of employees present she explained that they just wanted to be ready to impress if there was a large influx of guests. The host bragged that they had reservations all through the evening and into the night despite an absence of advertisement. The Refinery just wants to work out all the kinks before announcing their presence in Old Town.
Second, the decorations are modern and luxurious. The seats were comfortable and rich. The colors are mostly dark. The wall behind the bar was illuminated with a picture of the Chicago skyline when we walked in. We commented on how much we liked it. Then, the next time we looked, it had changed to Buckingham Fountain followed by a black and white rendition of the skyline. It was really neat. There was a TV mounted across from the bar that only showed the name and logo of the restaurant. We wondered if the Refinery might someday show sports on all of those screens but we never asked.
Third, I got two drinks: The Artist Special followed by the Old Town House Punch (?). The punch came with a fabulous story about the Fish House Punch from Mimi about an old man’s club who wanted to invite ladies to their party and developed a drink for them: «something to please the ladies’ palate but get them livelier than is their usual wont.» She had an antidote for the wine M considered, «That wine was served at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela.» M ended up getting a $ 35 bottle of Merlot. Later in the evening they re-​corked it and sealed it in a bag so we could bring the rest home. We both enjoyed all of our libations.
Fourth, our food was really impressive (and came out really fast) — especially M’s oysters and mussels. She’s a major snob about them and is forever disappointed but continues to hopefully order them whenever she sees them on a menu. She was absolutely delighted by both the oysters and mussels declaring them to be the best she’s had since the now-​closed Brasserie Jo delicacies.
We also enjoyed the crab rangoon, broccoli salad, and duck (the duck was my entrée). The crab rangoon was delicious, and definitely worth trying, but we’ll probably try something else next time. The broccoli salad went very well with my duck. The salad was refreshing whereas my duck was rich and salty. They contrasted each other nicely.
For dessert we tried two of their candies. I got the sour watermelon jelly and M got the cookies and cream candy. I think they were good for a little something sweet after our substantial amount of savory foods. Mimi surprised us by bringing out chocolate whoopee pies filled with marshmallow-​like cream. That was just over the top saccharine but a lovely gesture.
Fifth, although it’s probably contrary to the best interests of the Refinery, we hope that it stays more of a restaurant and less of a bar. If it does steer in the direction of a bar, it will be a very nice bar with fabulous food and service. As it was, we thought the music was too loud and (as the evening went on) became too lively with guests focused on drinking. We’ll probably end up going early to avoid that bustle.

I went to check out The Refinery on opening night as it’s close to where I live. While I wasn’t expecting it to be «perfect» because it was opening night, it was overall a bad experience. First, we ordered the mussels and half came out without their shells open. They did kindly take that back and offered to replace with another appetizer, which we got the crab rangoon (note, very different than traditional crab rangoon). That was OK but it took nearly 45 minutes to get that to us after returning the mussels. Then it took nearly an hour after that for our main entrees to come out. We ordered the salmon and steak. Both were pretty small portions with no sides. For the cost and quality of the food, definitely not worth it with all the wonderful dining choices in Chicago.
I will add that the waitress was very kind and none of this was her fault.

We were very excited to have The Refinery finally open. We went on Friday evening, the first night of officially being open (Monday– Wednesday was friends and family).
Everything was mediocre and just like a previous review, I am sure it will get better. The Refinery seems to be a bit confused. Does it want to be high end or does it want to be a local neighborhood spot? Also the GIANT screens above the bar really did not make any sense what so ever. The service was slightly above «okay» but not great. The general manager as well as the floor manager came over to chat. Our server was interesting :). Don’t get me wrong he was very nice. I’m sure he had nerves seeing he told us he used to work at the Melting Pot (TMI) and just got hired on Thursday (day before). He messed up on my drink and made a few other small mistakes throughout the service. It was nothing to make us not come back.
Here are the things we did not care for:
The wines by the glass not listed or priced. When I asked for my choice varietal, I was told it was $ 20 a glass! They need to expand on the mid priced wine options.
Also the cocktails not listed or priced, so when we asked types of ingredients in each drink, we got a confused look as to what we meant. Again, not the wait staffs fault; the restaurant’s for not having those things ready. Lastly, I am confused by the concept. It is establishment of two brothers (what we were told), and when the floor manager described it to us, it sounded a lot like Glunz Tavern (right across the street) but very poorly executed.
We ordered:
–Refinery Manhattan ($ 14)
— The Paloma ($ 12-​$ 14. cant remember)
–Green line beer ($ 6)
–Shiraz ($ 13)
— beef carpaccio
— oysters (6 at Market Price, between $ 20-​$ 30)
— Salmon ($ 26) Great but not worth the cost. Portion was TINY. It was listed under large plates, should be moved to small
— The Refinery Burger ($ 15) AMAZING!!!
–Chocolate Pretzel bar ($ 12) Also TINY. Amazing desert, but either lower cost or increase size of desert
We left $ 174 poorer… we were not really sure what happened. We are avid diners and consider ourselves semi reputable foodies. The thing is nothing was terrible… and nothing was amazing, minus the burger. This is supposed to be the flagship bar for more bars/​restaurants to come from this duo of brothers. The space has a great foundation but one of the things that continued to echo is the description of the restaurant given by the manager «new twist on old school cocktails and food, pre-​prohibition era, etc.» Why are they trying to copy off of Glunz Tavern. They will def lose that battle. Is it supposed to be like Pour House down the street? It would make much more sense with the GIANT television behind the bar to show sports than pictures of the food. It is just the beginning for this group and what we have seen, they can do great things, they just need to narrow down the focus.