White Oak Tavern & Inn

Went for dinner on a Wednesday, when bottles of wine were half price – the best way to go! We dined outside since it was nice, and were immediately greeted at our table with water. Our waiter was soon to follow, and he introduced himself and notified us that a new staff member would be training with him that evening, so they’d both be taking care of us. We chose the Crispy Pork as our appetizer, which was good, though not great enough for me to rush back to order again. For our entrees, my friend had the White Oak Burger with fries, which he enjoyed, and I had the pasta special, which had garlic, calamari, and herbs. It was good and filling.
One minor critique: the amount of attention we received from our waiter and the new person in training was a bit overkill. On average, I’m estimating that they were visiting our table every two minutes, so we joked later that it was hard to finish a sentence without being asked if we were doing okay. Perhaps it was because things were slow (we had an early dinner) or because they were conducting training, but a little less checking in would’ve been just fine.
If I visit again, which I definitely would, I think I’d take our waiter’s suggestion to heart and share some of the plates, just to have the opportunity to try more menu items.

This place has a cool and peaceful vibe to it — cool décor and nicely spaced seating in two loft-​esk style rooms. Entering the restaurant you’re in the main room with a well-​stocked bar, then towards the back and left, is the second room. My friend and I had dinner seated in this quieter spot. There is a «sharing» concept available which I didn’t appreciate — mostly because there was already limited (VERY limited) vegetarian and vegan options. My friend had the sampler — tomato tarte, mixed greens, salmon and some kind of crumble pudding desert. I had the Kale salad flavored with cayenne, actually over-​flavored (it was a little spicy), but still tasty –there just wasn’t very much of it. And I don’t like servers who check constantly and interrupt conversation without saying excuse me, or at least waiting for a break in the conversation. They weren’t very busy that night so maybe he just needed something to do?
The wine list was interesting and there were also some cocktail options — I would return here for wine or cocktails before heading somewhere else to eat. I wouldn’t do dinner here again.

I had dinner with friends this weekend and it was a solid dinner filled with more boos than it should have been! White Oak Tavern & Inn is mostly meant to be shared — smaller American dishes of which you can order several to try many things and pass ‘em around your table. Their tables are interesting with half of the booths having couches as part of the seating which was nice & relaxing, as well as comfortable.
Whole Fish Special of the Night $ 32 — Best dish of the night and one of the best fishes I’ve ever had! It just melted in mouth and was served atop delicious grits and covered in a creamy yogurt sauce. This shouldn’t just be a special… they need this on their regular menu! Absolutely mouth watering!
White Oak Burger $ 15 — When we ordered, they told us their burger was on a «Best Of» list. It was a fine burger & fries but sadly I don’t think I’d put it on any list of mine.
Stracciatella $ 14 –House-​made fresh mozzarella with cherry tomato relish… YES! Really loved this dish and it’s a must get at White Oak. It’s so light and the cheese pairs very well with the relish.
Cornbread $ 9 — I’ve been doing the no carbs thing this year but… exceptions must be made! And I’m glad I made an exception for this because it was mighty fine cornbread! Each piece was topped with a dollop of crema and herbs.
Crispy Pork $ 12 — Another great dish! As soon as my party sat down, we all knew we wanted this small dish. This was some of the crispiest pork belly I’ve ever had and I found it pleasant to have this slightly different take on the other white meat. It was well cooked with a dash of honey, soy, radishes, kimchi aioli and cilantro. I typically steer clear of anything cilantro related but it was very subtle in this dish.
Bourbon Smash Slushie $ 8 & Whiskey Sour $ 13 — Enjoyed both of my cocktails! They both went down so easy and I loved them.
My friends and I had a lovely evening at White Oak and I would love to go back! It ended up being quite pricey but we were throwing back drinks so I think that really contributed to our end game. White Oak is well worth a visit… and then you can pop into Derby or Local Option for a drink afterwards, as well!

The food here was very good. Except the ribs… they were actually disgusting son we sent them back. Someone put so much dry rub on them I was like eating spices from the pantry with a spoon. The issue with this place is its basically a really over placed tapas place. It’s all a large carte mini plates with entrée prices. We spent $ 300 with 4 – 5 people and left hungry.

Brunch gets 5 stars, dinner gets 3 stars, so it’s a 4 star average!
They have delicious brunch foods, but dinner was definitely a disappointment. My roommate had the spaghetti, and the only thing you could taste was salt, and my friend and I had a burger, which is definitely underwhelming.
BUT, brunch at the restaurant was fantastic and I would go back for that.

Nice to sit outside! (It’s first come first serve) The burger with fries was really good!
The menu is kind of deceiving though… everything is listed as a «plate». When we ordered the asparagus salad thinking it was enough for an entrée, we were told it was on the smaller side. That was an understatement!
I like the vibes there. I’ll be back to try the brunch!

Fantastic Sunday brunch! A group of five of us tried White Oak Tavern recently, and we loved it. A variety of meals were ordered at our table (including buttermilk waffle, eggs benedict, and chicken & waffles). The meals were flavorful, and the portions were «just right» (i.e., not too large, not too small). We finished off brunch by sharing a delicious cinnamon roll.
Our server was attentive, friendly, and helpful. Also, the environment was very comfortable. As an aside, it was good that we had a reservation (since it was packed).
Highly recommended!

White Oak Tavern is right in between a 4 and a 5 for me. I went here for brunch with a group of girlfriends and it was really good! The reason that I’m giving White Oak 4 stars and not 5 is because the portions were kind of small. However, it was nice because we didn’t leave overly stuffed in a food coma. Basically our whole group ordered the brunch hash. I definitely recommend it! Great combination of flavors and the chipotle sour cream was a good touch.
Check out this spot, it’s a great new addition to Lincoln Park! Happy there’s another good brunch spot in the area.

We really enjoyed out time and meal. We arrived without a reservation but they offerred us a communal table arrangement facing the kitchen which was fun for our kids. Also, on a cold spring day it was the perfect spot. The space has tons of light as well which was nice. We got to watch all of the meals coming out so we had a great idea of what we wanted. Also being so near to where the staff hang out, they had a lot of fun with our twins and their developed palates! Having watched almost all of the kids chopped shows, their food description vocab is pretty elevated much to the surprise of the staff there. The food was perfect. Really recommend the chicken and waffle combo. One of the best restaurants we have been to here in Chicago. We will be back!

Lots of pros for White Oak!
— Great bartenders who make tasty cocktails and a great wine/​beer list
— Love the brunch! They accept reservations, and have a great menu
— Friendly servers
— Good food. Chef changed a few months ago and a lot of our favorite items are no longer on the menu. While the menu constantly changes for seasonly/​local ingredients, there were a few staples that have been replaced
Overall, great place to check out!

I visited White Oak Tavern a few weeks ago with my husband, sister-​in-​law, and her fiancé. I immediately took a liking to the vibe — not your typical tavern but a more romantic twist. The food was great and our service was outstanding!
I am noticeably pregnant and our server look immediate attention to my drink order (I was planning on sticking with water). He insisted on a jazzy mock-​tail so I said. What the hell. It was divine. I wish I had remembered our server’s name. He was great. I think he mentioned he was from Transylvania? Anyway, I would go back for the service alone.

Stopped in for a quick bite (after a cupcake tasting next door at Sweet Mandy B’s). We needed to make room for some real food before the tummy aches set it. I love what they have done with the décor. Open, airy, light wood barn feel. The barn doors in the main dining room would be great for an event and a grand entrance.
It was early for us, maybe 6. The place was pretty employ and quiet; which meant we would get good attentive service to answer our questions! Like I said, our belly’s were already stuffed with cupcakes, but I wanted to try this place so much and needed something healthy. Of course, we went with sharing the Spinach Salad. First thing on the menu. It was light scrips with different flavors and textures to try and scoop up on each bite. I would try to get some greens and an orange at each tasting. The radish was good as a contrast. So may of the other appetizers looked amazing. Then we shared the Scallops. Now, don’t be surprised like we were (read the menu). There are scallops and they are great. But there are also these little medallions maid of white fish. They actually look like sausage. To my non meat-​eating fiancé, it was enough to scare him away. So I got to devour them! This was about all our stomachs could stomach, cupcakes from before included. I cannot wait to go back on a busy bustling night and enjoy more of the menu and some wine!

Our large group had a nice brunch here on a Sunday morning afternoon. We arrived on a rainy day without a reservation (foolish, I know), but they seated us all at the bar and we couldn’t have been happier. The bartender/​server was very attentive and did a great job all around.
There are many things on the menu that I could’ve ordered, and I feel their offerings are very good all around. From the entrées, people loved the hash, the salad, and the breakfast sandwich. My buttermilk biscuits and scrambled eggs were very good overall. The biscuits did have a slightly bitter aftertaste initially, but this wore off, and I thought even with this aftertaste the biscuits were still better than the ones at Knife and Tine. The preserves served with the biscuits were really not good, but I didn’t think it affected the overall dish.
Overall, the menu had a lot of great options, service was great, and we enjoyed our experience overall. I would definitely return to have brunch at this charming spot. Oh and on an u related note I loved the white upholstered light wood chairs in the window!

I am sitting on the edge and 4 – 5 stars. I gave a proud 4.
Our service was a 6-​star treatment… my wife is visibly pregnant and ordered a ginger ale. Our waiter noticed this, and asked if he could also create a specialty mock-​tail to ensure she didn’t feel left out. Great service, recommendation, and she loved it!
We proceeded to eat through a few delish courses, shared a great bottle of wine, and got to know the staff a bit better– our waiter was from Transylvania, so that was cool in and of itself.
I would go back for the food, drink, and service gladly again. You should too.

Husband and I went last night– turned out it was the last night of restaurant week so we both chose to take advantage. I thought everything we ate was REALLY good. My hamachi crudo was fantastic– husband’s duck salad was pretty hearty and a good size (though my crudo was a bit on the small side). My entrée of scallops was great, and the roasted root vegetables were excellent– not too soft, nice assortment. Husband enjoyed his short rib, and the crispy potatoes served with it were literally the best thing we had all night– crispy, buttery, salty– I wanted to order a whole plate of the potatoes. Desserts were good too.
I can see what people mean about portion size– it looks a little on the small side. However maybe it’s just the restaurant week portion sizing? I would go back again. I was a little bummed that along with the restaurant week menu they had only a very limited regular menu– the things I had scoped out ahead of time to try were not available (though I was pretty happy with my RW choices).
I thought service was very nice– attentive but not intrusive. The space is lovely and both upscale and homey feeling at the same time– and much bigger than I initially thought when we were seated (there’s a whole big room in the back too!).
Anyway. We liked it a lot. We would definitely come back again to try more stuff.

Been wanting to come here ever since I saw it open in the neighborhood. Had reservations via OpenTable for Friday at 6:15 for a group of 4. It was also Restaurant Week so that was also something to look forward to.
Upon arrival, they seated us promptly. The space is much bigger than it looks. It was classy and cozy. Great ambience. We sat towards the back by the windows and was half seated on a comfy sofa, which I enjoyed.
We had already given a heads up that a member of the group is a vegetarian and they definitely acknowledged that and we mentioned that again when asked about food allergies/​restrictions. However, when we went around to order, my veggie friend lightheartedly said she was obviously ordering the only veggie option from each course. Our waiter then seemed very confused and then started naming off the fish items she could order too. My friend reminded him that she was a vegetarian and couldn’t eat fish. Then he was a bit rude and was like, «what else don’t you eat?» not really understanding what a vegetarian was. Anyways, she had to explain herself again, which was an awkward situation. He was very puzzled. She also asked for sparkling water and that exchange was also awkward. Eventually, everything was fine.
We all opted for the prix fixe menu options ($ 33 pp) and got drinks in addition to. The raspberry ale was fine. The Velvet Rooster tripel was pretty good. All of our dishes came at appropriate times. I enjoyed my duck salad to start, but was a bit too salty. I tried my bf’s parsnip soup, in which they poured into the bowl tableside. Thought this was gimmicky though somewhat cool. The soup was definitely forgettable and tasted really just like cream. I got the braised short ribs for my main. This was very tasty, but again a bit too salty. It was also just one rib. Bf’s pork shoulder was alright. I was looking forward to the lavender panna cotta that I saw online as an option prior to coming, but it was not available. I got the coffee anglaise instead, and it was good. Bf’s cheesecake was… cheesecake.
Portions were definitely small. Usually, I don’t mind too much, but the food really didn’t wow me… wasn’t bad but definitely not worth the price tag. Service overall was fine, but our server definitely needed some work.

White Oak Tavern used to be something else and renovated and reconcepted into White Oak Tavern. The menu is not very big and meant to be shared. Although they’ve changed head chefs a few times, out of the handful of times I’ve been there, it’s been awesome. The pork is easily some of the best I’ve ever had anywhere in the world, and I don’t even like American preparation of pork. This stuff is amazing. The chicken is some of the moistest I’ve ever had anywhere in the world too. Love the Stracciatella which is really fresh mozarella and some other stuff. Really like the Fetuccine too which is great. I wish ramps were in season more because the first time I came here, they were and a few dishes with them were amazing. Haven’t really had anything here I didn’t like — everything has been at least good, and 75% of everything I’ve had I would categorize as «really good» or better.
Drinks are great, vibe is great, and interior design is good too. Service is mostly excellent too. Every server we’ve had has been pretty damn funny. The place could easily be stuffy, but it chooses not to. It’s a great place. Highly recommended as one of the hidden gems of Chicago. If they stayed consistent, I would not be surprised to see a Michelin star in their future.

I’ve been here a few times for brunch and a few times for dinner, and all visits have included great food and fun service.
The burger is exceptional — in fact, it just might be my favorite in the city right now.
It’s a great neighborhood go-​to with solid food and a cool atmosphere.

The food: ⁵⁄₅. We got their new Tuesday special, which is 6 oysters and a glass of wine for $ 12. The oysters were very fresh, but the wine wasn’t necessarily what I’d prefer, but their whiskey sour was excellent. I got Stracciatella as an app, which was excellent and a good size to share between two people. Grilled half chicken was very flavorful and tender with peaches and yogurt on the side.
The service: ⁴⁄₅. While our waitress was not good at explaining dishes or giving suggestions, the service was attentive and prompt.
Overall: 4.5÷5. The place has a nice chill vibe and it would make a great date spot. The food was excellent, so I’m sure I’ll be back soon.

They have Aleppo pepper on their Bloody Marys!
That’s one image of the careful attention to taste styling at White Oak. That’s the feeling I get – taste styling.
On a perfect summer day, a wonderful Saturday morning, we opened their restaurant, being the first to arrive at 10 a.m. (opening time).
We ordered the Benedict and the Buttermilk waffle.
The waffle was exquisite, delectable, heavenly! An order again, time and again sort of thing.
The Benedict was more of a variation – instead of an English muffin, sourdough bread; instead of Canadian bacon, traditional bacon (local source and good) – with a very nice side of greens to contrast the flavors. The Hollandaise had a noticeable lemon flavor as opposed to vinegar as the ingredient offered in other presentations elsewhere.
Recommendation: if you can, order the potato wedges. Cut in perfect proportion, salted and accompanied by a white cheese sauce and chili ketchup. Perfect for two.
What about the Bloody Mary you ask? The ‘insert’ is a pickle and it works perfectly. A slight vinegar (pleasant spice) taste and the spice mix results in a very, very enjoyable ‘adult drink’. ‘Adult drink’ was the humorous description our server used when first inquiring as to what we would like to drink.
While we ate outside, the inside looks spacious and comfortable.
So go and taste-​style with the food stylists!