Chef's Special Cocktail Bar

“Been a while since I waited in line for a restaurant. By 5 pm opening time the line was 30 people deep. We grabbed seats at the bar and three different people helped us out during the meal, good team effort. We way way over ordered - portions are generous - and probably had two more meals worth of food boxed up. The noodle dishes were both very good. My wife claimed dibs on the cashew chicken leftovers, no sharing. The carrots were good but I wasn’t real clear how they fit with the rest of the menu. Cocktails were great, more savory than I expected which went well with the food. Friendly people around us mostly, except the person hovering for our seats once we paid the bill.”

“Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar is a highly delectable experience that every Chicagoan must try. My friend and I went in hungry and left utterly mind-blown. We started off with Cocktails (and Old Fashioned) and a wonderful N/A THC option (Choom - Solar Lite) both were reasonably priced and exceedingly delicious. Our server Jen was wildly attentive and knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the menu. We started with their Smashed Cumbers and worked our way into the special which was the Dry Rub Lamb Ribs. The Smashed Cucumbers were zingy and fresh - the Lamb Ribs were out of this world. For our Entree we split the Rolled Noodles which came with spiced short ribs as the protein and it was dense and highly incredible. For desert we enjoyed the Hong Kong Spice Cake (pictured) and our bartender Nora had us set up and ready for desert before we could even blink. All in all. Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar is an exemplary dining experiences with a robust and delicious menu, a friendly and knowledgeable staff, and lastly a highly impactful playlist of some of the best music I’ve heard in a while. Everyone should enjoy a cozy night in at this establishment. I assure you - you will leave satiated and ready for your next visit.”

“We took a chance walking in on a busy Thursday night with no reservations, hoping the chef’s special reputation would hold up and it did! We found seats at the bar and ordered the crab Rangoon’s, string beans, and spicy dry chili chicken. Every dish was fantastic, and the portions were impressively large. Such a great place for Chinese food.”

“*I am Asian, so my standard for Chinese food is quite high.* Came here for the Happy Hour two weeks ago. At least 10 people were waiting in line before it opened at 5 pm. Cocktails were pretty solid. We especially enjoyed "Roger Rabbit." The dry-fried green beans and pork/shrimp egg rolls were very tasty. Highly recommended. Dan dan noodles were not bad, but it was the first time I had this dish with udon noodles. The only dish we found unimpressive was Kung Pao Chicken from the regular menu. It was not authentic, and I didn't like the jasmine rice that came with it (I usually prefer sushi rice). Overall, it was a good dining experience!”

“Honestly … this place was extremely disappointing. Was very hard to get a reservation so when I finally snagged one I was stoked. The service was great, don’t get me wrong. The food, not so much. Overcooked, underseasoned Chinese food. I truly don’t understand the hype. The crab Rangoon and the potstickers (happy hour) were both delicious. But the walnut shrimp and chili fried chicken felt like I was biting into a rock. The green beans were fine but no flavor. And the chili oil wontons were not good. I’m unsure why this place is constantly sold out other than the tiktok influencers they pay to dine here. Sorry!”