GIBSONS STEAK HOUSE

GIBSONS STEAK HOUSE

We always dine at the Chop House when in Chicago. I have never had a bad steak there and really looked forward to visiting again during our stay in the Windy City. A few days before leaving for Chicago I had lunch with a rep that lived in Chicago for many years. She gave Gibsons high praise and told me to give it a try. I did and she was right. Gibsons is a terrific steakhouse. We had reservations for 8:00 p.m. on a Wednesday. We arrived early to find the place absolutely packed. I am talking shoulder to shoulder packed in the bar and restaurant. No recession in this town. Everyone seemed to be out this night. After checking with the hostess we pushed our way into the bar. There wasn't an empty seat in sight. Then two people got up from chairs placed around a piano. We sat and were quickly greeted by a smiling waitress that took our drink order. At about the same time the piano player showed up and began playing some nice jazz tunes. The drinks came quickly and the waitress was still smiling. Wow....great service when the place is packed to the max. I like Gibsons. We were seated about 1/2 hour late. The tables in the main dining room are as close together as any place I have ever been. They really pack you in. Tight and crowded. There were two large men seated across from our table. My wife said she has seen them on a basketball team. I looked over and did not recognize either of them. Turns out it was two players from the Boston Celtics that were in town for a playoff game. Anyway back to the food. So the place is packed and steaks are flying left and right. You would think that this would reduce the service level. Not here. We had two great waiters that actually took time to ask us questions and make us feel right at home. They displayed a platter of raw meats and described each cut in detail. I went for the W.R. Chicago Cut ($42.50). This is a bone in rib-eye. It was cooked to perfection but not the best rib-eye ever. I had to put the house seasoning salt on it to get more taste. We also tried the Porterhouse Steak ($47.50). It was also very good. The steaks came with a nice house salad at no charge. We ordered the Vegetable Combination ($11.25). Huge pieces of green beans, broccoli and some other stuff. The Asparagus with Hollandaise ($9.25) was awesome. The biggest asparagus I have ever seen. Perfectly cooked and served up with a tasty hollandaise. The service was great through the entire meal. This is amazing considering the volume of business this place does. I will go back to Gibsons in a heartbeat.