The Grove Incorporated

For being in the airport, it was a nice place for yogurt and very reasonable. Their vanilla yogurt machine was broken so all they had was strawberry and chocolate frozen yogurt. They had all the typical toppings and included a number of toppings for the same price. (Some places charge you extra if you want to get 2 or more different toppings)

The cashier, Jessen, was very nice and helpful. She was the only person working on a very busy Sunday afternoon. The counters were alittle messy.

PROS: Nice cashier
CONS:

Gino's East Of Chicago

We, a party of 6, went on a Monday night for dinner. We were seated right away. The first thing we noticed is that all the wood of the restaurant was decorated with writing: grafitti, wite out, every other writing utensil possible. It was really fun to sit and read what people had written on our booth!
We were informed that we would wait approximately 40 minutes for our deep dish pizza which was fine. The time really did fly!
The server was great. Kept our soda glasses full. Then the pizza came and Oh MY!! We were amazed at the magnitude of this pizza and we could not stop talking about the crust. It was just a fun and authentic Chicago experience!

PROS: Deep dish pizza! Writings on the walls!
CONS:

Hard Rock Cafe

The decorum at the Hard Rock is always fun to see. I went to the restaurant on a Wednesday night so there was minimal waiting. The food was really good. I ordered the ribs and my party of 3 split the chocolate chip cookie pie and it was too die for!!! The pie was served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The entrees do tend to be a little more pricey that your other franchise restaurant (approximately $20) but it was good.

The service was alittle slow. It took about 5 or more minutes to get our check.

PROS: Good Atmosphere
CONS: Service was alittle slow

Riva

My experience at Riva's was superb.
The food was delicious with a portion that was just right to fill me without that "I ate too much feeling. The desert, too, was excellent. I ordered the strawberry tart which is their version of a strawberry shortcake. Although it was a desert, it was not too sugary...it was just the perfect portion.

I made reservations and I was seated in 5 minutes (and that was only because I asked for a window seat). Our waitress, Dawn (209), was just so wonderful, friendly and knowledgeable about the menu.

This is an expensive restaurant so be prepared to spend about $50 or more per person but it is so worth the price!

PROS: A wonderful all-around experience!
CONS:

Rainforest Cafe

This restaurant never dissapoints. I went on a late Sunday night so there was no waiting and it was not crowded.

The scenery and decorations of the restaurant are just amazing and so lifelike. They have a huge aquarium with a variety of colorful fish. The food was excellent with a good size portion. They have such a large menu that it is sometimes difficult to decide what your going to order.
The service was great!

PROS: Great variety of food choices!
CONS:

Potbelly Sandwich Shop

If you're in Chicago, you have to have a potbelly. The food did not dissapoint. Very reasonable prices. There is also lunch-time entertainment by local musicians which is a very nice way to spend your lunch hour.

There sandwiches are made to order fresh, there ice cream sanwiches are also made fresh...they take a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and sanwich it between two huge cookies! It was so rich and so huge, that I could only have 3 bites.

The only negative thing I will say about this place is that they do get crowded and as such, you dont place your order at the window (they way you would expect) but you sometimes have to yell your order to a person who may be 7 feet away from you. I did not know this and they ended up yelling directly at me to place my order which I thought was rude.

PROS: Great sanwiches!
CONS: You have to yell to place your order & you may get yelled at!

Corner Bakery Cafe

This bakery is more like a cafe. Great breakfast options. I had the french toast which came with a side of bacon and fresh fruit cup. Although it may be a bit pricey, it was well worth it. It was the best french toast I have ever had!!

You could tell that it was maple syrup because it had the cane bits in the syrup.

PROS:
CONS: There may be a long (approximately 10 min or more) wait time

The Grand Lux Cafe

We were a party of 4 and even though the waiting area had a ton of people, we waited maybe 15 minutes.

As with many places in Chigago, the architecture inside the restaurant was amazing. There was minimal wait time for the entrees. I think this restaurant is a great deal for the portions one gets for the price per entree which is around $17.00 depending on what you get.

2 "negatives" - although it was not a big deal for me but I will note them anyway:
- there are no reservations for parties under 7.
- there is no bar in the waiting area.

PROS: over-sized portions and great deserts
CONS: reservations only for parties of 7 or larger.

TGI Fridays

Went for dinner on a weeknight (Thursday) around 6:30PM.
I've always liked Friday's because they give you good portions at affordable prices and a great variety as far as their menu. I had the 3 course menu which was only 12.99 and I could only eat the appetizer! They did not alter the portions which I thought they would do. It is the exact appetizer, entree and desert as if you'd ordered them separately.
The service was also fantastic. Great waiter, food arrived in a timely manner and they open and close the door for you upon entering / leaving the restaurant.
All in all a very good dining experience!