Flat Top Grill

Heartbroken. They have closed.

Very casual and relaxed. So it makes it a great place to go with a group. You get to be creative and design your own meal. Although, it did confuse me a bit at first because all the options are overwhelming and not being one to waste food, I feared that I wouldn’t like my meal. Not to mention that the menu of options are on the wall so I felt pressured to move fast as standing there staring at the wall would have held up the line.
I did like how the server recognized my concern and basically created his favorite dish for me. It was quite tasty and sadly after that and all of the bread I gorged on, I was too full to go back up for more. I will say that the bread is FABULOUS! I like the Mongolian bbq concept and there are lots of options so it can satisfy the most finicky of eaters. Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is comfortable. Beer menu isn’t too shabby either. Overall, it’s a good time.

WTF happened? I leave for a minute and you lose your sh*&? Seriously, who ever you dated before or managed you bring them back into your life.

Visited Flat Top and was a bit disappointed. I created my first bowl by selecting beef and sausage, loaded it with vegies and topped it off with sliced jalapenos. I received a bowl mixed with chicken, no beef no sausage and no jalapenos. The server was very apologetic and said he was going to speak to the manager. I thought the manger would have stopped by the table or at least made an effort to see that the situation was rectified.

This is one of my favorite places the food is always fresh and hot (because they grill it to order). I don’t like the change that they add the meat for you know (but I
understand why they do it) and for my veterans out there they also offer us a 25% discount, I love this place.

FlatTop used to be one of my favorite places for a unique dining experience. However upon my return last night after several years since being there I was disappointed to learn that the «all you can eat» fun of the place is no more. It used to be that you could try your own combination of vegetables, sauces and seasoning and be as daring as you wanted with the option always to just try again if it didn’t turn out. Now it costs $ 4 extra to make another stir fry.
This place used to be busy all the time but we were there on a Friday at 7 and it wasn’t even that crowded. Now I now why, sadly. The fun of making your own stir fry has been reduced to a one and done which really diminishes the fun that used to be Flat Top.

Went here to celebrate a birthday. Our server was great and went out of his way to explain the concept. Everyone had a great time and how can anyone complain when they picked their own ingredients. My dish was perfectly prepared and very flavorful.
I’m sure we’ll be back.

Woooooow I love having a terrible day at work and getting off late with the only thing on my mind is the dinner I have wanted all day which is flattop and I know that they don’t close until 10 which is awesome, only to get there and find out they decided to close 30 minutes early today. I work in a restaurant. Super fucking professional. Thanks for letting me down. Chipotle it is I guess

1. Ask for the roti bread!
2. Service is slow, don’t go if you’re in a rush.
3. It’s very crowded and close at times, be ready to be right in the thick of the conversation next to you.
4. Think of it as making your own stir fry, not complicated at all.

I was so disappointed in the Flattop in Wrigleyville. Service was terrible. We were the only ones in the place and it took 15 minutes for a waitress. I even flagged one down and she told me someone would be right with me. That took another 5 minutes.
In addition the whole process has changed. You must wait for your waitress (if she ever comes over) to place a receipt on the stick that’s placed in your bowl. AND you have no control of the amount of protein. You tell the waitress which meat and it’s put on for you by the cook. The ladles of sauce were replaced with carafes which dispenses too sauce. Yuck.
Then our dishes were ready and they sat there waiting to be picked up. Since we were the only ones in the place I knew they were ours. There were 6 employees just standing there doing nothing while our food got cold.
I won’t return to that location. The management looks like it’s trying to save money and in so doing is loosing customers. The place was empty and normally would be filled. Very sad.

We’re officially done, Flat Top.
I’m not taking this breakup lightly but know it has to happen.
Why? I’ll tell you why. It’s because you started being terrible.
My stepdaughter picked Flat Top for her birthday tonight. When we went in, we discovered many changes. One that I agreed with was the elimination of the ladles for sauces. Now you pour. Great!
But what totally sucks is that now you have to preorder your meat at your table. The tiny portion they designate to you is pathetic.
No longer do you have access to bowls. Your server has to hand you bowls to make your food which means you’re sitting around waiting on your server. There’s a note on the table saying how this new system cuts down on your time but really it’s the same because you’re relying on your overworked server to get to you.
It’s more expensive. If you want two bowls, it’s $ 17. They claim these new systems are cutting back on cost but I don’t understand how that’s possible if you’re charging more.
The servers are sloooooow and bad. Our server was perfectly nice but clearly in the weeds. We ordered drinks and it took her 15 mins to get us bowls. Then when we returned, our drink order still hadn’t arrived. Our kids meals came with apple sauce that we never saw. I had to throw myself around to get the check. The system is more efficient?! Hilarious.
Question: why bother putting sticks to request things if they’re going to be completely ignored? Skipping roti, skipping tofu, skipping egg. If the guys are just going to make it however they want, just say so!
To add insult to injury, my mom found a piece of plastic in her food. It appeared to be some sort of packaging material. She brought it to the server’s attention who then brought it to the manager’s attention (we watched her). He didn’t even so much as look over at us let alone apologize. No one offered to get her a new bowl. Just horrible customer service.
Such a disappointment. Used to be a family favorite but we won’t be back. A waste of time.

Awesome little place!
Came in on a Friday lunch rush! Seated quickly, then the waiter told me how to order (they have a system for the bowls) we got great apps (chicken pot stickers and chicken quesadilla) filled my bowl, then they prepared and delivered my lunch to he table! For a busy Friday lunchtime AND our first visit it was delicious and fast! Great little spot!

Flattop used to be my favorite restraunt when I was younger, but they made a whole bunch of changes that detracted from the entire experience. You cannot get cheese or meats manually anymore, they have made all potions smaller and they have removed many sauces and toppings that used to make my stir fry enjoyable. The concept was good, but they have made changes that make it difficult. Sadly I will not be returning.

Amazing!!! I came in town for few hours. We just stumbled upon this amazing restaurant. Everybody we came in contact with had great customer service. This was first time but, won’t be my last. The food was really good. Thanks to Stephanie who makes the best sauce combination ever!!! I had chicken and shrimp. All the vegetables were fresh. My food was cooked to perfection. I did add egg & cheese to mines. I mixed my meat with white rice. The prices were very reasonable. The atmosphere was wonderful. FYI they have a full bar too

To start I have been a fan of flat tops for many years. This being said I know that times change and prices won’t stay the same. Flat top has completely revamped their selection. I would always be able to tower one of my bowls and leave with left overs but now I leave hungry. As others have said they did away with the self serve protein and have fewer veggie selection. I am always welcoming to change but this was a complete 180 of what they had.

My beloved Flat Top is ruined.
Now instead of going up and deciding what you want, you tell your server ahead of time about your meat selection and s/​he gives you a receipt to go on your name stick, then you go to the buffet and load up on your veggies and sauces. Which, it also seems plates were smaller because my normal amount of veggies were overflowing this trip. I do like how they put the sauces into different containers. It seems less messy and cross contamination. Then we take our bowls and drop them off and we wait.
And wait.
And wait.
Hurrah! The food arrived… and meh. It seems like they are using a lesser quality of meat because my chicken and beef were both blah and really chewy.
It seems like service has taken a hit with this new adjustment. Our server was nice, but we rarely saw him. It felt like we had to beg for refills. And when we were able to ask for a box, that would have been a great time to drop off the check, but we had to flag him down for that as well.
Flat Top used to be my go-​to pre-​race carb loading meal, but unless things change back (at least the quality of the food), I may be searching for a new spot. :-(

FLAT TOP IS DEAD.
The restaurant concept has changed.
You can no longer control the portions of your meat, only vegetables and sauces. You must order your meat ahead of time via the wait staff…
You can only have a MAXIMUM OF 2 BOWLS.
Never again.

Changed the methods — you now choose a weight in meat, and the bowls are smaller. I’m not sure that was a good idea. Our waiter was nice but a little over stressed. The rest of the staff were a little rude and didn’t seem like they wanted to be there. I get your job sucks but the customers need an enjoyable experience or they won’t come back.

I’ve loved my time at the other Flat Top Grills in Chicago, but this one drops the ball pretty hard on service.
You pay a flat fee and you’ll get all-​you-​can-​eat stir fry. Usually, that’s about two bowls, unless you’ve been intentionally starving yourself.
I was here on a relatively quiet weeknight and our server was really slow on the refills. We had to go to the bar to ask for fresh bowls to make another run at the buffet. And my girl’s stir fry bowls came significantly later than mine (which is weird, because mine had meat and hers didn’t).
The food here is good, but your options for ingredients are fewer than at other Flat Tops I’ve visited.
If service were improved, I could bump this up to a 4-​star experience.

FT for a while now has been a go– to favorite of mine. I’ve turned people onto it and they’ve been just as happy too. Fresh fruits and veggies, meats, rice and noodles and all the little extras to bring your bowl to life just the way you want it.
The bar is stocked with some good beers and drinks even though I stick to water and fountain drinks usually through dinner.
The one thing I can recommend is the chocolate storm dessert. It’s your well known hot brownie and ice cream but I love it even though I’m not the biggest sweet tooth person.
FT is a dining experience overall. Good for first dates I would say since its interactive and can be playful. Fairly priced and AYCE is the cherry on the top.
I would’ve given out 5 stars had I not tried breakfast. It is good but I’m more of a traditional breakfast diner. I associate FT with Asian flavored cuisine but just wanted to try the morning experience and it just didn’t fare the same. But still a go to staple on those nights where everyones food choice is «I don’t know».