Lockwood Restaurant & Bar

Just went for a drink, randomly, and found this gem of a place. This is truly an impressive facility!!!
People were amazingly friendly and helpful, even though we showed up with a toddler and therefore had a lot of specific needs. They were very understanding and helpful every step of the way.
We even chatted a bit with a nice man at the next table, and had a nice conversation with him.
I see other reviews criticize the food; to be clear, we didn’t order any, so couldn’t make an opinion about it.

So, this is the birthplace of the brownie recipe and they still use the original recipe… but serve it a la mode. The catch is that it is not on the menu. That being said, it is always available… they say they purposely leave it off, but serve it with a smile once ordered

We went to Lockwood this past Sunday for afternoon tea. I wasn’t aware that they only take afternoon tea reservations via phone, when I made them on opentable. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were told they were not having their afternoon tea that day. I was quite bummed, as I was really looking forward to it and we had driven to the city for it. The hostess went and discussed with the chef, and they seated us promptly and told us they would figure something out. Our wonderful waitress Stella, was also great!!! They were SO SO accommodating and have exceptional customer service!!! The chefs specially prepared the afternoon tea menu for us, even though we were the only ones in the restaurant… not only that, but because I’m vegetarian, they served everything vegetarian. We had a beet sandwich, a picked carrot sandwich, ricotta cheese and honey, and pesto mushroom. All were delicious! :) I got the organic passion tea and my boyfriend got the jasmine green tea. They even went as far as to give us two free glasses of champagne for the inconvenience.
The cookies they served were sooo delicious. The chocolate chip were one of my favorite from the desserts they served. In terms of the food, the sandwiches were good. The desserts however were nothing exceptional. The entire experience was great though, mainly because of the service at this restaurant was phenomenal! 5 stars for the service — 3 stars for the food, because the food itself was mediocre, but we greatly enjoyed ourselves nonetheless! :) :)

This bar started as having perhaps the most inept bartender I’ve ever experienced. I can’t imagine how she is employed in a corporate hotel environment. But then she warmed up a little.
It is a small bar — so it is nearly impossible not to be seen here. After 10 minutes — she took a drink order — then disappeared. Literally — not to be seen again for 10 minutes.
As it turns out — the drink I ordered was warm — like as in heated. I read ‘hot’ as spicy — since it was a cinnamon schnapps — but noooooo — it was just warm. And terrible by the way — but whatever. One bad cocktail doesn’t define a place. But that’s why she left — she needed to have it done in the kitchen. What’s comical is that they make a big deal about having a curated tequila — then drown it in this crappy drink.
Edit — Anyway — she and I made up after that — she’s ok — not bad at all — I wonder if she had just been swamped and was in the weeds. Anyway — upped my 2 star to 3. And it is only 3 stars because the place is gorgeous and the bartender really isn’t that terrible after all.
But — and this is real — the lobster roll has got to be the worst I’ve ever had. I mean I suspect subway has a better one.

Our experience of this restaurant began with the person at the front desk. When my husband and I walked up, the Host continued talking to a young woman standing at the desk and didn’t even look up. It wasn’t until I turned and asked my husband where we were supposed to go that the Host (who I later found out was actually the manager!) looked up and greeted us and then sat us.
The table we were sat at rocked like a dinghy in rough seas. The appetizer we ordered, the charcuterie plate, was described on the menu as being accompanied by whole grain mustard. When the server brought it to our table and described the dish, he was unable to name one of the meats on the plate. When I asked why there was no whole grain mustard, he came back from the kitchen a few minutes later with a little serving cup of dijon mustard and said the kitchen was out of whole grain mustard. If you are the chef de cuisine or a server at a fine dining restaurant and don’t know enough to check to see whether all of the elements of the dish are on the plate before it leaves the kitchen, and tell the guest up front that something is missing and offer them a replacement before they have to point out the omission … you are incompetent.
Then we get to my entrée, which was the «Mushroom Pasta.» There is not one good thing that can be said about that disgusting mess. Pasta was overcooked and pasty. The mushrooms were all one variety, all tiny sulfur tuft-​looking, with bigger stems than caps, and a chewy consistency. I use a very similar mushroom in hot and sour soup, when there are lots of other flavors and the mushroom is not intended to be the only or even the dominant flavor. But in this dish? The mushrooms were the only flavor and they were bland and chewy. The «sauce» sitting in the bottom of the bowl was nothing but butter, not even brown butter, just butter. I took literally one bite and my mouth felt coated in butter for the next hour. The server did not even offer grated parmesan cheese, which wouldn’t have saved this dish but it would have given it more flavor.
Of course I sent it back. And when the inattentive Host turned out to be the manager who came to the table, I understood why we were having the experience we were having.
My husband’s entrée, chicken breast, was good. A step above chicken breast you can get at Applebee’s. Maybe.
Oh! And all of this happened on a Saturday night. The night when restaurants should have their best cooks and best servers working. Avoid this overpriced, incompetently-​run restaurant at all costs. It only continues to operate because the gorgeous Palmer House lobby with fresco ceilings is its bar area and front door.

I ate dinner at the Lockwood Restaurant & Bar in Chicago, IL on 4÷30÷2016. It was my 2^nd time there. I had the potato soup ($ 9.00), beet salad ($ 10.00) and spaghetti ($ 22.00). I also had a coke ($ 4.00) and sorbet ($ 8.00). Javier, my server, did a fine job. Plus, I took photos.

Amazing amazing food! Thumbs up for the chef everything I’ve had here today and in the past has been delish. We have been here for mothers day brunch which blew us away with there amazing spread. Had valentines dinner! again no disappointment. Highly recommended!

The night with Lockwood was Lovely. They booked me a table in real polite manner the day before. They made a mistake of the number of the party. It was 5 but they gave me a small table. But everything was perfect. The food was obsoletely Amazing! I heard its good before but it’s way beyond good. My server majermel (I might got the name wrong) was professional, nice and genuine. He told me he had been there for 20 years! I love everything about Lockwood and that lobby is just breath taking!

Just went since it is the home of the brownie, and as a chocolate lover I needed to try it!
The brownie was a fudgy bit of deliciousness with a scoop of ice cream and drizzle of chocolate on top. The coffee was rich and delicious.

Had the rib eye with a mixed green salad last night. The rib eye was covered in a silly potato onion crumble that turned out to be delicious. The salad was exceptionally fresh and flavorful. The waiter was enthusiastic and friendly but somewhat befuddled by simple questions. He did however do his best to please even customizing my salad at my request. Overall left feeling satisfied and willing to return.
Tonight I had the prix fixe menu. Started with lentil soup and bread. The butter is covered in some bizarre carrot concoction but was quite good. The soup was bland but tasted fresh and earthy. The charcuterie plate was next, an assemblage of various delicious salamis, mustard, crackers bread and brie plus a bleu. Exceptionally well selected, presented and paired with creamy flavorful cheeses and microgreens.
Next is the black cod with black garlic sauce on a bed of vegetables. Perfectly cooked, piping hot and very flavorful. Try it.
I found a Hahn Pinot Noir and an Austrian vertliner that paired nicely with the meal.
I was pleasantly surprised how delicious my meal was considering the amateur antics of the waitstaff, all of whom seemed to speak the same foreign language on the floor in unhushed discussions. Perhaps I’m overly fussy but as a second language speaker I’ve learned many people find it impolite to hear discussions they cannot understand. A bit more training will surely improve the atmosphere here for diners and help the waiters earn better tips and more generous reviews. This is a great place to eat delicious food but if you’re nitpicky about waiters manners you may find that part of your experience less than satisfying. Your appetite will be pleasantly sated however.

I was staying at the hotel during RSNA and this elegant bar was the ideal place where to relax after the congress. The lobby is absolutely breathtaking with its ceiling and the décor is unique. During Christmas it was so perfectly decorated that it felt like I was in a movie set. The staff is very attentive and they have a very good selection of drinks.
Their rye whiskey is just what you need to unwind after a stressful day!

I was at the bar part only. I met some friends who were staying at the Palmer House. We had concert tickets for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra the Saturday after Christmas.
I was well taken care of by my waiter. He got me a couple of drinks before our show, and we returned after our concert where we drank until they closed. He also recommend a restaurant that was open where we did enjoy eating at 2am.
Would have like to have seen some other items on their menu for waiting around otherwise I would have gone 5 stars.

We only experienced the bar part of Lockwood Restaurant and Bar. It is located in the grand lobby of the Palmer House Hilton which is filled with painted ceilings, wide open spaces and when we went filled with all kinds of Christmas decorations.
Specialty drinks are upwards of $ 15/​each, but it is downtown Chicago and a hotel so that isn’t surprising. I personally loved the Strawberry Basil Martini and the jalapeño pineapple martini (totally opposite ends of the spectrum). Our server was friendly and service was attentive, but not overbearing. It is a fun spot for drink.

Loved everything here. The ambience was fantastic and loved that they already had the Christmas decorations up.
Service was great and didn’t even think prices were that expensive.

Located inside The Palmer House, Lockwood is one fancy restaurant. The pork shoulder I got was almost like shredded pork with a crunchy top, while the crème brûlée is some of the best I ever had. The scallops were good as well, though the portion was somewhat small.

Worst. Service. Ever.
It literally took us two hours to eat dinner in an EMPTY restaurant on a weeknight. We didn’t get our appetizer until we’d been there almost an hour, got our entrees forty five minutes later (and they were wrong) then waited another twenty for them to refire. Our waiter couldn’t answer simple questions about the meal when we were ordering, and it was a colossal mess for average food.
We had to go here for breakfast one morning and this time it took an hour for our breakfasts, and they were the most overcooked poached eggs ever. They were basically hardboiled outside of the shell. Minimal sauce on it, weird SUPER dry «bread pudding» type stuff under it that could have definitely used some sauce (of which I had the mildest dribbling).
I also asked for coffee and literally never got it. I got up and poured myself and my coworker a cup, THEN a waiter appeared to «help» me. Really? Ridiculous for a hotel this expensive to have such a nightmare of a restaurant on site.
Summary? Don’t go here.
Go to Potter’s bar in the evenings (inside hotel) for snacks/​small dinner, or leave the hotel and see the city.

I was in the beautiful Palmer House lobby for other reasons. When dinner time came, Lockwood was right there. «Hotel restaurant» means a nice room, generally good service, high prices and food that can be hit or miss. That pretty much describes Lockwood to a T.
The dining room is modern and dark, and the service was totally attentive and courteous. I started with something called «The Perfect Manhattan» and it was exactly that. Very alcoholic and well made. Off to a good start. Next came dinner rolls that were horrible. Memo to Lockwood: find a decent baker and serve your guests fresh, crusty dinner rolls to begin their meals. My main course was perfect. Salmon was grilled medium as requested and the salad of fennel and pine nuts was extremely fresh tasting. Dessert was subpar; the flan seemed not sweet enough for dessert and I didn’t finish it. I couldn’t.
So the bottom line is this: Lockwood delivers true hotel dining – with all the pluses AND minuses. Know before you go. Your mileage will vary.

Came here for drinks and potentially dinner (until we found out that not only was it a 2 hour wait, but that the entrees were in the $ 30 range. We opted for drinks and appetizers on the upstairs deck. This was a lovely space for cocktails on the water. Neither appetizer was stellar (pork sliders and calamari) were really all that great and verified us not wanting to spend $ 30 /​entrée on mediocre food. Bottom line — go for drinks and go somewhere else for dinner (but be sure you have a dinner reservation somewhere else!!)

This restaurant has a wonderful setting but wow were we massively underwhelmed. The service was turtle speed slow and I felt like we were being ignored. The food is very expensive and it sort of has that vibe that makes you have to Google the ingredients. I had the cauliflower soup which was pretty good and a side of glazed asparagus. The bread and butter that came out tasted like a hybrid bread and biscuit. I was not about to pay 35.00 for a tiny piece of fish. I wouldn’t come back but maybe we just had an off night.

This is one of my favorite restaurant experiences. If you can… have OJ be your waiter. Dinner started by sharing the pinn oak ridge lamb, enjoyed main entrée of swan creek rabbit ragout with ricotta gnocchi (perfect flavor combination… just wanted 1 – 2 more gnocchi to help balance out the rest of the portion), dinner companion had a southern style pork entrée with a variety of pork preparations (very delicious… easily big enough for two), and dessert was cherry chocolate cake (a light fluffy chocolate cake with cherries in the center served with coffee ice cream). Ambiance is warm, romantic, upscale, enjoyable without being pretentious. Relaxed atmosphere. Bertha is a rum cocktail… pretty in the glass with floating fruit and very tasty. Excellent!

The food was good but the service was slow. We decided to have an early dinner as we had spent all day travelling. There were few customers and lots of waitstaff. We both had salmon and ordered a side of corn. The salmon was good and the corn outstanding! While the food arrived warm our server disappeared afterward. Annoying!