Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Chicago / Illinois
  4. Near West Side
  5. Riverside
The Chew Chew, Riverside, IL

The Chew Chew

4.8
4.8
1619 Reviews
$30 and under
Contemporary American
Voted Chicago-land's #1 Neighborhood Restaurant by Open Table, Best of Chicago by Chicago Magazine and TOP 25 Suburban Restaurant by Chicago Eater. Happy Hour daily 4-6pm. The Chew Chew has 25 years experience providing great food and hospitality. Located in the heart of Riverside, IL., one-mile east of the Brookfield Zoo. We are currently offering Indoor Dining & Carry-Out. Patio dining will return in the Spring.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 p.m.


Booked 22 times today

Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Cuisines

    Contemporary American, Steak, American

  • Hours of Operation

    Mon–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Sat 4:00 pm–6:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (708) 447-8781

  • Payment Options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress Code

    Casual Dress

  • Executive Chef

    Scott Zimmer

  • Catering

    Full-Service, Carry-Out, Deliveruy

  • Private party facilities

    The restaurant has a second level mezzanine for groups up to 50 people.

  • Private party contact

    Scott: (708) 447-8781

  • Neighbourhood

    Riverside

  • Parking Details

    Directly on Burlington Street and city lot nearby.

  • Public Transit

    Steps away from the Burlington Northern train station in Riverside.

  • Additional

    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

What 1,619 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Near West Side

    Best Overall

  • Near West Side

    Best Food

  • Near West Side

    Best Service

  • Near West Side

    Best Ambience

  • Near West Side

    Best Value

  • Near West Side

    Good for business meals

  • Near West Side

    Child-Friendly

  • Near West Side

    Good for groups

  • Near West Side

    Healthy

  • Near West Side

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Near West Side

    Great for fine wines

  • Near West Side

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Near West Side

    Good for special occasions

Sort by

  1. OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    29 reviews

    4.0

    29 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    The Chew Chew is always a great place to dine. Last night was a very nice experience; we celebrated my husband's birthday. Our waiter, Francisco, was outstanding. Just the right amount of solicitude; a cheerful person, but not overwhelming. It was a lovely evening.
  2. ChiTownFoodie

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall5food4service4ambience5
    Great place for dinner and drinks with great service. Local place and not far from home.
  3. Ciao

    Chicago

    53 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    53 reviews

    Dined on May 17, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience4
    Nice place to eat. Menu offers a good variety. Great service.
  4. Ochy

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Lovely restaurant, excellent service, delicious food.
  5. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent service and lots of great menu options! It was hard to choose. The calamari and french onion soup starters were fantastic. The Steak Diane with broccolini I ordered was delicious, as was the 1/2 roast chicken special my husband ate. The new drink we found, the Burlington Sour, is what will bring us back. We both loved it and had to order a second one!
  6. RichardT

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This food was some of THE BEST I have ever had!! The trout was amazing. My wife had the salmon. I can’t wait to go back
  7. KatieD

    Chicago

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food and service was AMAZING! We were there for Mother's Day and my mom was treated like royalty! Thanks for making her day extra special!
  8. MonicaE

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had Mother’s Day lunch with Chew Chew and it was amazing! The food was absolutely delicious! I recommend the veggie bowl, truffle fries and you have to order the key lime pie! The place is quaint and makes you feel at home. But, the best part of our experience was our server, Sean E. His smile was infectious, his service was stellar, and his friendliness made all the difference. Thank you Chew Chew, and in particular Sean, for making our day with our mom that much more special.
  9. MichaelK

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Fantastic experience. Food, Service was wonderful.
  10. MargaretD

    Chicago

    38 reviews

    5.0

    38 reviews

    Dined on May 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always consistently good food and service. Recent menu changes. Have been going there consistently for 20 years.
  11. Ciao

    Chicago

    53 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    53 reviews

    Dined on May 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    First time there. Interesting menu with a variety to choose from. The warm salad was excellent, a mix of warm and cool vegetables enough to share. The chicken of the day was also excellent. Roast half chicken with broccolini and mash sweet potatoes. Would definitely return and recommend.
  12. JamesH

    San Antonio

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 10, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Very hospitable service. Was later in the evening so not much crowd.
  13. william

    Chicago

    45 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    45 reviews

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Good assortment of dinner items, something for everyone, but not a huge menu. Quality is fine for the price. Service was attentive but not overtly. Reasonable drink prices and some nice wines by the glass. Not fancy but good real food, well prepared.
  14. MelindaZ

    Chicago

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Food is delicious, great service. The size of the cappuccino cups keeps getting smaller and not even filled to the top. Literally 2 sips of coffee for $5.
  15. DeborahG

    Chicago

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great server who is a recent hire, wonderful addition to the wait staff. Ate outside on a beautiful evening
  16. CarolD

    Chicago

    32 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    32 reviews

    Dined on April 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great experience. The staff could not have been nicer and the food was great. Highly recommend!
  17. Lulubean1

    Chicago

    97 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    97 reviews

    Dined on April 23, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always great & very accommodating! Love the food & wine!
  18. Ikadash

    Chicago

    29 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall3food3service5ambience3
    Food just so so. Great service. Our party had ribs, steak Diane, salmon and the creole crab cakes- all just ok. Would not order crab cakes again. The only bright side was the delicious apple bread pudding.
  19. SusanC

    Chicago

    32 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    32 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    A great place to gather with family and friends. The specials are always delicious. Isaac is a terrific server.
  20. JesseV

    Chicago

    10 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall1food1service3ambience2
    Food was very bad. We opted to order from the specials menu, hoping that the available options on it would have been better than the standard menu. They were not. Ordered the following: Beef Wellington. The meat was tasteless....the bread mushy....the ham was cold....looked good but terribly executed. Ribs....we were told that they only offer the ribs a few times a year....so gave them a shot....they were among the worst ribs we ever had....they were dry and tough....they seemed like they had been frozen and reheated....so awful The kids ordered from the regular menu.... Rigatoni with Vodka sauce....mediocre at best...almost like something you could make at home with a budget sauce....and this was the best meal of the afternoon! Finally....plain cork screws pasta with butter sauce and parmesean.....how could that go wrong? Well it was served luke warm....it also tasted like budget pasta with some terrible tasting butter...maybe fake butter of some kind....it was hardly touched....even the cheap out of a bottle Vodka sauce didn't make it taste any better.... In short, after giving this place the benefit of the doubt a couple of of times previously...we are scratching off Chew Chew from the list of restaurants we visit or try again....which is a shame as there are not too many Riverside options to choose from....I a Riverside resident, I have never recommended Chew Chew to anyone....I would be embarrassed to have a friend or co-worker dine there, have a terrible meal, waste their money...and have negative views about Riverside's dining options (which sadly are next to nothing....even La Barra at times is "hit or miss"... The main problem with this restaurant is that it is offering way too many dining options with none of them being particularly good.... This restaurant needs to cut down their menu and really concentrate on making a handful of exceptional and fresh options...that will be consistently great and good enough to warrant continued visits
  21. Stephaniew

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always great food and service! Their sweet potatoes mashed are to die for. I had the crab and avocado salad and their homemade salad dressing was amazing
  22. EllenH

    Chicago

    27 reviews

    5.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on April 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Delicious and always innovative food. Our party of 8 enjoyed every single dish. So lucky that I live in the neighborhood so I can enjoy it often. Excellent and attentive service. Love The Chew!
  23. efhh

    Washington DC

    81 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    81 reviews

    Dined on April 15, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Much better than our last visit! The good bacon is back on the Chopped Wedge salad. Salmon was perfectly cooked. Bread and. Utter good as ever.
  24. PatriciaA

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We always enjoy going to The Chew Chew when family comes to town. It never disappoints and the service is spectacular!
  25. ShariC

    Chicago

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 25, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    It was good. Would go back, very nice neighborhood.
  26. Oakparkbob

    Chicago

    30 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on March 25, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Had dinner at 5:30pm on a Saturday. We had reservations. I recommend them. The hazelnut trout was very good . There were two filets. The GF rigatoni was good as well. The beef Wellington was over cooked and the pastry was not cooked through. I don’t know how that is possible! We shared a flourless chocolate tart-which was very good. They have a happy hour from 4-6pm. We had an enjoyable experience and I’ll be back.
  27. marilynm

    Chicago

    21 reviews

    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on March 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Chew Chew offers excellent food at fair prices! Wednesday is 50 percent off bottles of wine so the restaurant was bustling! The Hazelnut Trout with apples, green beans and sweet potato was superb! It’s so nice to get a meal with sides included. Our wait staff was very attentive but also seemed to be extremely busy. We were not rushed at all and actually had to take dessert to go since we had another engagement to attend. Our desserts were so nicely packed, making it easy to enjoy them later. This IS a local gem!
  28. Pjacks

    Chicago

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on March 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The service was great and the food and drinks were excellent.
  29. bonbon

    Chicago

    74 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    74 reviews

    Dined on March 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Food was very good . Relative to other places not pricier just feel everything seems over priced everywhere. Waitress was great . She made sure to tell us about happy hour and came back to check just the right amount. Very enjoyable evening.
  30. Jules

    Chicago

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on March 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great service, great food. Had the corned beef and cabbage special. Excellent and tender
  31. MorganD

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had the best time at The Chew Chew! Our server Sean was wonderful and knowledgeable, the food was amazing and the ambience was great for both a formal or casual event. 10/10 would recommend! We can’t wait to go back!!!
  32. Alice

    Chicago

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on March 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always enjoy dinner at Chew Chew. Have never been disappointed in the food or service or smiling faces all around.
  33. Foodie

    Chicago

    43 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    43 reviews

    Dined on March 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Once again Chew Chew gave my wife and self a very satisfying dinner and drinks. I especially enjoyed the Poke bowl and my wife had a wonderful Trout dinner.
  34. OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Everything was great as usual
  35. OPfoodie

    Chicago

    47 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    47 reviews

    Dined on February 22, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Highly recommend the Chew Chew at any time for a wonderfully-prepared and served dining experience, but especially suggest its annual Mardi Gras celebration! Not only are there special New Awlins cocktail and food items on the menu, but the entire staff participates in creating a festive mood with their colorful Mardi Gras costumes. Enjoy indoor as well as al fresco dining at the Chew Chew cafe in the warmer months!
  36. BRVMom

    Chicago

    20 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on February 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great dinner, as usual, at The Chew Chew! Fabulous Mardi Gras themed menu. My dinner son had the jambalaya and loved it, I had the shrimp & crab cakes - they were excellent. Really enjoyed our evening!
  37. EllenB

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We wanted to a New Orleans style dinner on Mardi Gras. The Chew Chew Cafe had a special Mardi Gras menu which had a number of great choices. We had the Crabcakes and the Blackened Mahi-mahi. Both were excellent and presentation lovely. We are looking forward to going back to try other items on the regular menu. Friendly place, service excellent.
  38. Ksho

    Chicago

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on February 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great Mardi Gras experience! Beads, menu, great service , and food!
  39. SueJ

    Chicago

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on February 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The Mardi Gras menu was wonderful!
  40. dors

    Chicago

    26 reviews

    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Mardi Gras menu along with the regular menu do not disappoint! Excellent service. Drinks were outstanding. A perfect night out.

FAQs

The Chew Chew offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (708) 447-8781.

The Chew Chew is rated 4.8 stars by 1619 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 p.m.


Booked 22 times today
Google Map for The Chew Chew

33 East Burlington, Riverside, IL 60546

Additional information

  • Neighbourhood

    Riverside

  • Hours of Operation

    Mon–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Sat 4:00 pm–6:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Contemporary American, Steak, American

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Dress Code

    Casual Dress

  • Parking Details

    Directly on Burlington Street and city lot nearby.

  • Public Transit

    Steps away from the Burlington Northern train station in Riverside.

  • Payment Options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Executive Chef

    Scott Zimmer

  • Additional

    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

  • Phone number

    (708) 447-8781

  • Catering

    Full-Service, Carry-Out, Deliveruy

  • Private party facilities

    The restaurant has a second level mezzanine for groups up to 50 people.

  • Private party contact

    Scott: (708) 447-8781

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2023 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
Rentalcars Logo
OpenTable Logo