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  • R J Grunt's

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R J Grunt's
R J Grunt's

R J Grunt's Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.rjgruntschicago.com
  • Phone: (773) 929-5363
  • Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday: 11:30am to Midnight
    Saturday: 10:00am to Midnight
    Sunday: 10:00am to 9:00pm
    Brunch Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 2:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: American
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Delivery, Full Bar, Late Night, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Dickens
  • Parking: Valet
A word from R J Grunt's
The first Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, Grunts still exudes the funky, devil-may-care lifestyle of the 70s in its style, décor, music, and menu. Happily for all of us, the best eating of that day continues to be some of the best today.

While there"s a huge menu that's as much fun to… eat your way through as it is to read, many of Grunts' old favorites spark return visits. The burgers are arguably the best in town. The salad bar boasts more than 50 ingredients daily. Giant malts and milkshakes are hand scooped and come in a rainbow of favors. Oh! Don't forget the barbecued baby back ribs and pulled pork sandwiches!Continued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerKid Friendly
Diner Reviews
  • "My first time back in awhile....patty melt was delicious! Get a bartender who can make a decent mixed drink..waited for them and they were disappointing! Cup of soup was not hot but tasted good. Soup has to be hot! Salad bar looked awesome....maybe next time!"
    Dined on 7/22/2014
  • "I enjoyed our latest visit to R.J. grunts very much."
    Dined on 7/22/2014
  • "Family of 4 - 2 adults 2 kids. We all enjoyed our meals. Especially the burger special and the hot wings. Service was great. We would go back any time we are in the neighborhood."
    Dined on 7/18/2014
  • "After two disappointing meals at R.J. Grunts, we decided to try them again. They not only made up for the past two disappointments, they have returned to my Top 10 List! The Patty Melt was SUPERB! Moreover, the Cottage Fries were cooked Well-Done just as I requested! I cannot wait to return to my old Lincoln Park Neighborhood for another visit to the Classic, R.J. Grunts!"
    Dined on 7/17/2014
  • "Our party had a wonderful dinner. This was a nice night out for me as an out of towner."
    Dined on 7/16/2014
  • "No better place to listen to great 70's music and have fun and good food."
    Dined on 7/15/2014
  • "ALWAYS a great choice, RJ Grunts has a great salad bar and delicious food. Their patty melt is awesome!"
    Dined on 7/13/2014
  • "The food was great! Everyone said their burgers were good, and they were. Only bad thing was we had reservations and got there like 10 minutes early. They said we would be seated closer to our time. We were seated twenty minutes AFTER our reservation, and after people who just walked in. Very small area to wait in, so we heard everyone coming in and putting their names on the list. Aside from that, had a great time - server was very energetic and friendly."
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "I've been eating here for years, and it is almost always excellent. I love their burgers, if you're not in the mood for cottage fries you can substitute regular french fries for an extra dollar. I need to try their salad bar soon, it looks amazing."
    Dined on 7/10/2014
  • "Never get tired of the throw back seventies music and the GREAT salad bar. When you don't want to beat the tourist crowds downtown it's the place to go"
    Dined on 7/7/2014
  • "RJ Grunts is definitely a neighborhood gem. Quirky, fun, and friendly place with great burgers and fries (recommend getting the merkts cheddar with them or go with sweet potatoe fries, yum!). The salad bar is also fantastic and I'm NOT a salad person. It's super noisy and not great for large groups. But if you're looking for great food in an energetic place that makes you feel like a kid again (in a good way), this is it. Try the adult milkshakes! You won't be sorry!"
    Dined on 7/6/2014
  • "Not that it needs finding, but RJ's fits perfectly into the LP area. On top of that, the staff is fun, charming and never makes a mistake. Great place."
    Dined on 7/5/2014
  • "Grunt's opened the year I moved to Chicago - 1971. It continues to be a great place to go, particularly for lunch. The salad bar is outstanding as are their burgers. Temperature soup ($.01 per degree) is a great deal. Service is always spot on. A fun place with excellent food,"
    Dined on 7/4/2014
  • "Order the Cookie Sundae dessert for $6. By far the best dessert value anywhere in the city!"
    Dined on 6/29/2014
  • "I brought my brother and his family here (11 mo. old twins and a 5 yr old). It was perfect. We had space and could be loud without bothering anyone plus the kids menu kept my nephew entertained the entire time. My sister-in-law loved her burger and my wings were absolutely delicious. It's great finding somewhere in River North/ LP area that you can take kids to without sticking out or bothering other people. Plus it was really easy to get to, and they had vallet. I would absolutely suggest it to anyone trying to have dinner with a bigger group esp if there are kids in the party. Very fun, very delicious!"
    Dined on 6/28/2014
  • "The service and food was great! Highly recommend. It was my first time at there and I will be back soon!"
    Dined on 6/27/2014
  • "I've never had a burger this good. They're very inventive."
    Dined on 6/27/2014
  • "We always enjoy coming back to the first of Rich Melman's restaurants. It has always served good food and with great service. Also, if you're going to Park West for a show.. you can't beat its close walking distance!! The valet parking guys were great too. We will come back again!"
    Dined on 6/27/2014
  • "The hostess on the night we were there was extremely rude and not helpful at all. Our waitress was nice but it took forever to get around of drinks. The food was good as always."
    Dined on 6/26/2014
  • "The original Lettuce Entertain You restaurant never disappoints with a host of burgers and salad bar. The tables are as close as they can be but the food and service makes up for any shortcomings."
    Dined on 6/24/2014
  • "Delicious food and fun atmosphere! We went with a big group and everyone enjoyed their food from burgers to salads. It can be a little hectic at lunch time. The seating is a bit narrow, but the staff are very accommodating."
    Dined on 6/24/2014
  • "My husband is not into fussy food. We went to RJ Grunts for our 35th anniversary. The portions are huge (nachos, sandwich, fish tacos) and we ended up with lunch. This made my husband happy. Service was attentive without being invasive."
    Dined on 6/23/2014
  • "You know how it's said that you can never go home again? RJ Gruntz is a place you can always go back to. It looks the same since the first day I saw over thirty five years ago. The staff are great and the food is always consistently good. Yeah, it could use a makeover, but none of the loyal customers want see one. RJs was Lettuce Restaurant's first venue. It's easy to see how it all grew from there."
    Dined on 6/23/2014
  • "We arrived at our reserved time and was seated immediately, our service was excellent and the food was great."
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "the waitress wasn't the greatest and my patty melt was soggy....I've had better here"
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "Loud, but fun. Salad bar is over-priced if you're not one to gorge yourself, and I don't really care for their policy of no sharing your salad, but I suppose too many people take advantage of "all-you-can-eat" which is just sad. But other items on the menu aren't terribly overpriced and the food is very good. We usually go for lunch, but I think it would be even more fun for dinner. Service is always incredible."
    Dined on 6/10/2014
  • "We were greeted immediately by a very nice waitress but were quickly informed there had been a mistake and another server would be taking over. She was competent but could muster a smile or pleasant word the entire time. She actually seemed angry that we were there and she got stuck with us."
    Dined on 6/8/2014
  • "R J Grunts is a nice, casual, relaxed place to grab a beer and a burger."
    Dined on 6/8/2014
  • "Really enjoy this casual place for lunch and breakfast....good burgers, brunch and a super wide variety on the salad bar. We go here every time we visit Chicago."
    Dined on 6/8/2014
  • "Burgers remain top shelf! I recommend you always supplement with the beautifully stocked salad bar full of fresh fruits, cheeses and vegetables! Nice dressing choices! Close but comfy space in great corner of Lincoln Park. Reasonable prices. Unlike other nouveau eateries in the area, the joint has a real history which is humorously and well-presented in a practical way, though the illustrated menu!"
    Dined on 6/7/2014
  • "Have been coming here forever! Best hamburgers, shakes and fries. Great for kids as it is across from Lincoln Park Zoo. "
    Dined on 6/5/2014
  • "Can't go wrong with RJ Grunts. This place never fails to make me happy. Their salad bar is the best and I can't seem to ever get anything else! Will always continue coming back here."
    Dined on 6/3/2014
  • "Great place for lunch. The salad bar is constantly refilled and always looks fresh. The food is delicious and the burgers are so large, it's hard to get your mouth around it. The restaurant is not ideal for reservations of more than 4 people at a table. Unfortunately, the tables are close together and is quite cramped."
    Dined on 5/31/2014
  • "Only make it to RJ Grunts every two years or so, just assuming it will always be there. And lets hope it is: good food, great salad bar, solid service. It may not be trendy, but alway an enjoyable experience. "
    Dined on 5/20/2014
  • "Excellent as always Food is always good. The decor hasn't changed in years and I hope it never does. If you are a fan of it's music; this is your place"
    Dined on 5/16/2014
  • "Great salad bar. Something for everyone. My guests loved the assortment of draft beers. "
    Dined on 5/14/2014
  • "We ate at Grunt's on a Tuesday evening and, surprisingly, it was not crowded at all. We found the food to be as good as we remembered---fresh with lots of variety on the salad bar and a terrific boneless barbeque special. We'll be back!"
    Dined on 5/13/2014
  • "tasty and delicious. our server was very good, yet a little overwhelmed by all the tables (she probably could have benefited from some team work in the dining room). good salad, burgers, chicken fingers, soup and drinks! See you again soon!"
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "I made a Mother's Day reservation for our family of 3 adults for dinner after an afternoon visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo. We had a scenic view of the street and surrounding area on a stormy late afternoon. The staff and waitress were friendly, efficient, caring and gave wonderful service. The atmosphere was warm, inviting, vibrant and cozy. The food was delicious and plentiful. I definitely will go here again and have recommended this restaurant to friends."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "We look forward to eating at RJ Grunts after a trip to the zoo. Love the food and salad bar. Always great service. Very nostalgic. The only drawback is its tiny quarters and even tinier bathroom. We love it here, though, and come several times a year. Wings are great, too and sandwiches are not to be misses."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
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  • Chicago Winners
  • Kid Friendly
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