Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails

Name: Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails
Address: 202 S Franklin St, Chicago, IL, United States, 60606
Telephone: (312) 789-5992
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.4

Visa Dining Collection

4.4 (698)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

202 S Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60606

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 28, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 48 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Good for business meals
Good for special occasions
Great for happy hour

Located in Willis Tower at the corner of Franklin and Adams, Kindling offers a captivating steakhouse dining
experience. Chef Partner is James Beard Award-winning Jonathon Sawyer, who brings a worldly
perspective and decades of wood-fired cooking. With our live-fire show kitchen, prime steaks, fresh seafood
and handcrafted cocktails, Kindling brings the warmth of the hearth to the heart of the city. It's the ideal
setting for pre-theatre dinner, a large group business lunch, and after-work happy hour at the bar.

Follow us on social @kindlingchicago & @chefsawyer!

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Steakhouse, American, Grill
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Sat 11:00 am–3:45 pm Happy Hour Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–5:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(312) 789-5992
Website
https://www.kindlingchicago.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Chef Jonathon Sawyer
Catering
Kindling offers several unique private and semi private spaces for Private Events, and we specialize in corporate events as well as corporate office catering.
Private party facilities
Situated within Willis Tower at the corner of Franklin and Adams, Kindling boasts a live fire show kitchen, wood-fired plates, and tasty cocktails in the heart of the city. Kindling is led by 2015 James Beard Award Winner and Food Network Star, Jonathon Sawyer.
Private party contact
Abbey Arp: (319) 360-2169

Location
202 S Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60606
Neighborhood
River North (Chicago)
Cross street
Inside Willis Tower at the corner of Franklin and Adams
Parking details
Public Lot
Public transit
Metra: - Union Station (One block away - perfect for Happy Hour!)CTA: - Quincy (Brown/Orange/Pink/Purple Lines)- Jackson (Blue/Red Lines)- Bus Stops: 126 / 151 / 56
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Pre-Theater Dinner
$59.00 per person
Prepaid
Multiple dates available
Located just a short walk from Chicago's theater district, Kindling's convenient location provides for the perfect place to enjoy dinner before your show. Highlighting some of our menu's top hits, this three-course dining experience is a great way for you and your guests to gather for a meal without stressing about making it to the show on-time. By purchasing this experience, we will ensure your party enjoys their meal in under and hour, with plenty of time to head to your show. For the month of April we will be featuring The Parisian, an exclusive Moulin Rouge inspired cocktail. Any theater-goer who presents their Moulin Rouge ticket or playbill to their server will receive this complimentary cocktail. Must be paired with the purchase of this experience and must be 21 years of age to redeem. Commute Times (walking) Lyric Opera House: 8 min Cadillac Palace: 10 min The Goodman: 14 min Nederlander: 14 min
Three-Course Business Lunch
$39.00 per person
Prepaid
Multiple dates available
Whether you're looking to host a client or have a team lunch, this three-course express menu offers some of Kindling's top hits in a convenient and efficient format. It makes the decision-making process simpler and allows you more time to get down to business and back to the office. By pre-booking this experience, you also skip the hassle of having to pay your bill at the end of your meal, as all items are purchased in advance.

Private dining

Popular dishes

Oysters Maplefeller style$5.00
maytag blue cheese, confit tomato, maple bacon, calabrian chili crumb
HillBilly Riviera Style$5.00
saltines, crystal's hot sauce butter
Bone Marrow Buttered$6.00
lemon, capers, parsley, breadcrumbs
Oyster Royale Style$7.00
golden kaluga caviar, potato cream
Chef's Choice Wood Fired Oysters
half doen $29 dozen $57
Skull Island Prawn$24.00
panang curry, fragrant herbs, brioche
Spanish Octopus$32.00
onion jang, papas bravas, spicy aioli, salumi picante
Seafood Tower$175.00
skull island prawns, seasonal oysters and cold water lobster tail, salsa matcha butter and burnt lemon

STEAKS & CHOPS

well marbled Top with: Sautéed Maytag Bleu Cheese $5 Truffle Butter $4 Red Wine Demi Glaze $4

Filet$59.00
8oz
Filet "Mrs O'Leary"$61.00
8 oz. red wine demi-glaze, fried shallots
Steak Frites$38.00
10oz salsa verde
USDA Prime NY Strip$68.00
16 oz
Prime "Downtown" Ribeye*$71.00
16oz
Pork Secreto Steak Frites$37.00
10oz - annato onion sweet chile
Colorado Lamb Chops $65.00
18 oz
Bone-In, Dry-Aged Rib Chop*$115.00
24oz

ROTISSERIE

limited availability

Brine + Herb-Marinated Amish Farm Chicken$27.50
greek fries, fried green olives, lemon oregano jus

MAINS

Rigatoni Alla Vodka$22.00
copper-extruded housemade pasta, parmigiano reggiano, basil ADD wood-grilled lobster 5oz _ 21
Cedar Grilled Salmon$35.00
maple miso glaze, ponzu, charred lime
Scallops$38.00
crab, esquites espuma, white corn tortilla crumb
Bacon Cheeseburger Deluxe$28.00
wood fired burger, american cheese, sliced pickles, nueske's bacon, slices red onion, secret sauce, potato bun, iceberg lettuce, french fries

SIDES

wood fired wild mushrooms$15.00
roasted red onion, herbs
French Fries Julia Child Style$11.00
beef suet, "gardinieraioli", heinz 57 ketchup
Mashed Potatoes$12.00
brown butter gravy
Twice Cooked Sweet Potato$11.00
Lillie's Q BBQ butter, burnt orange
Elote$14.00
corn off the cob, parmigiano reggiano, tajin
mac 'n cheese$13.00
housemade pasta, blend of aged cheddar and american cheeses

What 698 people are saying

Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.4Service
4.6Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails offers a "beautiful, comfortable place" with "excellent steaks" and a diverse menu. Guests appreciate the "friendly and attentive" staff and the "amazing" cocktails. Perfect for business lunches or special occasions, the restaurant boasts "outstanding food" and a vibrant atmosphere. Highly recommended for a memorable dining experience.

698 Reviews

R
Regina
Dallas - Fort Worth6 reviews
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful going away dinner for my daughter. Good was fabulous. Steak frites were perfectly seasoned and the scallops were decadent. And oh my the cookie butter cheesecake was oh so yummy. Thanks for a memorable evening.
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a
alan VIP
Chicago / Illinois16 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 20, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
First time. Wood fired cooking has a wonderful smell. Delicious
Is this helpful?
T
Todd VIP
Chicago / Illinois116 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 20, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Pork and the chicken is a must have. Great wings.
Is this helpful?
N
Nina
Atlanta1 review
4.0
Dined on June 20, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
The restaurant is nice and quiet. They have a lot of options and the food is decent. If you’re looking for a pretty restaurant, this works!
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S
Steve VIP
New York City18 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 20, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 5
The food for the most part was incredible as expected, the grilled oysters and wings were favorite apps of ours and the burger and the rotisserie were amazing mains, the scallops were over seasoned, very salty but they happily removed from our check. Only complaint was the service was a bit slow and inattentive, forgot a drink order dishes weren’t cleared but the food overall was excellent, I’d been looking forward to dining at aChef Sawyer’s restaurant for some time and was not disappointed
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M
Miguel VIP
Chicago / Illinois10 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 19, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Stopped in for lunch and tried the Chicago beef sandwich — absolutely incredible. Perfectly seasoned, tender, and full of flavor. It’s only available during lunch hours, so if you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth making time for. One thing that left a bad taste: the 3% credit card fee added to the bill. In a high-traffic downtown location with premium pricing, it feels out of touch to tack on an extra fee just for using a card. Who’s realistically carrying enough cash to cover a full meal in the Loop? It’s a frustrating policy that cheapens an otherwise great experience. Food’s fantastic, but the added fee is a miss
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R
Richard
Chicago / Illinois7 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food at this restaurant was so excellent. I had one of their prime steaks, a filet mignon and some sides. Kindling was a beautiful comfortable place to eat. The waiter and entire staff was extremely friendly and attentive. I’ve had steak at other well known downtown steak house like Smith and Wollensky, Morton’s, Gibson; The steak here was at least at good as any of them at a lower price I’ll definitely be eating there again, and recommend this place to all my friends.
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B
Brandis VIP
Chicago / Illinois13 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 14, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Unimpressed. Getting seated went smoothly, but it took a while to place a drink order and then even longer for the drinks to show up. I received my cocktail midway through the entrée. I ordered the salmon from the theater pre-fixe menu…it was JUST salmon. No veggies, nothing. For a $59 prepaid meal. Then when the bill arrived, staff hadn’t applied the prepaid credit that I made/paid when booking the reservation. Minor fix, but by then I was already unimpressed. Nothing to raise feathers about, but probably not going back.
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E
Edwina
Chicago / Illinois3 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 14, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
The food never disappoints, the service could’ve been better. We went the day before Father’s Day and right when they opened at 4pm. You would think someone would check on the table more, I had to wave someone down several times. Other than that highly recommend if your’e into Char flavored food.
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B
Brad
Minneapolis - St. Paul1 review
5.0
Dined on June 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent steaks and chops. Also had an interesting gin cocktail with basil that I want to figure out how to make for myself. The cocktail is probably not for everyone, but I thought it was fantastic.
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FAQs

Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails is rated 4.4 stars by 698 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 28, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 48 times today

Experiences are available.

Google Map for Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails

202 S Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60606

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
Inside Willis Tower at the corner of Franklin and Adams
Neighborhood
River North (Chicago)
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Sat 11:00 am–3:45 pm Happy Hour Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–5:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Steakhouse, American, Grill
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Public Lot
Public transit
Metra: - Union Station (One block away - perfect for Happy Hour!)CTA: - Quincy (Brown/Orange/Pink/Purple Lines)- Jackson (Blue/Red Lines)- Bus Stops: 126 / 151 / 56
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Chef Jonathon Sawyer
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.kindlingchicago.com/
Phone number
(312) 789-5992
Catering
Kindling offers several unique private and semi private spaces for Private Events, and we specialize in corporate events as well as corporate office catering.
Private party facilities
Situated within Willis Tower at the corner of Franklin and Adams, Kindling boasts a live fire show kitchen, wood-fired plates, and tasty cocktails in the heart of the city. Kindling is led by 2015 James Beard Award Winner and Food Network Star, Jonathon Sawyer.
Private party contact
Abbey Arp: (319) 360-2169

Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Pre-Theater Dinner

Three-Course Business Lunch

The Heart

Custom inquiry

Mashed Potatoes

Beef Tenderloin

Jumbo Sea Scallops

FIRST COURSE

Crispy Brussels Sprouts$12.00

Burrata$20.00

World Famous Confit Chicken Wings$16.00

SOUP & SALAD

Lobster Bisque$17.00

Caesar$17.00

Blue Chip Chop$38.00

RAW BAR

Hamachi De Tigre$21.00

Tuna Tartare$22.00

Oysters On the Half Shell$4.50

WOOD FIRED SEAFOOD

Oysters Maplefeller style$5.00

HillBilly Riviera Style$5.00

Bone Marrow Buttered$6.00

Oyster Royale Style$7.00

Chef's Choice Wood Fired Oysters

Skull Island Prawn$24.00

Spanish Octopus$32.00

Seafood Tower$175.00

STEAKS & CHOPS

Filet$59.00

Filet "Mrs O'Leary"$61.00

Steak Frites$38.00

USDA Prime NY Strip$68.00

Prime "Downtown" Ribeye*$71.00

Pork Secreto Steak Frites$37.00

Colorado Lamb Chops $65.00

Bone-In, Dry-Aged Rib Chop*$115.00

ROTISSERIE

Brine + Herb-Marinated Amish Farm Chicken$27.50

MAINS

Rigatoni Alla Vodka$22.00

Cedar Grilled Salmon$35.00

Scallops$38.00

Bacon Cheeseburger Deluxe$28.00

SIDES

wood fired wild mushrooms$15.00

French Fries Julia Child Style$11.00

Mashed Potatoes$12.00

Twice Cooked Sweet Potato$11.00

Elote$14.00

mac 'n cheese$13.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails restaurant rated?

Is Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information