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The Dawson, Chicago, IL
Award-winning

The Dawson

4.6 (2791)
$31 to $50
American
730 West Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 55 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Lively
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Hot spot
The Fulton River District is home to The Dawson, an expansive indoor/outdoor, multi-level space providing a multitude of dining experiences. The Dawson includes one of Chicago’s best patios conveniently found in the middle of the city.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Farm-to-table
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 10:30 am–2:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (312) 243-8955
  • Website
    http://www.the-dawson.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Private party facilities
    The Dawson is the gathering place in River West for globally-inspired American cuisine, award-winning libations and inviting decor. Featuring multiple spaces on two levels, including an expansive courtyard, The Dawson offers many options and is an event host's dream location.
  • Private party contact
    Events Manager: (312) 372-4001
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct
  • Location
    730 West Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Neighborhood
    River West
  • Cross street
    Grand Avenue and Halsted Street at the Grand/Halsted/Milwaukee intersection
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    CTA Blue Line - Grand Avenue stopCTA Bus - Grand Avenue/Halsted Street stopCTA Bus - Milwaukee Avenue / Halsted Street stopCTA Bus - Halsted Street / Grand Avenue stop
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Dawson City Limits - Live Bands

    Multiple dates available
    This season, The Dawson brings back Dawson City Limits — a summer series celebrating live music, laid-back vibes, and wood-fired dining. Join us each week for open-air performances, seasonal cocktails, and courtyard energy all summer long. Live Music & DJ Sessions Wednesdays 6–9PM: Local bands bring the vibe to the courtyard plus half off select wine bottles. Fridays 8–11PM: Start your weekend al fresco with DJ sets.

  • Dawson City Limits - Patio DJs

    Multiple dates available
    This season, The Dawson brings back Dawson City Limits — a summer series celebrating live music, laid-back vibes, and wood-fired dining. Join us each week for open-air performances, seasonal cocktails, and courtyard energy all summer long. Fridays 8–11PM: Start your weekend al fresco with DJ sets. Wednesdays 6–9PM: Local bands bring the vibe to the courtyard plus half off select wine bottles.

Private dining

Offers

  • Why limit happy to an hour?

    Multiple dates available
    Tue - Fri - 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    Join us every Tuesday - Friday 4-6pm for happy hour for special features including $10 cocktails, $10 wines, $6 beers, and specially priced bites.

    Why limit happy to an hour? Photo

Menu

The Dawson's menu was last updated on 5/12/2023.

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,791 people are saying

The Dawson 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

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Dawson offers a "great ambiance" and versatile dining experiences, ideal for "romantic nights" or business meetings. Guests praised the "impeccable service" and "delicious food," especially the "pull-apart brioche" and "chocolate stout mousse cake." The patio is a favorite spot, enhanced by thoughtful touches like blankets for warmth.
2,791 Reviews

  1. Drew VIP

    Chicago / Illinois2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We celebrated my wife’s birthday here and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. The service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming - the staff went out of their way to make the evening feel special. Every dish we ordered was delicious, beautifully presented, and clearly made with care. The atmosphere was relaxed but still felt like a real treat. We couldn’t have picked a better spot to mark the occasion. Highly recommend and looking forward to coming back soon!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Morgan VIP

    Chicago / Illinois10 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Our recent visit to the Dawson was a mixed bag, but I'd still return. Food came out quickly. Martinis were well-made with a great touch of blue cheese olives, though my other cocktail wasn't good. The coconut curry was just okay. Our favorites were the chicken fried lobster and tortellone. Value was just okay. While the rest of the staff was fabulous, our waiter gave off bad vibes, seemed disinterested, and didn't know the menu well. Perhaps he was new, but it really impacted our experience. Despite the poor service from our specific waiter, the standout dishes and quick food delivery make me willing to come back.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Noah

    Chicago / Illinois5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience on the patio, food was outstanding

    Is this helpful?

  4. Mindy VIP

    Chicago / Illinois11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Hip location right at Grand/Halsted - love the outdoor space area a huge plus. The host and our waitress who was training a new employee all were exceptionally gracious, friendly, fun to chat with and service was excellent. We just had appetizers, cocktails but we thoroughly enjoyed everything and will definitely be back!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Daniel VIP

    Los Angeles30 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My partner and I took one of my sisters to The Dawson to celebrate her birthday. It was a wonderful experience! The staff at The Dawson made this birthday celebration special. The food, the drinks, and the service were all above reproach. Everything we had was fantastic. Standouts are the Chicken Fried Lobster, & Chicken & Waffles! For me, The Dawson has been one of the few restaurants that has maintained its reputation over the years as a choice location for special occasions. Highly Recommended

    Is this helpful?

  6. Karrin VIP

    Chicago / Illinois5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    went for my son's graduation celebration and had an amazing experience. Thank you!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Ken VIP

    Chicago / Illinois80 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 7, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We had a large group of 15, and admittedly we weren’t organized, but seeing friends who have been out of touch for years can slow down getting seated and orders taken. Appreciate the staff for working with us. We visit the Dawson 2-3 times a year, and have always had a good time. Cocktails, appetizers, and mains have always been delicious. Service is always good, and we feel like we get good value for our money.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Erin Battaglia VIP

    Chicago / Illinois28 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A group of 6 of us went for dinner. I booked the reservation for the patio but since the weather was a bit precarious earlier in the week, the restaurant called to ask if we wanted to move inside, which we did. Later in the week the weather changed to being nice so they called again to ask if we wanted our original patio spot. I appreciated that they were preparing ahead to always give us the option. We loved the patio as it was a really nice space. We had a really great server, Ashley, who treated us well. We ordered a lot of food and drinks, we loved it all. The brioche was incredible, and the mousse dessert and vanilla cheesecake were amazing. When the patio cleared, we were offered to move to sit by the fire and were given blankets to stay warm. We had a great night that will give us fond memories forever.

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  9. Logan

    Columbus1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love the atmosphere of the restaurant! Service was great and so were the food and drinks. Will definitely return!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Lisa VIP

    Chicago / Illinois12 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    We did not have a good experience at all. It took forever for us to get water and even longer to have someone take our order. Yet there were plenty of staff members around to do it. I ordered a salad that was so expensive for what I got. I left hungry. My son enjoyed his burger. I will not be going back anytime soon.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Dawson offers delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. The Dawson also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (312) 243-8955.

The Dawson is rated 4.6 stars by 2791 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Chicago / Illinois
  4. Chicago
  5. River West

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 55 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Dawson

730 West Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross street
    Grand Avenue and Halsted Street at the Grand/Halsted/Milwaukee intersection
  • Neighborhood
    River West
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 10:30 am–2:30 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Farm-to-table
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    CTA Blue Line - Grand Avenue stopCTA Bus - Grand Avenue/Halsted Street stopCTA Bus - Milwaukee Avenue / Halsted Street stopCTA Bus - Halsted Street / Grand Avenue stop
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct
  • Website
    http://www.the-dawson.com/
  • Phone number
    (312) 243-8955
  • Private party facilities
    The Dawson is the gathering place in River West for globally-inspired American cuisine, award-winning libations and inviting decor. Featuring multiple spaces on two levels, including an expansive courtyard, The Dawson offers many options and is an event host's dream location.
  • Private party contact
    Events Manager: (312) 372-4001
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