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The burgeoning Fulton River District is home to The Dawson, an expansive, multi-level space providing a multitude of dining experiences under one roof. The globally-inspired American cuisine highlights the season’s best offerings with a diverse array of ingredients and flavors on all brunch and dinners menus including items from a wood-fire grill that churns out a variety of different flavorful, meats and veggies. Since inception, The Dawson has been known for its creative and culinary driven cocktail program that specializes in libations with whimsical and drinkable touches.
Striking, bi-level restaurant featuring an eclectic menu complemented by handcrafted cocktails.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 730 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: (312) 243-8955
Website: http://the-dawson.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: the-dawson.comopentable.com
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
Robert Wagner
Brunch at Dawson’s was a great surprise. I’m usually a meat-and-potatoes, burger kind of person, but this place made stepping outside my comfort zone easy—and worth it. Every course was excellent. If you normally play it safe with food, this is the perfect change of pace. Highly recommend.
… moreShena Mohan
Great space but a little cold so bring a sweater. Good selection of wine by the glass. We got the shishito peppers to start. Very good but a bit heavy on the sauce. Then we got the pull apart bread which was so soft and yummy. I shared the fish, pumpkin ravioli, and cauliflower gratin with a friend and we were very satisfied. We went on Tuesday which were two dollar oysters and they were fresh. My husband got the burger which he said was ok but he is picky on his burgers haha. Would come again as I hear their brunch is good and they have a great patio in the summer. Service was a little slow but they had big parties
… moreKathie Darden
My husband and I had dinner at The Dawson for Valentine’s Day.
The space is beautiful. Service was outstanding and food delicious. They only offered a Valentines Day pre fixe menu however there was a nice amount of dishes to choose from within the 4 courses.
Our waiter suggested the Short Rib and Polenta which I ordered and the Halibut which my husband ordered. Both were great choices. Wood fired oysters good, Lobster DeJonge was outstanding. Wedge Salad a little too dressed for me but was still good. Service and ambiance great.
My only concern is that I later saw that I was charged $10 additional for the sorbet and berries which was on the pre fixe menu as a dessert option. I don’t remember seeing anything indicating there would be an additional charge.
… moreThe space is beautiful. Service was outstanding and food delicious. They only offered a Valentines Day pre fixe menu however there was a nice amount of dishes to choose from within the 4 courses.
Our waiter suggested the Short Rib and Polenta which I ordered and the Halibut which my husband ordered. Both were great choices. Wood fired oysters good, Lobster DeJonge was outstanding. Wedge Salad a little too dressed for me but was still good. Service and ambiance great.
My only concern is that I later saw that I was charged $10 additional for the sorbet and berries which was on the pre fixe menu as a dessert option. I don’t remember seeing anything indicating there would be an additional charge.
vitaG
Food: delicious. We went for restaurant week and got the jalapeño cheddar biscuit, duck enchilada and chocolate donut. All great.
Service: they go above and beyond here. I don’t recall the waiter’s name (sweet Caribbean gent) – took great care of us. He was kind and friendly. The rest of the staff checked on us constantly too.
Atmosphere: beautiful space with ample lighting and elbow room.
Sometimes for restaurant week, places tend to slack, but Dawson did not. I was very impressed with the food and team behind it.
… moreService: they go above and beyond here. I don’t recall the waiter’s name (sweet Caribbean gent) – took great care of us. He was kind and friendly. The rest of the staff checked on us constantly too.
Atmosphere: beautiful space with ample lighting and elbow room.
Sometimes for restaurant week, places tend to slack, but Dawson did not. I was very impressed with the food and team behind it.
BoujeeArtist Chronicles
The salad was drenched in dressing and salty. The oysters were bland. I thought it would be more grilled but the grill led shells had no affect on the actually oysters.
No bottle water
Service was fine they were nice
The resturant seem to position it self as a higher end but its feels like an upscale pub. I may not be the target audience.
… moreNo bottle water
Service was fine they were nice
The resturant seem to position it self as a higher end but its feels like an upscale pub. I may not be the target audience.
Kim Anant
Ambiance and music were nice but I would not recommend for food or service. I expected much more for a $95 Valentine’s pre-fixe dinner.
We came for dinner and ordered the 4-course Valentine’s menu, which sounded great on paper but was disappointing across the board. The meatballs were overcooked and tough, the lobster was stuck to the shell and difficult to remove, and both the halibut and Filet Oscar were bland and lacked seasoning.
Dessert is where the experience really went downhill. We ordered the sorbet with berries and the chocolate lover’s mess. When the dessert arrived, it was clearly the strawberry mousse. We asked the server if this was the chocolate molten cake we ordered, and he confidently said yes—adding that it’s “not the first time it’s been mistaken.” That didn’t sit right, so we checked the menu ourselves and confirmed it did not match at all (no chocolate cake, no chocolate ice cream). When we asked him again to verify, he came back with a smirky comment saying, “That’s one way to get a free dessert.” Excuse me?
That comment was extremely rude and unprofessional. There was no apology, no accountability, and no proper send-off at the end of the meal. For the price point and the occasion, the food and especially the service were unacceptable.
… moreWe came for dinner and ordered the 4-course Valentine’s menu, which sounded great on paper but was disappointing across the board. The meatballs were overcooked and tough, the lobster was stuck to the shell and difficult to remove, and both the halibut and Filet Oscar were bland and lacked seasoning.
Dessert is where the experience really went downhill. We ordered the sorbet with berries and the chocolate lover’s mess. When the dessert arrived, it was clearly the strawberry mousse. We asked the server if this was the chocolate molten cake we ordered, and he confidently said yes—adding that it’s “not the first time it’s been mistaken.” That didn’t sit right, so we checked the menu ourselves and confirmed it did not match at all (no chocolate cake, no chocolate ice cream). When we asked him again to verify, he came back with a smirky comment saying, “That’s one way to get a free dessert.” Excuse me?
That comment was extremely rude and unprofessional. There was no apology, no accountability, and no proper send-off at the end of the meal. For the price point and the occasion, the food and especially the service were unacceptable.
Radisson Lott
This spot is a stylish place with a menu that mixes classic comfort dishes with creative twists. The cocktails are just as much of a draw as the food, and everything is well-prepared and flavorful. The atmosphere is lively yet comfortable, with a great patio that’s perfect for nice weather. It’s a solid pick for dinner with friends or a casual night out.
… moreDavid K
We’ve been wanting to check out “The Dawson” for a while. We heard great things about the atmosphere and food. We were NOT disappointed! Today they had live music to accompany the brunch. The few DJ’s we heard were FIRE! They had people dancing like crazy. My wife has a drink or two and joined them. The “Housepresso” crew who were hosting the music portion pulled off a super cool concept for brunch.
… moreDenise Dailey
The food was good but our steak was cold by the time it made it to our table. Our drinks were made wrong when we ordered a second round. Also the woman at the hostess coat check made an inappropriate comment while handing me my coat, saying it “was so thin” noting I must be very cold. like ok fashion police.
… moreClay Goldman
I recently came here with a larger group and we sat out in the back. It’s a very cute space that feels a little bit like an escape from the city.
For a drink, I got the Some Like It Hot, which is basically a spicy margarita. It’s very pretty and comes with a pepper in the cup.
For my main, I went with the vodka rigatoni with added sausage. The sausage was definitely the best part, so I highly recommend that everyone add it. The sauce itself was also very good.
My girlfriend got the steak frites. They have a dedicated gluten-free fryer so she was able to eat the French fries. Unfortunately, her steak was very well done and they didn’t ask her how she wanted it cooked.
As to the service, it left a little to be desired. It was pretty slow and maybe it’s because they were super busy inside, but outside was not crowded at all.
… moreFor a drink, I got the Some Like It Hot, which is basically a spicy margarita. It’s very pretty and comes with a pepper in the cup.
For my main, I went with the vodka rigatoni with added sausage. The sausage was definitely the best part, so I highly recommend that everyone add it. The sauce itself was also very good.
My girlfriend got the steak frites. They have a dedicated gluten-free fryer so she was able to eat the French fries. Unfortunately, her steak was very well done and they didn’t ask her how she wanted it cooked.
As to the service, it left a little to be desired. It was pretty slow and maybe it’s because they were super busy inside, but outside was not crowded at all.