Walking in the door you’ll immediately notice the floor
to ceiling pictures of celebrities who have dined there, the sheer number of 8”
by 10” frames makes for really neat décor.
In terms of dining atmosphere, the main dining room is very similar to
what you might find at other steak and chop houses, but if you’re looking for a
more intimate environment there is a smaller dining room upstairs which I’ve
found to be nice and quiet, conducive to intimate conversation. Or, if you’re like me and you prefer people
watching, the “patio” is a must-try. Not
a patio in the traditional sense, it’s completely indoors, but it’s located
right on the corner of the street and the large windows allow a lot of natural
light and opportunities to watch passers-by.
The manager of Gibson’s, Frank Spagnolo, embodies the
spirit of customer service. The night I
was there didn’t seem slow by any means, and yet Frank found the time to visit
our table several times to make sure we were getting everything we needed and
having a great time, and even offered to take photographs for us to commemorate
the occasion. Call the restaurant ahead
of time (not during busy hours, of course) and if Frank is available, I’m sure
he’ll be excited to answer any questions you have and help you plan to make
your visit incredible.
THE FOOD: An “A” – Gibson’s chefs know how to prepare a
steak, it’s as simple as that. I’ve had
experiences at other steakhouses where the range for “medium-rare” overlapped
significantly with rare, and worse, with well-done. You won’t have that problem at Gibson’s.
The night that we visited a chef’s salad was included as
an appetizer, which was very nice. I’m
often tempted to just order the steak and side dish (with a little room for
dessert) because it’s already a great deal of food, and also it saves money. But getting a lighter first course helps you
enjoy the experience more.
For dessert, we chose the frozen sorbet, and oh, my,
goodness – it was refreshing. It helps
to be there during a warmer month, but this ultra-sweet sorbet is perfect for
fruit-lovers.
THE SERVICE: Aside from Frank, who deserves an “A+,” the
service team themselves also greatly exceeded my expectations. Sitting on the patio where it’s a little
quieter perhaps helped provide our waiter with extra time to give us attention,
but in all my experiences at Gibson’s I can’t remember a moment where I had a
single need that wasn’t met right away.
I’d give the service team an “A” as well.
Overall, I must say I love this restaurant. I recommend it to anyone who has an evening
free in Chicago.
