Kurt Akers "The CEO"

 

Overall Experience:  3/5

• Rustic Charm With An Upscale Feel. Swift & Son’s is a beautifully decorated location with great tasting and prepared steaks. Had a modern upscale feeling to it, but needs some fine-tuning on the details of side dishes, desserts and dining room feel/experience.

 

Food:  3/5

• Gorgeous Saturday night at West Loop location Steakhouse. In this dining experience we started off our night with a few appetizers that were unique, creative and tasty. We opted for the oysters (which came on an elegant display), short rib ravioli’s (which were in my opinion the tastiest) and rock shrimp. Highly recommend the short rib ravioli as they were unique, delicate and tasty! For dinner I went with the 16oz New York Strip, medium, with caramelized onions as a pairing. I loved the ability to choose some extras with your steak. My steak was cooked wonderfully with a light char and tasted superb! My steak was evenly cooked, juicy and left a great after flavor on my palette. The house sauce with my steak was a fantastic addition as well. For sides we dabbled in roasted mushrooms, asparagus, au gratin potatoes, mashed potatoes and spinach. I was disappointed with the flavoring of the mushrooms and would prefer sautéed mushrooms. All of the sides were standard in taste, and lacked a bit of flavor. One generous off menu side that was prepared for us, was a mac and cheese with pork mixed in it. While it looked amazing and was the first time the chef tried this side dish, it lacked some flavor as well.

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Bar:  4/5

• A swanky modern styled bar with some great old school rustic decorations is the feeling I received during our cocktail hour. I enjoyed our cocktail hour and we had a chance to meet the GM’s of Swift & Sons. They were very nice, courtesy and striked up a great conversation with us. My ginger ale (I don’t drink) was a standard Seagram’s bottle and wished they had a homemade ginger ale in the rotation. The decor in the bar area was to my liking and felt comfortable. Our table we had was perfect for conversation and refreshments before we dined.

 

Service:  3/5

• As for service our server in the bar area was nice, but I didn't catch his name. While he was kind there was not much interaction with him besides him dropping off our drinks. Our waitress for dinner was thoughtful in explaining the menu to us and letting us know the history of building (old refrigeration building), about where Swift & Son’s sources their cuts from and that the chef creates some special uniqueness with each dish that is different than a traditional steakhouse. Our waitress was genuine is serving us, but it took quite a long time to receive both our appetizers and main course. It was quite a busy night, but I still was surprised by the wait time.

 

Ambiance:  3/5

• Swift & Son’s is a beautiful decorated location, with rustic elements and upscale fixings, which went together very well. My main issue was with the layout and casualness of people in the dining room. (I saw a few people in surf wear attire, which is strange for a steakhouse) The tables were squared off which made it very difficult to converse with the group and lacked the intimate feeling needed in a steakhouse. The party was so large next to us, instead of breaking their group (more than 12 people) which was over the amount of people who could fit in the section, they brought what looked like a bar area table top to add on so more of their party could sit. This impeded on us since it was the next table over. These two things took away from the dining experience and were noticeable.

 

BONUS:  

• A flavor of uniqueness was provided with a table magician, which I thought was super cool, unique and different.

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Pierce Baron "Mr. Hospitality"

 

Overall Experience:  3/5

• The next stop on the Steak Master’s grand tour of Chicago happened to be the up and coming Swift & Sons by our very own “Man Dime”. While expectations were extremely high from those who had been before, and it did happen to meet a majority of them, but also did not entirely hold the feel of a true steakhouse to myself. While it was not bad by any sense of the mean, it also was not the greatest experience of the steakhouses previously visited. With that said, it is always great to get the guys out together to test another highly touted steakhouse.

 

Food:  3/5

• For me, this was the hardest section for myself to judge, as it was a very mixed bag. The appetizers seemed to be the biggest hit as we had short rib raviolis (personal favorite), rock shrimp, cold seafood platter, and a beautiful display of oysters that was served with a creative cocktail to wash down and paired nicely. I am not an oyster fan, but it was a pleasant surprise as it had a nice flavor rather than just the slimy texture I normally taste. I ordered a bone in filet for dinner that was a served on a crisp white plate with the logo on top (great presentation). While it was a good steak there were three areas that stood out to me that made my decision for this section to be a 3. First, there was not real char on my filet, which for me is a big deal, as the crust and flavor really add to the steaks taste. Next, was the direct benefactor to the lack of char being the flavor of the steak itself was not strong without the house sauce being needed. Lastly, there was quite a bit of fat on this piece for being a filet. While one would want that added flavor, it seemed more like a New York Strip. The desserts chosen from the table were not my favorites, but seemed to be liked by those who ate them.

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5

• Upon entering Swift & Sons with “Captain” we were quite confused with where the bar for the restaurant happens to be as there is a bar to the left of the host stand, and one straight ahead that we ended up at. Before the fellow masters arrived, we enjoyed a cocktail at the bar where I ordered my standard Old Fashioned. It was prepared like mine at Prime & Provisions but the second one I had was not consistent. At this point we had a table reserved for us in the bar section where we could all chat which was a nice added touch to have. The bar had a new and hip feel, which is appreciated amongst our group.

 

Service:  3/5

• Service, Service, Service is most important in this hospitality industry as it truly does make or break the experience that an individual can relate to and mention to those when speaking beyond the fact. While the service was not horrible, it certainly was not what you would expect from a top rated steakhouse. The bar service was exactly what you would expect, simple drink orders and drinks delivered. For our dinner service our server was Brittany. She did a great job of explaining the building, its history, and the location of the steaks and how they are specific to the steakhouse. However, as the night rolled on, the service level dropped where it was an unusually long wait between courses and we had to continuously look around for her to come to the table. While it was busy, it seemed as though there was a disconnect between the kitchen and wait staff.

 

Ambiance:  3/5

• Swift & Sons is a part of this emerging West Loop that seems to be a common trend for those looking a night out on the town. While everything was very new in its décor and feel, something just did not feel right. The issue I took was the lack of round tables and set up of the restaurant. I felt as though for a table of 8, we were limited to a small conversation on one side of the table. Most every steakhouse we attend has a steakhouse dress code (Suite or Sports Coat) and this felt like there was a lot of leeway. This is not to say it was wrong, but just a bit unusual for a steakhouse. The color scheme and backdrop was fitting and there was an added touch when we had a magician (John Railing) come to the table where he was known for his work at the Pump Room in the 80’s. Lastly, it was great to have a guest with us, Mikey Carbonaro, brother of “Michigan Man”.

 

 

 

Billy Allen "Captain"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• I have to Swift and Sons before, so I know what we were looking forward to as a group. I think this is in a unique spot near Fulton Market. I loved getting together with everyone after missing the previous dinner. That alone made it tough to not give a 5/5, but at CSM we are all about honest reviews. Only a few minor things kept me from turning in a 5 star review.

 

Food:  5/5

• I have tried a variety of cuts at Swift and Sons over the past year. I had been there for tastings, so I was really looking forward to seeing the full menu. For our appetizer, we went with first, a seafood tower. It included crab, shrimp, oysters & etc.  It was very fresh and was something I had not had before. The presentation was great and I had more than my fill.  For my steak, I went with a 16oz New York Strip. ​It was ordered medium rare, and it was cooked a little through for my liking. Overall, it was a great steak though. Generous cut and a quality piece of meat. I was full definitely after. After tasting a few other members’ steaks, I should have gone with the filet option. Definitely going to be back for a full filet.

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Bar:  4/5

• My only complaint with the bar experience is that where we sat, it seemed out of place with the actual bar that is pictured on their website. The little metal stools were uncomfortable and small. Pierce and I arrived first got a nice spot at the main bar. It was really spacious and comfortable. I would gladly have a meal and cocktail there any day. My drink of choice for the evening was the Benevolent Philanthropist. I would recommend that to anyone who enjoys a nice glass of whiskey.

 

Service:  5/5

• The entire staff was great. They came out to introduce themselves to us and took a real interest in our club. They also wanted to know how they stacked up to the other restaurants we had visited previously. Our server was Brittany. She was excellent and very educated on the menu. She was helpful in determining portions and what would be best for a group of our size. She was very helpful and the support staff was very on point. They also had an in-house magician who was very friendly and provided a good 20 minutes of entertainment with different slight of hand tricks for us. It was also a highlight sitting next to Kurt trying to determine how he was doing the tricks.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• I think the main bar is really the highlight of the restaurant. As usual, Pierce and I were the first to arrive and got a great spot at the main bar. Its big and offers a fantastic ambiance to start the evening. I was bummed when the rest of the Masters arrived and we were moved to a bigger table, that wasn’t nearly as comfortable or kept in theme with the restaurant. Overall, that was the biggest issue I had with the evening. The main room however was awesome. We had a nice table where I was able to talk with almost everyone comfortably. I loved the décor and the clocks on the wall from different places they get their beef from. It was a cool little design that didn’t go unnoticed. I did have my back to the main dining room, which was unfortunate because it looked amazing with big tables and booths all around. I look forward to reading other members reviews that had a different perspective. 

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Vince Volpe "Cousin Vinny"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• I do think the last steak we had at Prime and Provisions was little better, but the overall experience at Swift & Son’s including service, ambiance and the bar area made this experience my favorite Steak Masters dinner so far.

 

Food:  4/5

• As a starting dish we had a very refreshing raw oyster with a small dollop of spicy mustard on top.  Immediately after we had a very nicely done steak tartar that was light and refreshing.  For dinner, I ordered a Bone in Ribeye to stay consistent with my previous reviews.  The cut was a wet aged 20oz bone in ribeye that was cooked perfectly to Medium rare. This steak was paired with a full-bodied California Cab. Our steaks were also accompanied by mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, sautéed mushrooms, and a couple very tasty sauces to dip into.  For dessert, we had a couple different dishes to pick on as a group. The S&S sundae stood out to me as it had a great combination of ice cream, hot fudge, peanut butter, and salted caramel.  The food was top notch through and through.

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Bar:  4/5

• The bar area had a semi casual feel and had multiple large tables that would accommodate larger groups. The vodka cocktails I had were made well and our server did come by a few different times to see if we needed a refill. It seemed like a nice place to grab a drink after work for people that work in the West Loop neighborhood.

 

Service:  5/5

• Service was top notch throughout our entire experience. We had a great server who was very very knowledgeable of the menu and everything they had to offer. We had multiple managers come up to the table to make sure we were having a great experience. I really appreciated all the different employees coming to say hi, it made me feel as they went above and beyond exceptional service levels. To end dinner, our server and the manager sent over the house magician to do some card and quarter tricks. The magician was exceptional and was super entertaining. This was the cherry on top of a great evening at Swift & Sons.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• The layout and overall ambiance at Swift and Sons was exquisite. The bar/cocktail area was semi casual and well lite by the windows. We had a nice long table that fit us comfortably while we shot the breeze and enjoyed cocktails. For dinner, we had a great booth/table combo in the middle of the dining room. Lights were dim and had a true steakhouse feel to it. 

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Christian DiVito "Prince Charming"

 

Overall Experience:  3/5

• Overall I had a very fun time and would definitely come back to Swift & Sons. It was great to get together with all the guys but I would highly recommend requesting a round table if you are with a large party. Swift & Sons is in a great location right in the heart of the west loop so it's a perfect place to start the night and enjoy some delicious food. 

 

Food:  4/5

• The food here was by far the best part of the whole night, I don't have anything bad to say about the food.  Our server recommended we start off with the oysters and they had great flavor and were extremely salty!  For appetizers we ordered steak tartar, crab leg, ravioli, and buffalo fried shrimp.  I had a chance to try all of them and loved every bite.  The two that really stood out to me were the crab legs and the ravioli.  I didn’t use any butter while eating the crab legs because it was one of the freshest piece of crab I’ve ever had, I would highly recommend ordering these before a nice steak.  On the other hand, it's a good thing that there were only a few ravioli that came for the appetizer because I could of had those as my entree.  The ravioli was perfectly cooked and red sauce was delicious.  For diner I ordered the bone-in ribeye and it was phenomenal!  What I really enjoyed was the layer of fat that wrapped around the whole piece of meat because every bite I took of the actual meat I added in a piece of fat to kick up the flavor.  I ordered it cooked medium and is was perfect combination of juicy and tender, I enjoyed every bite I took.  I was so full from dinner I didn’t eat too much dessert but I did get a chance to taste the carrot cake.  I have never liked carrot cake but I would've eaten the whole plate if I wasn’t as full as I was.  It was a great last two bites to have at Swift & Sons.

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Bar:  4/5

• I really enjoyed my Maker’s Mark Manhattan before dinner because it was chilled before being poured into the glass.  It was a hot day that day so a chilled manhattan was extremely refreshing to have as my first cocktail.  I actually enjoyed this drink so much that I ordered my next manhattan on the rocks.  I really liked all the natural sunlight that was entering the bar area, it was a nice change because typically bars in a steakhouse are pretty dimly lit.  I was not part of the wine selection but I was very happy with the choice made by our guest, Mikey.

 

Service:  3/5

• The service was not bad but it was not the best I've had at a steakhouse.  Since it was so loud in the restaurant it was very hard to hear our server, Brittany.  She didn’t have a loud booming voice so I was not able to hear her introduction or any of the specials.  The service was not as formal as typical steakhouses but I didn't mind that, the biggest issue was not being able to hear. Brittany did a great job though and made some great recommendations. Sometimes my water glass was being filled a little too often, it's nice to have a full glass but I couldn't get half way without it being refilled. 

 

Ambiance:  3/5

• I love the whole story/history behind Swift & Sons and how they still kept a large part of the original building when designing the restaurant.  It was a great touch of history mixed in with a modern feel.  The ceramic tiles along with the wooden feel was a look I’ve never seen before, but I loved it!  I also enjoyed how well lit the whole entire restaurant was.  It was the natural sunlight by the bar and the brightness stretches throughout the whole restaurant so I wasn’t straining my eyes the whole night.  Now the big problem I had with the ambiance was the table we sat at.  It’s very hard to have a conversation with everyone your with if you are sitting at a long table.  The only way I was able to talk to the other side of the table was when I would get up to use the restroom I would sit down by them for a couple minutes.  I cold have yelled down the table but I would have been screaming because the whole restaurant was soooo loud!  Seems like everyone else was having the same issue as me.  The best situation is to be seated at a round table, I will make sure to request this when it is my turn to select the restaurant.

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Mario Carbonaro "Michigan Man"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Swift and Son’s is the quintessential modern steakhouse. While paying respect to oft-imitated Chicago Steakhouse aesthetic they merged it well with the trendy West Loop eateries in the area. A great place to bring out of town guest and business meals.

 

Food:  4/5

• We enjoyed several appetizers as is tradition during our Steak Master’s evenings and as always we made sure to try a bit of everything. My favorite of these was the oysters. For my entrée, to change it up from my normal ordering habits - I enjoyed the dry-aged Kansas City strip at the request of our knowledgeable server.  The chef prepared the steak simply in the way of little to no seasoning other than salt or pepper and in my opinion, lacked a bit of flavor. I asked for the steak to be prepared medium rare plus and this was done wonderfully.

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Bar:  4/5

• It is hard for me to give a review for the bar itself because we were at our own separate table away from the bar immediately. From what we saw of the bar, and our brief interaction with the bartenders it was a classy setup with skilled craftsmen pouring their libations carefully and creatively.

 

Service:  5/5

• The staff was welcoming and knowledgeable. Both manager’s seemed giddy to greet us and even jokingly asked if they could become Master’s themselves. (But I’m sure Pierce has to check the bylaws to see if this was possible.) I can’t take away points from the servers and staff as they did an amazing job but I do have to think that our host informing them of our visit and the request of the magician and special attention doesn’t provide for an unbiased and accurate portrayal of the staff on a  normal night.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• Having previously visited Swift and Son’s prior to our visit I was versed in the history of the building and the prior use of the space as a cold storage and meatpacking facility. The sprawling dining area was a bit crowded as we dealt with a large party essentially at the same table as us separated by a foot or so. Other than this minor inconvenience I rather enjoyed the décor and homage that they paid to the old storage facility.

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