Community Tavern

Beyond delicious. We had short rib and ramp kimchi dumplings which were incredible; the rainbow trout which met with resounding approval from our fellow diner; the mussels, which were in a broth that I drank at the end of the meal after soaking my bread; and the cheeseburger, a Big Mac-alike that outshined its cousin in every dimension (especially depth) with the decadent but fresh kim-cheese fries; and the Vietnamese crepe, which was crispy, complex, and thought-provoking. We finished up the meal with a Baked Alaska, which I wasn't interested in initially but ate more than my fair share by the end because it, like the rest of the meal, defied easy categorization and expectation. Everything was surprising and novel and nothing took the easy route. Service was excellent too; our waitress knew absolutely everything about the menu inside-out and backward. A++++ experience.

What makes this place most special are the employees. Everyone seems like they truly love the place, which you feel immediately upon entering. My friend and I came Saturday night with a reservation and were seated immediately. Our server gave us honest recommendations based on the items we were torn between, and it was great. I recommend anyone ask for help deciding! The mushroom butter dumplings were amazing (as promised), and the trout was also fantastic-- very delicate and inventive.The standout cocktail is the duck a l'orange, which is an old fashioned in duck fat washed bourbon (bourbon? Yes, I think bourbon). The thyme garnish and the mellowness of the booze are a winning combination.I am sorry to say, however, that the desserts were a little less than awesome. The coconut cake had a nice crumb but was off the charts sweet, and the brown butter chocolate chip cookies (which we had the next morning so I won't judge their dryness because that's on us) were also too sweet, overpowering the yumminess of the brown butter.Overall, I'd go again but would probably pass on dessert.

This place is INCREDIBLE! Our friends had been talking this place up for months and we finally checked it out with them and we were so glad we did! The seating is a little tight and our server wasn't the most attentive but don't let it deter you! The food is amazing and it was all worth it. Food comes out FAST! Almost every single thing we tried was amazing! Oysters - skip these Kim cheese fries - must try Mushroom butter dumplings - must try Green papaya salad - must try Prawn nam khao - must try bbq pork ribs - must try crispy rice noodles - must try fried chicken - mixed reviews baked Alaska - must try rhubarb cheesecake - must tryWe recently moved to the neighborhood and we will for sure be regulars here!

I am amazed at how good this place was. The food and drinks were excellent and the service was top notch. We actually had a large group that made three reservations. Seeing we were all together, they called me and combined a couple of the tables. I found out after the fact that one of my table mates called in because his son had an allergy. They were able to accommodate him which was awesome. One unique factor is this place is that it's upscale, but still kid friendly. There is a special kids menu which the food came out immediately. Like within four minutes. The kids ate everything! As for the adults, we got dumplings, egg rolls, and salad for appetizers. All were excellent, especially the egg rolls. I went with the aged duck for dinner. Awesome choice! It was a little spicy, but I like it. We had a couple of burgers at the table that looked awesome! We shared two desserts. I highly recommend the baked Alaska. It's pretty rare to see it in a restaurant. We also got the honey cake which I thought was ok, but everybody else loved. Pair all of this with an awesome duck fat old fashioned and you got a meal! I greatly enjoyed my time here. The service was exceptional and I will be back soon! It's nice to have a nicer place within 10 minutes from home!

For the money, our dinner at Community Tavern was just about all aces.As relatively frequent Chicago visitors trying to step a bit off the beaten path, we noticed Community Tavern on the latest Eater 38 list, and it turned out to be the near-perfect neighborhood "upscale casual" place we were hoping for.For starters: Holy Bejeebus, the Duck a L'Orange Old Fashioned is just about the best version of that cocktail I've had. Don't worry, the orange isn't too heavy, and the modest amount of duck fat gives a wonderful unctuousness.The concept is basically Asian-influenced pub food, and the big flavors were well-balanced in just about everything we ordered. Green papaya salad--super-fresh--has a terrific blend of unami and brighter flavors from a fish-sauce vinaigrette and ginger and tomatoes. Charred carrots had a kimchi vinaigrette, whipped cream cheese, a little more fish sauce, and corn nuts (!) and peanuts for textural contrast. That's two A-plus veggie dishes. If ramp kimchi dumplings didn't quite have that ideal pan-fried crispness, they were still delicious--and potato gave satisfying substance. The house bibimbap is kind of a deconstructed version of the traditional dish; we ordered it with medium-rare flank steak. If this entree was mildly disappointing, it was only because of the sky-high expectations set up by everything that came before: it was still very good, with the veggies and meat well-executed, but it didn't quite have the big flavors and surprises of the other items we had.Our server was terrific all evening--congenial, and helpful with menu explanations--and along with the kitchen, he sequenced and paced everything superbly. Excellent job there.The "tavern" comes out mostly in the decor and atmosphere. That means somewhat loud for a Sunday evening, but it had a convivial, good-times (and yet family-friendly) feel to it. (Could do without Ricky Martin and Britney Spears and their ilk on the sound system, though!)Pre-tip, all of this (my wife had a drink, too) clocked in at a hair under $100, a terrific deal.All around, a solid A.

Talk about a hidden gem! community tavern is an amazing restaurant owned and run by husband & wife, Joey & Brenna Beato. It's an American restaurant with a Pan-Asian influence and the flavors are WOW!The crispy rice noodles were fantastic! The noodles were fried PERFECTLY for that balance of soft mixed with the crunch. It's tossed in a lemongrass ragu with chicken and fried garlic. It was full of so much flavor! The Korean potato pancake is a great appetizer that has just enough heat to get your tastebuds warmed up. EVERYTHING tastes so FRESH here and I LOVE the actual "community" feeling you get as soon as you walk in; lots of smiles and families here! The drinks are well crafted too; I loved them!AND, kids EAT FREE Tuesday - Thursday and Sunday, for each adult meal purchase of $16 or more. Stop by for a delicious meal and tell em that Bri from Planes and Plates sent you!

Wow.We popped by without a reservation on a Friday night and were met with a 2 hour wait or the option to pop down the street for a bit to wait for a bar spot to open up. The hostess called us to be seated maybe 20 minutes later- so incredibly nice.The food was incredible- one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. We had the mushroom butter dumplings and the cashew noodles and both were truly incredible. Cocktails were delish as well, and service was perfectly attentive yet not hovering.I cannot wait to go back!

Food was delicious, service was excellent, the ambiance was great! Pork dumpling 10/10Kimchi Dumpling 10/10Bbq Pork ribs 10/10Cashew egg noodles 9/10Burger 9/10Pan-seared Fluke 9/10Baked Alaska 9.5/10

We had a great experience here for happy hour on a spring Friday! The price of the appetizers was amazing at $8 each. My husbands old fashioned was also $8 and my banana pistachio flavored Il Warhol cocktail was $15. What an amazing deal! The bartender was also super friendly and knowledgeable, he was able to tell us about which items might be leaving the menu soon and also let us know that the kimchi was house made. All of the food was fantastic and I can't wait to come back to this really great neighborhood spot.

I LOVE this place. It's a flavor party in your mouth. The green papaya salad is the best I've ever had. Short rib dumplings and kimchi dumplings were terrific. Just the right amount of hot. Everyone praised their entrees: barramundi, bibimbop with steak, crispy noodles with chicken and Burgers. Desserts are good with very reasonable prices as they are large enough to share, in particular the Brown butter chocolate chip cookies and the Baked Alaska. Service was good, we did have an issue with the steak , but they quickly re-fired it. Note: they have vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options, but if you do not like fish sauce or spicy Asian food, there are only a few options. Will return, without my husband