The Little Gem Restaurant

The Little Gem Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. G

   Gus VIP

   Chicago2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   I made a reservation online for yesterday and received a confirmation. It was confusing with how it was listed on Open Table. It was listed with The Little Gem at the top, and I could see that "Encore" was listed further below in the confirmation. I called Encore just to be sure and confirm and they said they had our reservation, When I arrived at 4:35, our reservation was at 4:45, the guy there at the bar told me they don't open until 5:00. We had limited time because we were attending a theatre event in town. I explained what I did in making the reservation. The other two people hadn't arrived yet so he said I could grab a table anywhere. Our waiter was polite, but when asked which salad he would recommend between the Chopped Salad and Eggplant stack, he recommended the Eggplant stack. There were three of us who were going to share dishes. The stack literally had 3 SMALL slices of eggplant with a skimpy slice of cheese on top and a drizzle of dressing on the plate. I order that lots of times in restaurants and have never seen that dish so small. The roasted boneless half chicken was great though. We enjoyed that. I have been to this restaurant once before for a retirement party and it was a good experience. This time I was somewhat disappointed, and it was confusing with making the reservation.
   

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2. D

   Diane VIP

   Chicago4 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on 22 March 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   Dinner was our second unpleasant dining experience at The Little Gem. We ordered prime rib which we were looking forward to and both dinners had a horrible piece of meat nothing like prime rib and the vegetables were overly salty. The calamari appetizer was not freshly made. The food was inedible. There was no manager on site. Our server did offer a discount and we left. The first time we had brunch there which was equally unenjoyable. We cannot recommend The Little Gem. It is over priced and has subpar food. We like to support local businesses but we will not give it another try.
   

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3. S

   Sandra

   San Francisco3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 22 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Little Ggem was perfect. The mocktail drink were fanastic. The food was almostly delicious not a crumb left on our plates. The atmosphere and noise level made talking with each other in our group so easy. What a lovely spot for a fabulous and reasonable night out.
   

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4. A

   Adrianne

   Chicago2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 15 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   What a perfect place for a special occasion. Everything was yummy & the service was on point!
   

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5. M

   Mals48

   Chicago16 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on 14 March 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Service was good, ambiance lovely. Unexpected live music was well done and enjoyed but added to the noise level when we wanted to visit. Food was on the higher priced end, tended to be spicy or peppery and generally not to our taste palettes.
   

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6. m

   michele VIP

   Chicago72 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on 8 March 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   We had reserved a table in the Encore room but were advised they were fully booked even though the room was empty except for one table. Very disappointing.
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Chicago3 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on 2 March 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   Living nearby we’ve been to Little Gem many times. Hoping for a quiet Sunday evening meal, the Sea Bass was inedible. The salmon over done and heavily seasoned. At just under $100 for no appetizers, two entrees, two cocktails and no dessert, we were disappointed. It’s doubtful we’ll be back anytime soon.
   

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8. PW

   PeterW

   Miami6 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 22 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Too bad we live out of town or we would return every week. Excellent experience.
   

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9. M

   Mike

   Chicago1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 16 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This spot truly lives up to it’s name. It can be pricey after a few cocktails, but the service and quality are very high. Great ambience, and the staff are incredibly kind. We’ll be back!
   

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10. R

    ROBERT

    Chicago35 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3

    Food was good. Service was rushed to get us out of the restaurant in 70 minutes. As it turned out, not a good choice selection to meet with an old friend
    

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