Restaurant Review – Revival Food Hall

Food halls are the new, hip versions of cafeterias. This week, I finally got to try one of Chicago’s hottest: Revival Food Hall. Revival describes itself as an “all-local dining concept spotlighting the best of Chicago’s acclaimed culinary scene under one roof.” They’re not wrong. Located at 125 S. Clark St, the hall boasts 15 vendors. When we first arrived, I was surprised by how large the space is. Their website later informed me that the marketplace is 24,000 square feet! Each vendor has a sizable stall and there are small tables and bar seating scattered throughout the hall. One of my favorite parts was simply walking around and looking at all the menus; it’s a foodie paradise. I decided to go with an old favorite, Aloha Poke Co. I got a Big bowl with brown rice, tuna, pineapple, maui onion, jalapeño, edamame, and avocado.  I wanted to try a new sauce, so I got the Wasabi. Unfortunately, it was way too spicy for my liking and I felt like it overpowered the rest of my dish. My friend loves barbecue, so he decided on Smoque BBQ. Smoque is widely hailed as some of the best BBQ in the city. The menu at Revival is an abbreviated version of their regular menu, but also includes some Revival-only items. He chose the Brisket Sandwich with a side of macaroni and cheese. This was absolutely delicious. The brisket was thick cut but perfectly tender and the Mac and cheese was wonderfully gooey. Since it was a chilly day, my mom wanted to try Furious Spoon and get some hot ramen. Furious Spoon makes their noodles in-house daily at their Wicker Park and Logan Square locations. My mom opted for the traditional Chicken Shio Ramen: chicken broth with white pepper chicken, sweet corn, bamboo shoots, scallions, and sesame seeds. She loved it. She said the broth was rich and the chicken was nicely seasoned. The portion was huge and she wasn’t able to finish the whole thing, but we love leftovers, so it was a win-win. Finally, my dad tried Danke. Danke offers a selection of handcrafted sandwiches with house-made meats. During post work happy-hour, the menu shifts to offer customizable meat and cheese plates as well. My dad chose the Secret Sandwich: duck liver mousse, pork belly, Emmental cheese, smoked pickled onion, and whole grain mustard on a house baguette. This was easily my favorite dish of the night. The bread was wonderful, the meat was superb, and the accoutrements perfectly complemented the sandwich.

Revival is open Mondays through Fridays from 7 am to 7 pm. The bar stays open until 9 pm. Many of their vendors offer Happy Hour specials, including Antique Taco Chiquito, Danke, Mindy’s Hot Chocolate, the Revival Bar, and Union Squared. Find more information on their website.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO