Chicago Prime Steakhouse - Schaumburg
The best “Chicago” steakhouses need not be within city limits; Schaumburg’s Chicago Prime Steakhouse is a must-hit for some beautiful beef. When you track down a list of the best steakhouses in Chicago, you’ll see Chicago Prime Steakhouse pop up noticeably often. It offers all the classic steakhouse touchpoints in a modern, service-first setting. You want white tablecloths? Done. A porterhouse big enough to recall something that Fred Flintstone might gladly hunker down upon. Definitely. Well-curated wine list with interesting selections from Argentina, Bordeaux, and the Willamette Valley? Chicago Prime has you covered for all that and everything you could possibly need to eat yourself into a happy stupor, then refresh your palate and keep going.
Since opening in 1999, family-owned Chicago Prime Steakhouse has long been a destination for business travelers and locals alike. The spacious dining rooms are capacious enough to contain a massive amount of guests, but they’re also designed to comfortably accommodate smaller, more intimate gatherings.
“Tables are covered in white-paper-topped linen, set amid dark wood and tile accents,” says Laura Bianchi in “Crain’s Chicago Business.” “Ask for a table in the more attractive domed dining room…tables are well-spaced throughout and the veteran staff confident and efficient.”
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Chicago Prime Steakhouse does a brisk business at both lunchtime and in the evening. During both dayparts, according to Bianchi, the steakhouse offers “a reasonably priced menu that's competently prepared and generously piled on.”
Appetizers lean classic with a Mediterranean twist—there’s steak tartar, escargot, and shrimp DeJonghe, also bruschetta and grilled Mediterranean octopus as well as portabella with a port glaze. Then, at the moment you think you’ve got the menu pegged, they’ve included a sesame-crusted ahi with wasabi aioli, Cajun scallops dressed with Tasso ham, and Buffalo-style Thai shrimp with scallions. Clearly, Chicago Prime Steakhouse is trying to create a menu big enough and welcoming enough to satisfy a range of tastes. If the picky eater at your table can’t find something here to nibble on, there’s a Taco Bell not terribly far down the road.
Unlike other steakhouses, Chicago Prime Steakhouse doesn’t regard “salad” as a single flavor one-note platter of greenery: there’s enticing nuance and variety in the options offered at Chicago Prime Steakhouse. Grab a classic bleu cheese and ranch wedge or beefsteak tomato and onion salad like you’re at the start of the three-martini lunch. Or mix it up with a roasted beet salad, a spinach salad coated with a warm, rich bacon vinaigrette, or Caprese made with real buffalo mozzarella.
The sides are likewise diverse, with the classic Idaho potato (with melted cheddar, garlic mash, and grilled asparagus) alongside the bold: onions straws served with a Thai-style hot sauce, lobster mac and cheese, herb-studded wild rice.
When the time has come for steak, you can pick a filet at anywhere from a petite 6 ounce cut to a generous one-pound bone-in filet. The New York strips (13, 16, and 18 ounces), porterhouses (18 and 24 ounces) and prime rib cuts (12 and 16 ounces) also present diners with more options than many Chicago-proper steakhouses.
If you’re looking to mix it up, there’s an incredibly high-quality 20 ounce tomahawk cut of Berkshire pork, a crispy-skinned chicken under brick (masonry is carefully removed before serving), or even a full slab of baby back ribs generously painted in house-made sauce.
When it comes to the seafood, the salmon is from Scotland, the king crab legs are from Alaska, and the ahi tuna is sushi grade. In the classic steakhouse tradition, Chicago Prime Steakhouse doesn’t skimp on the non-bovine ingredient sourcing. There’s also a Fortune 500 platter with a sticker price to match, but you’ll have to ask your server for the details (you will want to make sure you’re sitting down for that news).
While Chicago Prime might feature some of the eye-watering prices of its downtown cousins, there’s also a Prime Favorites menu for lunch-focused options and the budget conscious. Get that filet sliced and tucked into a slider bun with herb butter and horseradish cream, or have it diced and grilled with a silky cognac sauce. Roll up your sleeves and grab a French dip, or try a chicken DeJonghe on a soft bun with hand-cut fries on the side.
If you’re looking for a steakhouse lively enough to feel like downtown but low-key enough to keep you from getting heartburn alongside the check, Chicago Prime Steakhouse will satisfy as completely as a 48 ounce porterhouse and a glass of cabernet.
