Restaurants near Ballard Park

Excellent food and service! Can’t wait to come back.

My wife and I are frequent diners here. We had a very nice Greek salad and then the special Beef Wellington, which was the best piece of beef we have ever had, with a dressing to befit it. Well worth the price! Our server, Shayna, was terrific in her attentiveness, efficiency and promptness. What set her apart was her wonderful personality and sharing of her own story. She definitely added to the enjoyment of the evening! We got Christmas gift cards for our family, so we’ll be back regularly to use our bonus cards!

Was there for a business Christmas dinner and everything was really great. The ongoing visits with different meats made for a fun environment for the event.

We had 12 people and had great service because they operate as a team , not just one person serving . Always the best steak and friendly service out of any Steakhouse in Chicago. The steaks are first class and amazing, the sides are wonderful. And the desserts cannot be beat. Far away better than any other steak place in Chicago

This was a girls night out to celebrate a birthday and the holidays. My favorite thing about Ema - aside from how delicious and creative the food is - is that the portion sizes are big enough to share, but not so huge that you feel guilty ordering multiple dishes. There were six of us and we ordered a variety of cocktails (which were beautifully presented) followed by several dishes from all sections of the menu. We started with the classic hummus and the toasted almond & garlic spread. The hummus was predictably delicious, but the real standout was the toasted almond garlic spread. It was crunchy and nutty and had lots of flavor. We next had the chopped salad and the big eye tuna with Honeycrisp apple and pomegranate seeds. The chopped salad had a pleasantly surprising bit of spice to it, which we all enjoyed but….the tuna preparation was stellar and is a relatively new add to the menu. Ema’s previous tuna dish – from October – included watermelon, but this dish was truly spectacular! The bright pop of color and tartness in the pomegranate, paired with the tuna and diced apple, along with the mint… Made it look like Christmas on a plate. SK SO good!! We then had falafel, brussels sprouts and brown butter dates. The falafel is crunchy and flavorful, and served with a beet-laced tzatziki. The brussels sprouts were prepared with shallots and pumpkin seeds and a subtle hint of sticky sweetness. The dates were fine, but nobody was raving about them like we did the other dishes. We finished our meal with the harissa crusted halibut, and the cauliflower kebab. Both were excellent, although my personal favorite was the halibut. It is served on a bed of mushrooms, in a Dashi broth with a spicy crust on top. The fish was tender and flaky and full of flavor. Service (Morgan) was attentive but not annoying; ambience is chic and classy but comfortable. You would never know you are in a parking lot in Glenview as opposed to a terrace in the Mediterranean.