Joe Fish Italian

I have nothing bad to say about this place. Great service. Great food. Good ambiance for a great price. I had the rigatoni in the vodka sauce. It’s spicy but not overwhelming. It’s a portion size that’s not big enough for leftovers but big enough to fill you up. The waitress, Mary, was very pleasant. I’d definitely return.

This place was incredible! The service was wonderful and all their recommendations were awesome. We were stranded in Chicago after sitting on a plane at ORD for 8 hours. Tired and frustrated this was an oasis of calm and elegance.

I was not impressed. The food was good, but not for the price. It just seemed overpriced for what we got. I would have much rather gone to Dusek’s, Girl and the Goat, Au Cheval, etc.
The service was strange too — our waiter took away dishes and the appetizer even though we weren’t finished. The whole experience was just not my cup of tea.

It’s been ages since I’ve written a review on here. I’ve always felt it was important to share good experiences, bad ones, and those in between. That said — I’m fairly torn on my review for Joe Fish as the food was pretty good, our server Abel — was able (I’m hilarious) and accommodating, but the place itself was in complete disarray.
We went for an early-​ish dinner this past Friday — seated promptly and greeted quickly. Our server was enthusiastic (possibly new to the restaurant so it felt a bit forced but he was a really nice and genuine guy so free pass on being too «scripted»)
We dine out often. Probably too much and love checking out the newest places or hitting up old standbys. Joe Fish doesn’t really fall into either category — it’s far from trendy, it’s more fake nice than truly upscale although the mgmt would have you think otherwise.
Some oddities:
1) we were seated in the back section. Nice and quiet, solid table. That was until the staff was asked by the manager to set, reset, unset (that’s a word, trust) 3 different tables about 5 different times for a variety of different sizes parties. This included said manager sliding (maybe tossing?) chairs across the dining room section to the wait staff, basically right past our table, having LOUD and seemingly nasty conversations with them — basically just imposing himself, likely inadvertently, on us for the beginning portion of our meal.
2) We ordered some obnoxiously large chocolate cake for dessert. I’m not sure if it was another manager or their «dessert bringer outter» — but upon serving us the cake she asked in a very condescending tone «special occasion?» — almost in a way to say «awwww, you guys saved up for months to eat at this fancy restaurant» — honey, let me fill you in on a few things. Your restaurant isn’t special occasion worthy, I eat at more expensive places on Wednesdays at 3pm and just because your clientele are mostly suburbanites in terrible clothing — don’t mistake our jeans for anything less than fashionable. We’re not kids. We’re the type of people you should want at your establishment — and even though your food was OK — there are far too many other places that will get my business.
Oh yeah — the food. It’s apparently a «new menu» which meant nothing to us since we’ve never been — but if this is a spot you frequent it’s apparently now called Joe Fish Italian — and the fish was almost an after thought. Weird. The grilled octopus was tasty — nice kick to it and the Caesar was nice as well. We also had the Chilean Sea Bass which was well prepared and the crispy edges were the best part. The Cacio e pepe was the recommended pasta — it’s simple as it should be but ultimately sort of bland.
So — food was good. Our server was nice. However the front of house negatively impacted what should have been a much higher rating. Food only goes so far if the overall experience is less than desirable. It’s not like we were whipping and nae-​naeing at the table. Puh-​lease

All good. The food is incredible and the service great Oysters? Calamari? Alaskan Halibut? All fabulous.

Three of us ate at Joe Fish and I have to say overall they do a really good job. We spilt a Crab Louie Salad ($ 27) and they brought out and mixed it table side. The salad was prefect for three of us to spilt but would be too big if only two people. I had the lobster ravioli and it came with a baby lobster tail on top. Very good but a little small on the portion side. The others had the scallop risotto & salmon. The salmon was excellent and the scallops were big and cooked perfectly. Only downer was the risotto was not fully cooked and was a little hard. The service was great!

I cant believe I did not know about this restaurant. The entire experience was perfection.
–bar area was inviting and fun. Lots to look at, ordered cocktails, which were fantastic. the Hook 12 is delicious! I look forward to recreating at home.
–hostess seated us, and then the dreamy experience starts. water people, napkin fork people, wine people, food delivery, food order splitters, all floating around you to make your dining experience above par. they even answer your questions before you ask, as they walk by, how did they know I wanted to know that? good people readers all around.
–food. what can I say, loved everything. Ahmed suggested a couple things, so I said just do it. we will split an assortment of oysters, a crab cake and the zuppe de pesche. oysters were phenom, the sauces they gave you to try were unique and very very good. the crab cake as giant. it could be a meal. we split that too, and the food splitter did that right in front of us, on a tray. cake is filled with meat, not much filling at all. so good. came with cole slaw, that my hubby kept trying to figure out what the dressing was, one of the floating staff walks by and says «russian dressing, home made». oh that was nice! the finale was this massive never ending bowl of seafood pasta, again, the splitter guy taking his time diving everything equal as best as he can. crab legs, lobster, mussels, clams, calamari, octopus, shrimp… did i miss anything? thank gawd we split, because neither one of us could finish our half portions. it was so good. now we are full, but a floater dude drops off a dessert menu, and as we are pondering, anther floater dude walks by and says «my favorite is the bottom» and describes it real fast while he is still walking by. ok decision made for us thats easy. ordered that, and I have no idea what it was, tasted like a berry tiramisu with luxardo cherries on it. AMAZE.
–totally in food coma, big stupid smiles on our faces, we walked out with full tummies and promises to come back.

The burrata was quite good. Lobster ravioli was also very tasty. Ended with the chocolate cake which was huge and delicious.

Love Joe Fish.
From start to finish, I was extremely satisfied with my experience at the restaurant. Walking in, the ambiance is very nice — lots of windows, bright interior, with woody, nautical tones. My lady and I came in for happy hour (with $ 1 oysters!) and were seated right at the oyster bar, in front of the open kitchen.
The service was excellent and prompt. We had two dozen oysters, the house sauvignon
blanc, and the grilled octopus salad. All were delicious. We happened to be one of the few patrons there at the beginning of the happy hour on a Tuesday, so the food came out sooo fast. In fact, we would order something, then watch them cook it seconds later in the open kitchen, and be served within minutes. Amazing. May be a different experience when it is busier.
Overall, I really enjoyed Joe Fish. I highly recommend it!

This place rocks! The location is great, especially if you’re staying at one of the hotels next door or across the street. The décor was modern and the space is on the corner, so it’s great for people watching. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting on their patio or inside, you will enjoy yourself. The drinks were on point every day I was there. I had their $ 1 oyster special. As a traveler, Joe Fish was practically my home away from home.
Bartenders, host and management was great. I met them all because i did some day drinking/​late night drinking too.
Parking: Walk or Über.

Great place to come for dinner and Happy Hour which includes dollar oysters and $ 5 Sauvignon Blanc. Friendly staff, excellent food and a great deal. I have tried several items on their menu and have not been disappointed. One of my favorites is the Imported Burrata… a large plate if heirloom tomatoes, imported burrata, basil and prosciutto. It is beautifully presented as well. Mile K. was our waiter and he was exceptional! Can’t wait to come back and explore the menu further.

The boy and I came here for happy hour oysters on Sunday. I was a little confused because I received conflicting information on when happy hour starts. Online and a hard copy ad at the hostess table said 3−7PM but when I called to confirm before making a reservation, the person on the phone said 5−7PM.
Either way, we arrived in the nick of time and ordered 18 oysters for ourselves. They were delicious. I didn’t realize the oysters were Chef’s choice, but they were still good nonetheless. Perfect with a squeeze of lemon and horseradish.
Although our server went missing when we asked for our check and the credit card system was down so we had to use an old school credit card machine, I enjoyed my time. The open door/​window seating was perfect in the warm weather. However, for a classy establishment like Joe Fish, it makes me wonder why one would hear the name of the music station/​music break while dining.
Overall, I would definitely come back for the happy hour. Plus $ 5 glass of sauvignon blanc!

Don’t know about you, but I’m an oyster loving gal and I just learned Joe Fish has fresh oysters daily for only a $ 1 from 3 – 7. Sort of an «oyster happy hour» if you will.
I’m thinking offices in the area are going to be very empty starting at 3. Thanks, Joe. That’s the way I like to end my day!

A great experience at Joe Fish today. Sat at the bar and received exception service from
Ish, he was the real deal. Friendly, easy conversationalist, and cares about his craft. I was impressed! He spoke very highly of Chef Joe as well. Not just how well he cooks his food, but how well he takes care of his staff. Hats off to a chef that cares about his people!
The food, oh the food. It was lunch, so I had a salad, but the salad I had was the eggplant stack. Very different than the typical salad and absolutely wonderful. The portion size was more than I could eat. It was a wonderful blend of eggplant, tomato, mozzarella and balsamic– yum! Perfect for a girl watching her figure.
This was a great stop during my visit to Chicago. I highly recommend Joe Fish.

Joe Fish is Rosebud’s prettied-​up former corner diner-​styled location turnt posh-​aquatic delish.
Seared Ahi Tuna, crispy Grouper sandwich, seared scallops in mushroom risotto, fresh panna cotta and gelato are the standouts so far in my 3 lunchtime visits… along with grilled octopus salad, which is plentiful but very salty.
Still yet. Someone back there in the kitchen though knows what’s what, BY THE BY.
In addition, the wine list is one to easily enjoy and for those who don’t, the black coffee makes you hate the corner Baristaperk and is rolled out diplomatic style.
And this is one of the prettiest restaurants to pop up in Rick Baylessville; also recently began serving lunch. They are not fucking around in there and you can tell by the bright magenta leather booths meshing with dark wood tables and royal red chairs all throughout.
The servers dress in white lab coats and that’s to let you know that they mean business, dammit. You will be taken care of!
This almost secluded River North spot is nestled a few blocks west and north enough, away from all of the people madness that jams sidewalks from gawking at Michigan Avenue or State Street storefront displays, street performers, bright lights, bumble bees, wateva.
Joe Fish’s $ 25 3-​course lunch is worth the journey as they change up the selections daily.

On a particularly busy winter’s Friday night in Downtown Chicago, we just weren’t getting lucky when it came to bars and lounges. The first four places we attempted to go were either too full, or weren’t allowing more patrons inside. We ended up at Joe Fish, and even though they weren’t accepting additional customers at their bar area, they checked with management, and allowed us to be seated at a table in the dining area. While it was a nice concession, it was kind of strange, because no one bothered to tell our waiter that we would just be ordering drinks, not food. I think he was kind of miffed until he remembered how expensive drinks = bigger gratuity.
Joe Fish has a fun cocktail menu with myriad «fish bowl”-style punches that are house-​made and available in a variety of sizes. At $ 12 a pop for the «individual”-sized punches, the price seemed fair given the fact that you’re in Chicago, at a nice restaurant, and that the punches are homemade and served in cool bowls. Sadly, however, they weren’t as boozy as I would have liked. We ordered one Pisco Punch and one Fish House Punch. Fortunately for our waiter, George, we needed to order another round before heading out, so this time we stuck with the non-​Punch concoctions, and ordered a Blood Orange Mojito (surprisingly boozy and not too sweet) and a Cucumber Fizz (pleasantly buzzing). $ 11 and $ 12, respectively. Again, fair.
I guess the moral of the story here is that what the Punch Bowls lack in apparent booze they make up for in kitschiness, where as for about the same price, you can get a more traditional cocktail without the kitsch but with perhaps more kick.
Nicely enough, even though we were only drinking, George offered our table a trio of «Amuse Bouche» tastes, which were fun little cucumber foam creations, as well as allowed us to choose from the bread basket of fresh and delicious breads.
All in all, sub-​$ 50 before tax, and although it wasn’t the «bar» experience we were seeking, it wasn’t so bad.

Had a yummy dinner at Joe Fish last Friday and this place really does the seafood experience up right with a clean and cool ambiance, knowledgeable servers, and delicious fare.
I started out my my meal with one of their Bang Bang Biscuits. If you’re at all a bread fan do not leave Joe Fish without ordering one of these. The large, hot biscuit is served with melted butter and a pimento cheese sauce both of which are delicious but I won’t lie to you I went crazy with the melted butter, simply could not get enough!
For my entrée I went with a delicious pasta dish full of clams and scallops in a white wine sauce. The portion was huge and I could not get enough! Other diners in my group went with the fish & chips, calamari salad, burger, and parmesan crusted chicken. Everyone enjoyed their meal and all the portions were quite reasonable for the pricing.
If you want seafood done right Joe Fish stands out in an area ripe with options.

3.5 Stars
The first time I went to Joe’s was 10 days after it open and needless to say it wasn’t the best experience. I decided to give it another go this pass Friday and took my bestfriend here for a going away dinner. The service was definitely a lot better. Our waiter made various recommendations to us and was very pleasant.
For an appetizer we started with the Oyster Rockafellar. I had these last time and they are amazing! For those that don’t like raw oysters definitely give this a try. For my meal I ordered the Hanger Steak which came with a side of Lobster Mac and Cheese. This has got to be the best mac and cheese I have had in my entire life! Made to perfection! My friend had the Shrimp Risotto and a side of spinich and brocolli which was also decent. There dessert potion size is ridiculous… lol. Defintely order one dessert to share. The elderly couple at the table next to us look like they were going to pass out from there huge slice of chocolate cake. I cannot think of the name of the dessert my friend and I ordered (picture below), but it was really good. Ice cream and chocolaty goodness. Can’t go wrong.
Now why does my review stay in the 3 star range… pricing and ambience. For 2 people and no drinks our meal came to $ 134.00. That would be okay if this was a fancy restaurant, but just looking at the décor it’s not. Those who are familiar with Long John silvers… that’s sort of what it looks like. The décor is definitely not impressive. I also still find there seating in too close proxomity to other tables. I wouldn’t mind paying that much money for elegance and a nice fancy dinner, but I don’t see this place that way so you end up having a WTF moment when you get your check. I’m pretty sure I’m done with Joe’s for a while. Great food, but too expensive for the atmosphere.

Just got out of an event at Joe Fish and I must say, I am pleasently surprised at the quality of the food here. I’m from Miami, where seafood is as fresh as it comes, & I’m telling you Joe got his fish down pact, yo!
Here is what we ate, in the order it came out:
1. Crab cake. Not your average, came out of the freezer aisle crap. This one was lumpy, generous, luscious crab. They did not skimp on this. It was beautifully plated, tasted devine, and left me wanting more. A must have when I go back!
2. Mussels in a tomato? ish sauce. The mussels were good, taste was spot on. However, they were small and some were missing from its shell. Still looking for those little suckers! If you find my missing ones, please let me know! :) haha. I would def skip this menu item next time.
3. Tomato salad topped with blue cheese, bacon, and balsamic. This was kind of… well… Whatever. It was simple and it was good but it was also something I could make it at home for a fraction of the cost. Another offering to skip.
4. Mushroom/​Scallop risotto topped with caviar. HELLO, LOVER!!! (insert emoji hearts here). Wow, what a mouth F$%& !! This was phenomenal. I’d definitely go back to order the full portion of this. Worth every dollar, every bite, every calorie. The scallops were cooked to perfection and the scallop that was served to me was not a measley, small looking little guy that I’ve been served at other Chi seafood spots — the size was… ahem, just right (that’s what she said).
That’s all for my culinary adventure here but I have to give a huge shout out to my awesome server of the night — Robert. He was very attentive, refilled my drinks as needed, paid constant attention to our table, and was just super nice overall. He even gave me a business card for future visits. You’re awesome, Roberto. See you and Joe again soon.

I came here for a Unilocal event and had an amazing time! The staff at Joe Fish are all professional, knowledgable about the menu and personable. Robert was our main server and he was top notch!
Since I was at Joe Fish for an event the menu was all ready set and I enjoyed everything I ate. My two favorite dishes were the scallop and risotto and the crab cake. I am a huge fan of crab cakes and I must say that the crab cake at Joe Fish ranks in the top 3 of The Best Crab Cake I’ve ever had the pleasure of chowing down on.
I’ definitely be coming back here in the very near future!