Out to Oak Brook for McCormick & Schmick's

3001 Butterfield Road
Oak Brook Promenade
Oak Brook, IL 60523


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Quick Review- I went out to Oak Brook for my grandma's birthday and I'm sure grandma liked it but I thought was it just just trying to stay one step ahead of Red Lobster. It wasn't bad but it wasn't that great either. An average dining experience.

Long Review- We went out to Oak Brook to celebrate my grandma's birthday. Greek Island's was packed and the wait was about 40 minutes so we headed over to McCormick & Schmick's. Like most of the restaurants in Oak Brook it was in a mall along a bustling street (more like a highway).

The interior is nice for a national chain. Wood paneled walls and thatched patterned rug that tries to invoke impressions of an old steakhouse combined with a fishing lodge with prints of fish everywhere. The combination of themes work- sort of. That is if you can ignore the corporate, standardized undertone of the space.

Though, when we were waiting for the host to show us to our table I glanced to my left and notice the bar area. Overweight frat types sitting at the bar watching a Cubs game. I guess grandma didn't know this was half a sportsbar, and neither did we. The bar area didn't match the impression the restaurant is trying.

We sat down at the tables that had white table cloth on them to give the impression of an upscale restaurant. I was starting to get confused of how McCormick & Schmick's and upscale could be used in the same sentence. It seems nice be upscale it isn't.

We ordered mussels as an appetizer to start. They were alright. The server got my mother's wine order mixed up when she brought the drinks out. Pink wine was served to her instead of white. The server was very nice about the mix up and apologized promptly bringing out the correct wine.

We ordered the main course. I had the stuffed salmon. I love salmon- but not here. It was alright. Though, it came with mashed potatoes, carrots and asparagus. The mash potatoes were heavy and starchy and a bit unflavored, the vegetables were undercooked and tasteless.

We got the check and left. It was a generic and average experience. I wouldn't go McCormick & Schmick's again unless I was meeting someone for a business lunch there.

Overall rating 2/5 stars