Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago

Name: Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago
Address: 465 E. Illinois Street, Chicago, IL, United States, 60611
Telephone: (312) 280-9200
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.8

4.8

1323 Reviews

$30 and under

Barbecue

Top tags:

A Chicago institution since 1977, Carson's is the place sought by millions of BBQ devotees year after year. Our dedication to hearty portions, homemade family recipes made daily from scratch, and our no-holds-barred attitude toward the finest quality makes it no wonder why Carson's is America's #1 BBQ.

Our authentic slow-smoked BBQ baby back ribs are the star attraction at Carson's, but other must-try items include BBQ or Greek Chicken and Chops, USDA Certified Black Angus and Prime Steaks, exceptional salad dressings, scratch-made potato sides, Award-Winning Cole Slaw, shrimp, and salmon.

Located conveniently just steps from Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue, Carson's is situated on the beautiful Ogden Slip of the Chicago River in a cozy and tastefully renovated warehouse space with exposed brick and wooden beams that are over 100 years old.

Come see why Carson's is a quintessential Chicago landmark restaurant for over 40 years.

Make a booking

No. of diners

2 people

DateTime

30 Jun 2022

19:00

Booked 32 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Takeaway

(312) 280-9200

Other options

Order online

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Cuisines
Barbecue, Steak, American
Hours of Operation
Fri, Sat 11:30–23:00 Sun 11:30–22:00 Dinner Mon–Thu 15:00–22:00
Phone number
(312) 280-9200
Website
http://ribs.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress Code
Smart Casual
Executive Chef
Kim Baldwin
Catering
Carson’s Prime Steaks and Famous Barbecue now has a beautiful event space to host large parties. Our Classic Chicago River Room can be reserved for large private events for complete sit down dinners with a private bar. The River Room has lovely views of Ogden Slip and City lights, exposed brick, wood beams, picture windows, tablecloths, waiter service, full bar and wine list. Aside from our River Room, we have a fabulous large stand alone private dining room table perfect for elegant celebratory occasions. Carson’s is an authentic Chicago family owned and operated restaurant since 1977 which delivers a PERSONAL TOUCH hard to find elsewhere. We serve Delicious Award Winning Barbecue, Prime or Angus Steaks, Chops, Chicken, Shrimp, and Salmon. Desserts, side dishes, and cornbread are also HOMEMADE. Large carry out orders are available for pick up. Please contact Party Planner Nick (323) 540-4888 You may also feel free to contact owner Dean Carson at 773-310-1000
Private party facilities
Carson’s Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue has beautiful event space to host large parties. We welcome you to contact us to discuss your party needs and reserve your important date.
Private party contact
Nick Herrera: (323) 540-4888

Location
465 E. Illinois Street Chicago, IL 60611
Area
Gold Coast / Streeterville
Cross Street
Lake Shore Drive
Parking Details
3-HOUR SELF PARKING AVAILABLE FOR ONLY $10 at Downtown Chicago in Streeterville. Self-park directly across the street; enter on Illinois Street at Parkview Garage - 456 E Illinois St. The garage is UNDERGROUND below One Bennett Park. Please validate your ticket at Carson's front desk at the end of your visit. For questions, call 312-280-9200.
Public Transit
CTA 66 Chicago Bus - Eastbound toward Navy Pier | Take the CTA Red Line "L" to Grand & State, then walk or bus 7 blocks east on Illinois Street.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeaway, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Popular dishes

What 1,323 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

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Filters

S
Sheek
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
The service is top tier! You’re water is filled every time you take a sip and the warm wet towels after dinner is AMAZINGLY satisfying. Food was amazing and the River view gives a nice vibe.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall3food5service4ambience3
Let me start off by saying the food was wonderful as always. We have been here many times as we live a few blocks away. Our waitress was also amazing! Cannot say enough good things about her. However, we were a party of 11, and were seated in the main dining area. A party of 11 people is going to be at a certain noise level. The host came by in the first half of our meal (before we even got our food) and said we needed to keep it down and we were being too loud, that we could have a good time but on a quieter level. It was just very awkward and kind of rude in the way it was brought up, there was no real apology for it and our entire group felt incredibly awkward for the rest of the meal. We felt we could not actually enjoy ourselves because we were going to get in trouble again for being too loud. I’m not sure why such a large party was not seated in the back corner (there was space). It just felt rude and confrontational, and soured the experience for the entire table.
H
Happydiner
Orlando
14 reviews
vip
5.0
14 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
The service was good and food was great! Have already made a reservation to go back soon.
m
mikeb
New York Area
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience4
The ribs were great but the biggest surprise was the Greek lemon potatoes. They were crispy, and full of flavor. Didn’t think I could get them all down after a full rack……but I did. Lol The service was attentive, polite and informative. Will definitely eat here again on another trip to Chicago.
VB
VinceB
Chicago
10 reviews
vip
5.0
10 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
This is the Best place in Town for steak and BBQ!!
TK
TomK
Chicago
100 reviews
5.0
100 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Good food service and getting better
CJ
CuyahogaJan
Cleveland
68 reviews
vip
5.0
68 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious. This is an iconic restaurant.
JH
JulieH
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 21 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our dinner at Carson’s was great! The food was super hot, service was exceptional, and prices were fair for downtown Chicago. Beautiful setting, close to Navy Pier. Would definitely recommend!
RR
RuckRecommends
San Francisco
13 reviews
vip
4.0
13 reviews
Dined on 21 June 2022
overall4food4service5ambience4
Awesome server and service and damn good bbq. Also, best wings We’ve ever ordered. Would def eat here again! It’s not brilliant, just really good. Can’t go wrong.
C
Chenise
Chicago
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on 20 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing ambiance.
DM
DeenaM
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 19 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very great experience!! Food was delicious, staff great , restrooms clean!!
NM
NigelM
Washington DC
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 19 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great meal, great service, great food. Pricey, but with generous portions and great service it's well worth the trip. Strongly recommend for bbq or any special occasion. Numerous vegetarian/vegan options as well.
D
Derek
Chicago
40 reviews
5.0
40 reviews
Dined on 19 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Enjoyed my Father’s Day meal! Great size portions. I haven’t been here in 30yrs, it’s always had a special place in our family. Glad to be back!
Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - ChicagoResponded on 20 June 2022❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Love this post Derek! Happy Father’s Day from ALL of us at Carson’s Ribs of Chicago. We really appreciate your coming back to enjoy a great with us! 💯 Thank you for your 5 stars ⭐️ and compliments ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
OT
OpenTable Diner
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 19 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Food was amazing! Great service as well!
SS
ScottS
Chicago
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 19 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always a great meal served by friendly and professional staff. They accommodated a late arrival on one of their busiest days and we appreciated it very much!
Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - ChicagoResponded on 21 June 2022Thank you so much for this excellent review of your Father’s Day experience at Carson’s Chicago. We are thrilled you had a 5 star time with us and complimented our service staff so nicely. As a family owned and operated restaurant, it makes our day when our guests compliment our workers. Thank you again Scott. We really appreciate it and your business. ❤️
H
darbiH
Chicago
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on 19 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Awesome food and service!!!!
F
Fig4food
Austin
31 reviews
vip
5.0
31 reviews
Dined on 18 June 2022
overall5food5service4ambience4
Another excellent early dinner at Carson's. French onion soup, crab cakes, garbage salad, cheeseburger, au gratin potatoes, Greek potatoes. Food delicious, service on point; absolute great value, especially when compared to other places downtown. One of my faves. Have been g there for 25 yrs and will continue to do so.
S
Stuart
Chicago
151 reviews
vip
3.0
151 reviews
Dined on 16 June 2022
overall3food3service4ambience4
The host - guy who seated us acted like he was doing us a favor. Very indifferent demeanor. We live about two blocks from the restaurant. Not even a thank you when he left. To be honest he really was not doing us a favor. I know the female hostesses very cordial. Frankly we were with another couple from out of town. If it were the 2 of us my wife would have done an about face and walked out of the place. It showed that he didn’t want to be there
k
kellyeb
Chicago
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 16 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was great. The staff was exceptional. Bonita the Waitress was very nice, patient and helpful. We had to wait a while to be seated but it was very well worth it. They were very apologetic and nice. I will be visiting again. Kellye B
PS
PaulS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 15 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Excelente comida y relación precio calidad. Muy recomendable.
F
Fritz
Chicago
9 reviews
vip
4.0
9 reviews
Dined on 12 June 2022
overall4food4service4ambience3
Carson's provide a nice selection in its menu. Food was good and not overly expensive. Service was quite good. For a Sunday evening the music was a bit too load and made it difficult to communicate across the table. One annoyance, they added an automatic 18% tip. While our service was good and that level of gratuity was in order, I would like to choose the level of tipping for myself. It starts at 15% and then adjusted (up or down) for the quality of service, not starting at 18%.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 12 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food- ribs were delicious. Loved the ambience too. Will definitely make this restaurant a tradition for our yearly trip to Chicago!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
17 reviews
vip
5.0
17 reviews
Dined on 12 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food excellent, as always. Gabriel and the serving team were superb.
r
ryanw
Chicago
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on 12 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Best food in Chicago, & that is saying something! Only recent development I don't care for is the 18% tacked on to every table, regardless of the number of diners. Point being, I always tip at least 20% here but, without realizing as I had a few or 3 martini's I almost wrote in a 20% tip ON TOP OF the 18% already included by Carson's...on a $150 ticket I would have added $30.00 on top of the already included $$27.00 already on there!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 12 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
It was great
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 6 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We were able to enjoy the delicious pork rib and steak with splendid atmosphere.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 6 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food
w
williamr
Chicago
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 5 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great ribs
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 5 June 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Exceptional service with great food and drink recommendations! We got the ribs of course, Mediterranean grilled wings, and miso salmon. Everything was excellent!!
PD
PeggyD
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 31 May 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Celebrated our son's graduation from the Chicago Fire Academy. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. They even sent over a complimentary dessert congratulating my son.
v
valentinf
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 31 May 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Service was awesome. Food was great! staff very friendly. parking was convenient with parking validation
WS
WilliamS
Chicago
50 reviews
vip
5.0
50 reviews
Dined on 30 May 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very great service! Always dependable!!
F
Fig4food
Austin
32 reviews
vip
5.0
32 reviews
Dined on 30 May 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Been eating here for years. Food is always delicious. Service was great,
JS
JarrettS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 30 May 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food, great drinks, and great service! You will not be disappointed with choosing Carson's.
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on 29 May 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The ribs is soooo good! I will go back for sure!
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 29 May 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Awesome date!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 29 May 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food and service as usual. Very consistent. Hard to find that kind of continuous excellence
AH
AnnaH
Chicago
21 reviews
4.0
21 reviews
Dined on 28 May 2022
overall4food5service3ambience5
Classic dishes, such as the ribs, steaks, pork chop and shrimp. Make sure you try the au gratin potatoes.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 28 May 2022
overall3food3service3ambience4
Food and service were not what you would expect for the money.
LW
LatashaW
Chicago
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on 24 May 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The waiter was very attentive and made our anniversary experience wonderful. The food was hot and cooked just right

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitising
- Surfaces sanitised between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitised menu provided
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Sanitiser or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available

Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Staff is vaccinated

FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago using the Order Online button. Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (312) 280-9200.

Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago is rated 4.8 stars by 1323 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

No. of diners

2 people

DateTime

30 Jun 2022

19:00

Booked 32 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Takeaway

(312) 280-9200

Other options

Order online

Google Map for Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago

465 E. Illinois Street Chicago, IL 60611

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
Lake Shore Drive
Area
Gold Coast / Streeterville
Hours of Operation
Fri, Sat 11:30–23:00 Sun 11:30–22:00 Dinner Mon–Thu 15:00–22:00
Cuisines
Barbecue, Steak, American
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress Code
Smart Casual
Parking Details
3-HOUR SELF PARKING AVAILABLE FOR ONLY $10 at Downtown Chicago in Streeterville. Self-park directly across the street; enter on Illinois Street at Parkview Garage - 456 E Illinois St. The garage is UNDERGROUND below One Bennett Park. Please validate your ticket at Carson's front desk at the end of your visit. For questions, call 312-280-9200.
Public Transit
CTA 66 Chicago Bus - Eastbound toward Navy Pier | Take the CTA Red Line "L" to Grand & State, then walk or bus 7 blocks east on Illinois Street.
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Executive Chef
Kim Baldwin
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeaway, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://ribs.com/
Phone number
(312) 280-9200
Catering
Carson’s Prime Steaks and Famous Barbecue now has a beautiful event space to host large parties. Our Classic Chicago River Room can be reserved for large private events for complete sit down dinners with a private bar. The River Room has lovely views of Ogden Slip and City lights, exposed brick, wood beams, picture windows, tablecloths, waiter service, full bar and wine list. Aside from our River Room, we have a fabulous large stand alone private dining room table perfect for elegant celebratory occasions. Carson’s is an authentic Chicago family owned and operated restaurant since 1977 which delivers a PERSONAL TOUCH hard to find elsewhere. We serve Delicious Award Winning Barbecue, Prime or Angus Steaks, Chops, Chicken, Shrimp, and Salmon. Desserts, side dishes, and cornbread are also HOMEMADE. Large carry out orders are available for pick up. Please contact Party Planner Nick (323) 540-4888 You may also feel free to contact owner Dean Carson at 773-310-1000
Private party facilities
Carson’s Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue has beautiful event space to host large parties. We welcome you to contact us to discuss your party needs and reserve your important date.
Private party contact
Nick Herrera: (323) 540-4888

Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Takeaway

Other options

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

The Best Restaurants with a View in Chicago

The Best Wings in Chicago

Popular dishes

Steak Fries

Famous au Gratin Potatoes

Chargrilled Mediterranean Wings or Shrimp

Menu

What 1,323 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Sort by

Filters

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitising

Screening

FAQs

Does Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago restaurant rated?

Is Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue - Chicago currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Takeaway

Other options

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

The Best Restaurants with a View in Chicago

The Best Wings in Chicago