Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to eat steak: One of the most popular steakhouses in London, Hawksmoor, has officially opened in Chicago at 500 N. LaSalle Dr. in River North.
Voted No. 12 on the 2024 World's Best Steak Restaurants list (six Chicago eateries also made the ranking!), Hawksmoor was first opened in the UK by childhood friends Will Beckett and Huw Gott back in 2006.
Standout cuts served on site include the Chateubriand and the grass-fed rib chop, which are available on a rotating schedule. The restaurant's signature Beefsteak 1894 is also worth mentioning: It's inspired by a 1894 recipe from H.M. Kinsley, the renowned 19th century Chicago restaurateur, that involves drenching a single steak with two dozen roaster oysters.
In addition to the stellar fare on offer, the eatery gained recognition "as one of the few restaurants worldwide with a B Corp Certification, a three-star rating by the Green Restaurant Association" and more, according to an official press release. Not only is the food good, but it's made as sustainably as possible.
To achieve those accolades, Hawksmoor has been sourcing meat from ethically reared cattle while also focusing on sustainably sourced seafood.
"Hawksmoor’s menu has always been about honoring great produce and people," said Beckett in an official statement. "In the U.S., as we’ve done in the UK and Ireland, our team has spent many years traveling the country to meet incredibly passionate suppliers who can provide our guests the best in consciously raised ingredients—which, along with being the ethical choice, we know is also the most delicious."
That attention to detail influences the restaurant's cocktail program as well, which has in and of itself won a slew of awards.
"The beverage program at Hawksmoor Chicago is simultaneously a love letter to the new Chicago location and an homage to their recent Dublin opening in 2023, with a heavy focus on Irish whiskey, local craft beer, and cocktails inspired by the great steakhouses of Chicago," reads the release.
We must turn your attention to the Ultimate Martini, which is made silky smooth by a process of ultrasonic homogenization and is served beyond ice cold at 10°F from an insulated flask on the bar. Just imagine taking down a steak with that.
Although Chicago isn't Hawksmoor's first U.S. market—the restaurant debuted in New York back in 2021—we expect locals to swarm to the new eatery, which we are sure will soon be considered one of the best steakhouses in Chicago.
Keep scrolling to see what you can expect from Hawksmoor starting today.
