Our annual outing for Brian’s birthday usually brings us to a steakhouse in Chicago, and with seemingly zillions to choose from, there’s always something different to try. Also, I’m really trying to hone and curate my top five Chicago steakhouse list before publishing, so they are top of mind right now. We visited RPM Steak in Chicago on November 30, 2024, and were pleased with a lot of the nice, celebratory touches they added to our meal to make it feel extra special. Extra points due to this restaurant being part of the “Lettuce Entertain You” Group, so I collected lots of points, and bonus gift cards from dining here!

The vibe at RPM is almost club-like with the type of music that they choose to play, and it seems like one of the smaller steakhouses in Chicago. The space is totally open, though, and very minimalist and modern, anchored by a 2018 Ducati Panigale V4 Speciale motorcycle in the middle of the space. There are lots of cushy half-circle booths here, along with more traditional tables, and by 7pm on a Saturday night, the place was jammed. Definitely make a reservation well in advance.

Our service here was mostly flawless, and we started off with personalized menus for Brian’s birthday! We particularly loved our server, who was charming, explained things well, and brought us complimentary doughnuts at the end of the meal, simply because I couldn’t decide on dessert and wanted to try them. The sommelier came out several times to assist with wine choices, and RPM really has a fun, solid wine list including really stunning options from all over the world – not just really expensive Napa Cabs and Super Tuscans. The only minor notes regarding service I wanted to share, are that no one offered to take our coats when we arrived (which is strange in the winter, my coat just kind of sat next to me in the booth and I had to awkwardly move it around to get out and use the restroom, etc.); additionally, when they brought out Brian’s dessert with a candle, I was in the restroom, and not even there to enjoy the moment! A timing issue, I guess, but seems a pretty basic thing to mess up. These were two very minor snafus, though, that did not significantly detract from the otherwise excellent evening.

The food here is excellent, and rivals any other great steakhouse in Chicago. I loved the appetizer list, ranging from seafood, to bread, to other unique offerings, and had a really hard time choosing what to get, so we ordered a bunch of apps to try. I highly recommend the Australian Wagyu Tataki – impossibly thin strips of beef with a black garlic ponzu sauce that is supremely tasty, with a real umami kick, topped with crispy potato straws. Easily one of my favorite steakhouse appetizers in Chicago.

We also got the shrimp cocktail, with five large, robust, and tasty shrimp and a couple delectable cocktail sauces. The Parker House Rolls are a must as well. Served like a cake on a cake stand, these salty, fluffy morsels of goodness pull apart easily, and you almost don’t even need the butter they are served with, they are truly melt-in-your-mouth. I could grumble a bit about how they brought all of this stuff out at the same time, but luckily, the tables here are huge, and it wasn’t a big deal.

RPM Steak has a dizzying array of different types of beef you can choose for your main dish. In fact, their smashburger looked so good I almost ordered that, but for research purposes, I decided to stick with steak. I ordered “The Duke” which was a 10oz ribeye filet. Brian ordered the 16 oz Beerman Ranch Delmonico Wagyu Ribeye. Both cuts were excellent, cooked to perfection, and nicely seasoned. The outer crust of both steaks was actually extra crusty, which I really liked. A solid, crunchy crust is non-negotiable, since otherwise the steak will just be mushy, especially if prepared medium-rare. I was a little disappointed that my ribeye was, indeed, a filet, eschewing the best part of the ribeye – the cap – but it was so delicious I got over my disappointment really quickly.

If you’re like me, one of the best parts about steakhouses are the sides. RPM Steak really focuses on different types of potato prep for their sides, and has few simple vegetable options. Out of the 12 options for sides, six of them are potatoes! We decided to try the Crispy Hasselback Potato, since I’ve never seen this on a steakhouse menu before. It was totally awesomely crispy all around the outside, and really nice and buttery in the middle – a nice combo if you’re having trouble deciding between fries and a baked potato.

The bacon mac and cheese was pretty good – the pasta was not mushy, and it was super cheesy, although I thought there was actually too much bacon (I know, shocking, right?) making the dish too overwhelmingly bacon-tasting and salty. I would say this side is pretty skippable.

The best side by far, was the Crispy Brussels Sprouts with curry vinaigrette. I mean, wow! I usually find brussels sprouts to be pretty dry and flavorless unless they are cooked with some kind of epic sauce or bacon, but these were simply cooked, crispy on the outside (but not fried), and with a soft/solid center that had a really great flavor. It probably helps that brussels sprouts are in season, but man, these were easily the best steakhouse brussels sprouts I’ve had in a while. Don’t miss these!

The dessert menu here is really awesome, and as I already mentioned, I had a hard time choosing. Before we even went down the dessert road, though, they brought out a complimentary swirl of cotton candy, a whimsical start to our sweet course. Eventually, Brian landed on the 14K Chocolate Cake, and I had to try the Carrot Cake – mainly to compare it to the exquisite Carrot Cake at Bavette’s Bar and Boeuf.

Our server kindly brought us the vanilla sugar doughnuts to try – and they were super yummy, especially when you drizzle the super sweet Boston Cream on top. However, I would recommend sticking with the classics. These slices of cake are so massive, you can easily split them, but we chose to have our own, saving the leftovers for two more nights of dessert at home. Brian’s chocolate cake was luxuriously garnished with gold leaf, and it was just as rich as it looks in the photo.

As for the carrot cake, I really loved it, and you can’t really compare it to Bavette’s because they are totally different. The Bavette’s cake is also a multi-layer cake with gobs of frosting, but their cake has a ton of extra stuff in it like nuts and raisins, and their frosting has a healthy amount of cinnamon and other baking spices in it, making the flavor almost completely different. Here at RPM, the carrot cake is really simply prepared with no nuts or raisins, just carrots and some coconut. The frosting is also simple vanilla with no spices. So really, it just depends on your mood. If you’re feeling spicy, then go for Bavette’s, if you’re in more of a simple, solid mood, stick with RPM, both are really great in their own way!

I would recommend RPM Steak in Chicago, if you are looking for a solid steakhouse in River North, with lots of appetizer and steak options, and if you really love potatoes. This restaurant is great for a special occasion, and we loved our visit here!