Department Restaurant

This spot never disappoints. They serve good food for affordable prices, there no long wait even when the place is loaded.

I only went back to this place after my first bad food experience because the options in this area are limited. However, after my most recent visit I will never go back, unless they get a new chef. The menu recently changed and it makes this place feel cheap and trashy. Just another copy cat menu full of unimaginative suburban food that is unappealing to anyone who is looking for something other than meat and potatoes. I ordered shrimp and it came with the vegetable of the day, sugar snap peas. I chose fries as my side and thank god I did because it was the only edible food on the plate. The pea pods were way overcooked, to the point of mush, except for the ends that weren't properly cut which were sharp and inedible as well as visually unappetizing. The shrimp was also overcooked. I truly believe they bought precooked shrimp and then cooked it again to the consistency of rubber. The only positives about this place is the building itself and the awesome waitress we had, whose name I cant recall. Its just too bad the Department falls so incredibly short in the most important area for any restaurant, FOOD! I apparently am not the only one who has this opinion because the place was virtually empty on a Friday evening. I want to like this place so badly. Its got so much potential and given the lack of options in the area, they should be packed ever night. Unfortunately, the Department is going down fast.

Upon arriving, we were very impressed. The table is covered in butcher paper. The decor is really nice. Relaxing, yet trendy. We dined at 5:30 and the place was not as busy as when we left. We were offered a sample of a beer after inquiring it's taste. (Good thing, because I don't think I could have finished a full glass of it!) I ordered a Hacker Pschorr. When my ordered beer arrived, I was not offered a glass. We ordered the crab cakes for appetizer. Great taste. The sauce was kicky and very tasty! They offered 3 small cakes - honestly, they should just use the same amount and serve two. They were very small. The salad came next. Small salad. Stale breadstick. I ordered the grilled salmon and garlic rosemary mashed red potatoes. My husband ordered the 12 oz. prime rib and the twice baked potato. I was asked how I wanted my salmon cooked and I wasn't quite sure of the purpose of that question. When my meal arrived, it was a grilled salmon that was slightly overcooked. It would have been much better with slightly sweet sauce. The potatoes were great. My husband said his meal was good. We were offered dessert. However, we passed. We were both pretty full. We both thought the restaurant was overpriced. Slightly better service, bigger salad, and a little more effort on the food might make it worth the price.

Took our staff there for lunch and had several special dietary needs in our group, everyone was satisfied with their food and the choices were plenty. Ever since this restaurant opened several years ago I keep going back, there is a special ambiance that just feels magical any time of the year but especially during Christmas time. They deck out the place to the gills and it makes you all warm inside as you sit in such a beautiful place and it's snowing outside and your are just so warm sitting by one of their fireplaces. Love their Martinis, thank you for opening this restaurant and for having such great staff.

Wow, this place is the best Joliet has to offer. Top notch service and food is crazy good! I had the Cajun Ribeye and it was tender, juicy and full of flavor. My wife had the pasta in the most rich and delicious sauces. Everything from our salads, appetizer (bacon wrapped scallops), dinners, sides and dessert was tasty and obviously fresh. The server, Tommy, was nice, quick and there to please. The live music was great and the server told us the building is over 100 years old. We loved the old brick walls and how they decorated it. Also, very clean place which we find very important. Can't wait to return. M.P.