What to Know About Sophia Steak, Now Serving Steaks and Seafood in River North
It’s often said that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So when Ballyhoo Hospitality saw an opportunity to bring a third location of its very successful North Shore steakhouse Sophia Steak to the city, they didn’t hesitate. Taking over the former Gemini Grill on the ground floor of luxury high rise One Chicago at the corner of State and Chicago, Sophia Steak aims to bring a more accessible steakhouse to a city full of great steakhouses. Oh, and it’s really pretty, too.
Upon arrival, take in the large wraparound bar and the adjoining lounge for pre-dinner drinks (or stop in for a snack and some bubbles and call it a night — more on that in a minute). The main dining room goes for more of an old school clubhouse vibe, with gallery walls displaying framed art, large tables, and oval booths where you can actually face your friends for conversation.
The room is a stunner, but you’re here to eat. There are steaks and seafood, of course, but also much more — plenty of salads and sandwiches, nightly rotating specials, and even a dedicated kid’s menu. Here’s everything else you need to know about the first downtown location of this popular steakhouse.
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Sophia is a real person
Patron saint may not be exactly right, but the spirit of Sophia Ouilmette, the restaurant’s namesake, does preside over the space — at least the private Queen’s Table (see below). One of Antoine and Archange Ouilmette’s daughters (whom Wilmette is named for), Sophia is represented here in the form of subtle feminine touches, a pleasant departure from the heavily masculine steakhouse aesthetic. Think floral print walls, flowy curtains above the bar, and a wide selection of seafood and vegetable-forward dishes. It’s all very balanced and subtle — and there’s still plenty of those steakhouse signatures, like big slabs of meat, iceberg wedges, and hefty bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon.
This is a neighborhood brasserie for weeknight steak dinners
One of the goals when Ballyhoo opened the first Sophia Steak in Wilmette was to have enough variety on the menu — at approachable enough prices — that diners wouldn’t feel like a steak dinner had to be a splurge. That means offering plenty of wines by the glass; lots of salads (try the Super Green Vegetable salad with kale, avocado, asparagus, and pepperoncini); sandwiches (including an aged Cheddar burger, French dip, and spicy chicken); and entrees large enough to comfortably split.
Nightly specials include spicy lobster spaghetti (they call it Angry Lobster), mint chimichurri-topped lamb chops; 16-ounce prime rib served classically with horseradish cream on Saturdays; and the group’s famed fried chicken and cornbread on Sundays. The restaurant also offers a daily happy hour from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. with various wines, cocktails, and snacks like Nashville fried chicken bites and jumbo coconut shrimp for $10 a pop.
Steak-wise, there’s plenty on offer. Keep things easy with the namesake Steak Sophia: a 10-ounce peppercorn-crusted flatiron cut with roasted mushrooms; or broaden your horizons with one of the wet-aged skirt steaks, a Delmonico ribeye, or a 45-day dry-aged porterhouse or Tomahawk ribeye. (Enhance any of them with foie gras or blue cheese-laced butter or chimichurri sauce.) Get a black Angus filet and make it Oscar style, topped with jumbo lump crab meat, asparagus, and Bearnaise sauce. Or go for broke with the $112 surf-and-turf — seven ounces each of lobster tail and Australian Wagyu New York strip served alongside truffled Bearnaise, drawn butter, and Sophia’s house steak sauce.
But a little bit of luxury shows up in subtle ways, too
Sure, part of the steakhouse experience is a bit of decadence, and Sophia is no different, though it’s not over the top. Take the “What, Like it’s Hard?” cocktail, a play on a dirty vodka martini that uses olive bitters to add brininess. Served on a small silver tray, the drink gets poured into a martini glass from a small etched crystal decanter. It’s adorned with a caviar-topped housemade potato chip held in place with a weighted silver spear.
Pair that with the crisp and creamy Potatoes & Caviar: Raclette-filled croquettes topped with a dollop of silky crème fraîche and more of that aforementioned caviar. Keep it going with crispy, lightly breaded bits of lobster served with shishito peppers, or a jumbo lump crab cake.
The cocktails are fun and the wine list is budget-friendly
The cocktail list has a playful edge, taking inspiration from songs and pop culture. There’s the “Hot to Go” that combines tequila and mezcal with a bit of habanero to add some heat. The “Gimme Gimme Gimme” has lower-proof gin with honey, lemon, and apple kombucha. And the “My Job is Just Beach” is a play on an Old Fashioned with bourbon, brown butter, demerara sugar, and bitters.
On the wine side, you’ll find plenty of options by the glass, including a heavy-hitting Pinot Noir from Flowers Vineyards, and others from around the world. There are some splurge-worthy bottles, but plenty fall between $45 and $65, including a Wilhelm Walch Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige in northern Italy, Montinore Pinot Noir from Oregon, and Paso d’Oro Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, California.
Have drinks in the lounge … or book a dinner party at the Queen’s Table
Step through the open curtains toward the eight cozy leather club seats (and a few fabric-covered poofs) for a quick drink or a longer linger in the lounge area. There’s a separate menu here with snacks like Gruyère bread sticks, fried goat cheese peppers, and meatball sliders, among others.
Want a bit more privacy without having to book a private party? The Queen’s Table is available for groups of eight to 12 people (and bookable on Resy at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.), complete with its own gleaming chandelier and nook-like vibe. And this is where Sophia is most fully realized: celebrated Chicago designer Tom Kehoe, who worked with Ballyhoo owner Ryan O’Donnell to reimagine the space, found the perfect artwork to represent her in the space. Titled Tessellated Projections by artist Tony Fey, the piece shows a woman’s face looking almost digitized, pieced together with small paper squares of various colors. She’s sitting quietly off to the side, yet still feels like a part of it all. Quite saintly, if you ask us.
Ari Bendersky, a lifestyle journalist specializing in food, wine, spirits, and travel, is the author of Something Glorious with Ari Bendersky on Substack. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Resy, too.
