Chicago's Premier Chophouse
Prime
& Oak
Where the finest cuts meet the quiet confidence of a room that knows exactly what it is.
Reserve a Table
Chicago's Premier Chophouse
Where the finest cuts meet the quiet confidence of a room that knows exactly what it is.
Reserve a TableOur Philosophy
There are no shortcuts in this kitchen. Only the right cut, the right fire, and the patience to let them find each other.— Prime & Oak, since 2009
The Chef
Executive Chef & Partner
Chef Marcus Hale grew up watching his father break down sides of beef in a South Side Chicago butcher shop. Twenty years and two James Beard nominations later, he has never strayed far from that foundational belief: that exceptional beef, treated with restraint and profound respect, needs no embellishment beyond fire, salt, and time.
After a formative decade at acclaimed steakhouses in New York and Las Vegas, Hale returned to Chicago in 2009 to open Prime & Oak — a room built not for spectacle, but for the kind of dinner people remember twenty years later. His dry-aged program, now among the most lauded in the Midwest, is the quiet center of everything.
A cathedral of beef — 32 oz. USDA Prime, hand-selected from our ageing room, finished over live oak charcoal. Split tableside with ceremony.
$145 (for two)
Japanese Miyazaki Prefecture. Eight ounces of extraordinary marbling, sliced and seared on a 700° iron plate. Maldon sea salt. Nothing more.
$195
Twenty-two ounces. Corn-fed Nebraska beef, a deep brown crust, and a center that stays bloody and warm. Truffle bone marrow butter rests alongside.
$89
An eight-ounce center-cut filet crowned with Alaskan king crab, blanched asparagus, and a béarnaise that Chef Hale has been refining since 2004.
$68
Join Us
We recommend reserving two to three weeks in advance, particularly for Friday and Saturday service. Walk-ins are welcome at the bar, where the full menu is available.
— or —
Reserve via OpenTableTuesday – Thursday
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday
5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sunday
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Monday
Closed
Tuesday – Saturday
4:00 pm – Close
Walk-in & Full Menu
Available
Private Dining & Events
The Oak Room accommodates up to forty guests in a setting of paneled mahogany, hand-stitched leather banquettes, and a private whisky cabinet curated by our sommelier. From corporate dinners to intimate celebrations, we design an experience worthy of the occasion.
Custom menus, bespoke wine pairings, and dedicated service staff. For groups of twelve or more, please reach out directly. We respond within 24 hours.
Inquire About Events
A Glimpse Inside
Recognition
Michelin Guide — 2024
"The finest dry-aged beef program in the Midwest, presided over by a chef of rare conviction. Prime & Oak earns its place among America's true great steakhouses."
— Michelin Guide Illinois, 2024 Edition
James Beard Foundation — 2023
"Marcus Hale doesn't perform for the room. He cooks. That discipline — austere, certain, and thrilling — is what separates Prime & Oak from every other chophouse in this city."
— James Beard Award Nominee, Outstanding Chef 2023
Chicago Tribune — February 2024
"Fifteen years in, Prime & Oak has become something rare in the restaurant world: an institution that has only gotten better. Go. Spend the money. You will not regret it."
— Phil Vettel, Chicago Tribune ★★★★
Find Us
132 West Illinois Street
Chicago, Illinois 60654
132 West Illinois Street
River North, Chicago, IL 60654
Tuesday – Thursday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sunday 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Monday Closed
Available nightly from 5:00 pm on Illinois Street.
Self-parking at 166 N. Clinton St. Garage.