We had a delightful evening at this restaurant! Despite arriving late for our 8 PM reservation, we were promptly seated. The ambiance is upscale yet welcoming. The oysters were superb, and the chef graciously provided off-menu options for my vegetarian wife. Our server was outstanding, and the bar drinks were satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed the salmon dish, and the cheese bread was delicious, especially when paired with olives. Overall, a five-star experience—we'll definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amy Cho
It is rare to be a first-time customer in a restaurant and feel like everyone there enjoys having you there. The Graceful Ordinary team not only creates outstandingly tasty dishes, they create an atmosphere of comfortable, welcoming dining. We left our dinner feeling like we just started a new friendship. Looking forward to return visits!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Angela Parillo
The food and atmosphere are superb!!!! Tiffany was the sweetest server, we love this place!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Steak
Kacie Hollenbeck
A superb experience of the art of food. The service is bar none! The food is a creative expressive experience with fantastic cocktails and wine. One of my favorite places!
The food, ambiance and service were amazing. Tiffany took great care of us. Highly recommend this place for a wonderful experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Marinated Olives, Octopus Carpaccio
Natali Yefremova
Good food ,bad serviceLong wait for food ,no steak knife provided we were always looking for our server ,lots of bus boys ,seems like doing nothingWill not be back
Robert Jahn
Our dining experience at The Graceful Ordinary was truly exceptional and unforgettable. From the moment we entered, the welcoming atmosphere, ambiance and attentive staff made us feel right at home. Our wonderful waitress, Victoria provided impeccable service and instantly felt like a long time friend with her warm smile and charming personality. The menu showcased a variety of innovative dishes, blending bold flavors and beautiful presentation. Sitting at one of the Chef's tables, made our evening a memorable experience. Chef Chris and his team expertly crafted a delightful array of dishes with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Every bite was a culinary delight from the Bone Marrow, to the Octopus Carpaccio, the Brussel Sprouts and finishing it off with the most delish dessert, Butterscotch Pot de Creme. The cocktails are a masterpiece too. I enjoyed the Opposites Attract cocktail. We cannot wait to return to The Graceful Ordinary to explore more of their delicious creations. It's truly a must-visit destination for any food lover. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bailey Cross
Great experience, celebrated family birthdays here. Food was great as well.
iloca2013 1900naroad
Amazing place that I'm very happy is nearby. The only reason I gave four stars rather than five was for a couple missteps such as being served lukewarm coffee and no utensils brought for dessert. Otherwise, a top-notch experience.Everything we ate was delicious and inventive. Great interplay of textures and flavors in each dish. We especially enjoyed the bread cheese and both pasta small plates. Our entrees were wonderful (halibut, salmon and filet mignon) and the apple pie ice cream sandwich was a big hit. Service was attentive but not overbearing. The meal was paced well. The dining room was ecclectic and stylish. The music and noise level were just about perfect. The music added to the atmosphere, without inhibiting conversation. There was enough noise that you weren't forced to eavesdrop on other tables. Servers and bussers knew not to reach across diners to deliver food and clear away. That seems to be something that many restaurants no longer train their servers on. An overall delightful experience that we hope to repeat soon.
Undeniably a wonderful atmosphere, been there many times for drinks and brunch which have been wonderful.We were looking forward to having dinner and we were very disappointed. We had a Ribeye which wasn’t flavorful and an eggplant side that was drenched in vinegar. We so wanted to be WOWED and it came up short. Tough to justify the expense. We will go back for drinks. ?Maybe we had an off experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts
John Mola
Terrible service!We had reservations for our 22nd anniversary at 6:15. We were seated promptly with a happy anniversary card from the staff on our table. Our server wished us a happy anniversary and took our drink order. We received our drinks from some other staff member. A bit later our server came back and took our appetizer order. We received our appetizer from some other staff member. We ate the appetizer and finished our drinks. We waited for our server but she seemed to be to busy to even look at us the 20 times she passed our table. Finally I was able to get her attention and she said she would be right with me. Fast forward another 20 minutes and the manager comes by to take away our empty glasses but doesn't ask if we need anything. At that point I confronted him and told him we have been here well over an hour and that we never had our main dish ordered. We had tickets to a show and only had a half hour till that started. He apologized and said he would comp the drink and appetizer. He didn't really try to make things right. All he did was offer us 25 % off our next visit. At that point the server approached us and apologized and said that she was given to many tables. When we were leaving the manager approached us with his business cards. He acted like he was Willy Wonka handing us the golden ticket with his card, one in each hand. It was cringy and awkward. Anyway 22nd Anniversary dinner was a fail and no I would not go again, since they couldn't get a special occasion correct. The show was great next door, but unfortunately we ate Mc.Ds for our anniversary dinner since there was nothing else open after the show.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kim Naftzger
Went for lunch and had a choice of two sandwiches and a salad that they were out of. I had the hot chicken sandwich. Fries were cold and bland. The sandwich was so soggy with watery mayo that the bottom bun disintegrated with the first bite. There were no discernable pickles or spice on the sandwich, just bland and soggy. My friend had the cold fries with the burger. It was so greasy from too much cheese. $18 is outrageous for that burger. We commented that we would have had a better meal at Culver's. Our server ignored us once she knew we weren't having cocktails and appetizers. She served our food and never came back until we shouted her down to get iced tea refills. This placed was recommended to me and I was really looking forward to going there for my birthday. I was so disappointed and felt ripped off. The service is not graceful but the food is definitely ordinary. Skip this place!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Eric Nunez
First time dining here for wife's birthday celebration. I reserved online and mentioned celebrating her birthday. Upon arrival the staff greeted my wife wishing her a happy birthday along with a nice card signed from the entire staff. The food, service, and atmosphere was beyond 5 stars, I would honor more stars if I could. Not only were the dishes elevated visually but the flavor profiles are elevated to such high standards. This is a must visit dinning experience will definitely be back. Thank you to the entire staff for making a memorable birthday dinner.
Always a treat to have dinner here. Love the ambience, the aesthetic is well thought out and pleasant. Each time we bring other guest with us they’re blown away by the vibe and menu. Absolutely a gem in St Charles. ?
We had a delightful evening at this restaurant! Despite arriving late for our 8 PM reservation, we were promptly seated. The ambiance is upscale yet welcoming. The oysters were superb, and the chef graciously provided off-menu options for my vegetarian wife. Our server was outstanding, and the bar drinks were satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed the salmon dish, and the cheese bread was delicious, especially when paired with olives. Overall, a five-star experience—we'll definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It is rare to be a first-time customer in a restaurant and feel like everyone there enjoys having you there. The Graceful Ordinary team not only creates outstandingly tasty dishes, they create an atmosphere of comfortable, welcoming dining. We left our dinner feeling like we just started a new friendship. Looking forward to return visits!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food and atmosphere are superb!!!! Tiffany was the sweetest server, we love this place!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Steak
A superb experience of the art of food. The service is bar none! The food is a creative expressive experience with fantastic cocktails and wine. One of my favorite places!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carr Valley Bread Cheese, Curry Cauliflower, Fish, Steak Tartare, Steak, Octopus Carpaccio
The food, ambiance and service were amazing. Tiffany took great care of us. Highly recommend this place for a wonderful experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Marinated Olives, Octopus Carpaccio
Good food ,bad serviceLong wait for food ,no steak knife provided we were always looking for our server ,lots of bus boys ,seems like doing nothingWill not be back
Our dining experience at The Graceful Ordinary was truly exceptional and unforgettable. From the moment we entered, the welcoming atmosphere, ambiance and attentive staff made us feel right at home. Our wonderful waitress, Victoria provided impeccable service and instantly felt like a long time friend with her warm smile and charming personality. The menu showcased a variety of innovative dishes, blending bold flavors and beautiful presentation. Sitting at one of the Chef's tables, made our evening a memorable experience. Chef Chris and his team expertly crafted a delightful array of dishes with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Every bite was a culinary delight from the Bone Marrow, to the Octopus Carpaccio, the Brussel Sprouts and finishing it off with the most delish dessert, Butterscotch Pot de Creme. The cocktails are a masterpiece too. I enjoyed the Opposites Attract cocktail. We cannot wait to return to The Graceful Ordinary to explore more of their delicious creations. It's truly a must-visit destination for any food lover. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great experience, celebrated family birthdays here. Food was great as well.
Amazing place that I'm very happy is nearby. The only reason I gave four stars rather than five was for a couple missteps such as being served lukewarm coffee and no utensils brought for dessert. Otherwise, a top-notch experience.Everything we ate was delicious and inventive. Great interplay of textures and flavors in each dish. We especially enjoyed the bread cheese and both pasta small plates. Our entrees were wonderful (halibut, salmon and filet mignon) and the apple pie ice cream sandwich was a big hit. Service was attentive but not overbearing. The meal was paced well. The dining room was ecclectic and stylish. The music and noise level were just about perfect. The music added to the atmosphere, without inhibiting conversation. There was enough noise that you weren't forced to eavesdrop on other tables. Servers and bussers knew not to reach across diners to deliver food and clear away. That seems to be something that many restaurants no longer train their servers on. An overall delightful experience that we hope to repeat soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Wood Roasted Salmon, Fish, Steak
Always great food and good times!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Undeniably a wonderful atmosphere, been there many times for drinks and brunch which have been wonderful.We were looking forward to having dinner and we were very disappointed. We had a Ribeye which wasn’t flavorful and an eggplant side that was drenched in vinegar. We so wanted to be WOWED and it came up short. Tough to justify the expense. We will go back for drinks. ?Maybe we had an off experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts
Terrible service!We had reservations for our 22nd anniversary at 6:15. We were seated promptly with a happy anniversary card from the staff on our table. Our server wished us a happy anniversary and took our drink order. We received our drinks from some other staff member. A bit later our server came back and took our appetizer order. We received our appetizer from some other staff member. We ate the appetizer and finished our drinks. We waited for our server but she seemed to be to busy to even look at us the 20 times she passed our table. Finally I was able to get her attention and she said she would be right with me. Fast forward another 20 minutes and the manager comes by to take away our empty glasses but doesn't ask if we need anything. At that point I confronted him and told him we have been here well over an hour and that we never had our main dish ordered. We had tickets to a show and only had a half hour till that started. He apologized and said he would comp the drink and appetizer. He didn't really try to make things right. All he did was offer us 25 % off our next visit. At that point the server approached us and apologized and said that she was given to many tables. When we were leaving the manager approached us with his business cards. He acted like he was Willy Wonka handing us the golden ticket with his card, one in each hand. It was cringy and awkward. Anyway 22nd Anniversary dinner was a fail and no I would not go again, since they couldn't get a special occasion correct. The show was great next door, but unfortunately we ate Mc.Ds for our anniversary dinner since there was nothing else open after the show.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Went for lunch and had a choice of two sandwiches and a salad that they were out of. I had the hot chicken sandwich. Fries were cold and bland. The sandwich was so soggy with watery mayo that the bottom bun disintegrated with the first bite. There were no discernable pickles or spice on the sandwich, just bland and soggy. My friend had the cold fries with the burger. It was so greasy from too much cheese. $18 is outrageous for that burger. We commented that we would have had a better meal at Culver's. Our server ignored us once she knew we weren't having cocktails and appetizers. She served our food and never came back until we shouted her down to get iced tea refills. This placed was recommended to me and I was really looking forward to going there for my birthday. I was so disappointed and felt ripped off. The service is not graceful but the food is definitely ordinary. Skip this place!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
First time dining here for wife's birthday celebration. I reserved online and mentioned celebrating her birthday. Upon arrival the staff greeted my wife wishing her a happy birthday along with a nice card signed from the entire staff. The food, service, and atmosphere was beyond 5 stars, I would honor more stars if I could. Not only were the dishes elevated visually but the flavor profiles are elevated to such high standards. This is a must visit dinning experience will definitely be back. Thank you to the entire staff for making a memorable birthday dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish, Steak, Octopus Carpaccio
Always a treat to have dinner here. Love the ambience, the aesthetic is well thought out and pleasant. Each time we bring other guest with us they’re blown away by the vibe and menu. Absolutely a gem in St Charles. ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp & Grits, Curry Cauliflower, Fish, Whole Fish, Brussels Sprouts, Steak, Octopus Carpaccio