Plymouth Restaurant:
three floors of fun

HelloMetro

Amidst the skyscrapers of Chicago’s South Loop area, there’s a great getaway known as Plymouth Restaurant. Three full floors, including a restaurant, two bars and a terrific rooftop deck let harried Chicagoans unwind from the hustle and bustle of downtown.

In business since 2005, Plymouth Restaurant serves up hearty portions at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Early risers can enjoy sizzling skillets, steak and eggs, Mexican breakfast dishes like huevos rancheros, and all the classics like pancakes, French toast and waffles.

Lunch and dinner visitors can partake from a wide array of deli delights, like corned beef, reubens, roast beef, paninis, burgers and pizza, along with a wide variety of sandwiches, soups and salads daily. The prices at Plymouth are surprisingly low given the downtown location; nearly every entrée is less than $9, a downright steal compared to pricey places nearby.

The basement bar serves as a casual meeting place to relax after work, but with three floors of food and drinks, the highlight of Plymouth Restaurant is definitely at the top. A large rooftop deck overlooks the south loop and lets guests soak up the sun and enjoy the view.

The deck overlooks the lovely Harold Washington Library Center, and with a full menu and bar, is a great getaway from the 9-to-5 grind. Patrons can relax and watch sporting events on flat panel TVs — and unpredictable weather is no problem, thanks to outdoor heating and removable enclosures.

A big menu, small prices, and multiple levels make Plymouth Restaurant a great choice, but the rooftop deck in summer weather makes this destination something truly special in the city. Any chance to relax under the sun, without leaving downtown, shouldn’t be passed up.

- by D.J. Siegel, Chicago Reporter for HelloMetro

Plymouth Restaurant:
Imbibe away

Sun-times

Last year, the owners of the White Place and Hollywood Grills opened Plymouth in the old Binyon's Restaurant building right by the Harold Washington Library Center. Its rooftop bar area may be the best drinking location in the Loop; the space has an almost tropical feel, with ferns, plants, lanterns and wooden boardwalk-style deck. Stay there long enough with a cool brew, and you may start to imagine the sand between your toes.

Get High:
Up on the roof at the Plymouth

New City

In summer, reasons to linger in the Loop abound. The Plymouth Restaurant and Bar’s rooftop deck is one of them. This fourth-floor patio is the perfect place to go after tangoing at Summerdance or taking in a free concert at the Pritzker Pavilion.

Walk past the Plymouth’s down-home first-floor diner and head for the elevator. Press “R” for roof. The ride to the top is slow and stuffy, but when the doors slide open, you’ll be rewarded with one of the best views in the city.

Gargantuan gargoyles, eerily lit from below, look down on the massive Harold Washington Library. The Fisher and Old Colony buildings—fine and stately examples of late-nineteenth century architecture—loom in the shadows. Shiny El trains rumble as they come and go. Workers hose the day’s dirt off State Street sidewalks. Above, jets of mist spray out from pipes on the deck’s awning, cooling the crowd of onlookers.

The best way to keep cool, though, is with one of the Plymouth’s summer cocktails—from favorites like mojitos and mai tais, to knockouts like the peachy Miami Ice, a deceptively tasty combination of vodka, rum, gin, triple sec, soda, OJ and schnapps, served in a pint glass.

With John Marshall Law School on the same block, you might catch law students sipping the Attorneytini—Southern Comfort, Absolut Vodka, Amaretto, Midori and cranberry juice. All the tenants on the second floor of the building have “Esq.” after their names, so it’s not uncommon to see smartly dressed lawyers toss their attaches on the floor and nod their heads to the house-music beat permeating the heavy, humid air.

The food is solid, reasonably priced bar fare. (The first-floor diner offers a different menu—cure a hangover with breakfast there.) Burgers, including a vegan option, start at $6.25 and come in a basket with crispy waffle fries and a pickle. The signature Plymouth burger is topped with portabella caps, roasted red peppers and a Dijon horseradish sauce. Large platters of deep-fried appetizers, including breaded shrimp and jalapeño poppers, are great for after-work outings.

Up on the roof, it’s easy to think that this is summer in the city as it’s meant to be—best enjoyed through a steamy spray mist and the fog of drink.

- Elizabeth Winkowski

Lunch with a view:
Plymouth Restaurat & Bar

REDEYE, June 6, 2007

This casual American spot debuted a 85-seat outdoor cafe in the fall - about the same time the temps plummeted - so most of us didn't get to check out their take on an amenity more often associated with Cubs baseball: the rooftop deck. Although you'll only catch those hot-tempered Cubbies on the rooftop bar's flatscreens, the view from atop Plymouth is unbeatable. The "L" rumbles by (at conversation-friendly decibels) just south over Van Buren Street, and you can check out Loop landmarks like the Harold Washington Library and the Old Colony Building.

Plymouth Rocks

Robert Morris College

From Robert Morris's Chicago campus, one has easy access in any direction to a quick drink, a bar-side bite, or reliable American grub. Tourists traps and hidden local alcoves vie for the attention of hungry passers-by with their elaborate decorations, and their brisk, reliable service. No place, however, touches the satisfaction stratosphere quite like Plymouth Restaurant and Bar; a no-frills tribute to Americana in every sense of the establishment.

Never mind the fact that the three-story institution could be more convenient to the downtown campus-dwellers, situated a scant block away across a derelict pigeon-infested park. This is the type of restaurant I'd venture out of my way for, be it smack dab in the gut of the Loop or a CTA journey away. There certainly aren't any shortages of simple American restaurants in the city, downtown or otherwise. Heck, the melding of diner fare and pub-slyle chow can be picked out of just about any neighborhood. The thing about the Plymouth though, that sets it boldly apart from the masses is the impressive success at which it hits upon every criterion in this restaurant genre.

First thing first, the colorful and picture-heavy menu is as long as a biblical scroll. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner have their bases thoroughly covered, with enough offerings to satisfy the pickiest brat in the party. Diners have the option of dining in the three areas. There's the main room on the first floor, where an open kitchen cranks out hearty dishes and sassy waitresses recall memories of a truck stop eatery. On the lower level, it's all about the bar, with snack-type bites and billiard games. Then there's the rooftop deck, open through the winter and heated accordingly, serving a condensed version of downstairs' epic menu.

On a recent post-school visit, our party digested a feast of eclectic comfort foods in the nearly-empty main dining room. We were served by an urgent and sometimes-neglectful waitress, while perhaps spending too much time gawking at the eye candy littering the walls. It took a good while to peruse the length of the hefty menu, flipping from page to page of breakfast goods, burgers, club sandwiches, appetizers, salads, pizzas, and so on and so forth. The soup special of the day was some kind of creamy potato medley reminiscent of a steaming chowder, came in a little crock that paled in comparison to the monster-sized bread basket accompanying it (there sure was no shortage of crackers). For our round of entrees, it was hard to resist something served between bread; the bulk of the menu is pure sandwich hysteria. I got the portabella ciabatta, marinated and grilled mushrooms compressed between soft ciabatta rolls with roasted red peppers, red onions, and an ample amount of salty feta cheese. I especially went nuts for the side of waffle fries that came with. It's far too rare that I stumble across these beloved fried gems, the slicing mystery of which will always enamor me. The plate next to me was the signature Plymouth burger, a 1/2 lb. Angus patty cooked to medium-well perfection with some grilled mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and a selection of cheeses. Again, when making a selection for your side dish of choice, do not under any circumstances, pass up the waffle fries. Other dishes ordered, and to delicious success, were the roasted turkey Reuben. It came open-faced on thick and buttery Greek break, oozing over the melted Swiss cheese and the essential Thousand Island dressing alongside. The last dish ordered dropped the jaw the most. The taco salad, comprised of an absolute pile of ground beef, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream, was delivered to the table in what can only be described as a giant fried bowl. The crispy taco shell in which the Mexican salad is served makes for a fun combination of knife-and-fork salad and greasy nachos.

With the bevy of options offered at Plymouth Restaurant and Bar, the customer feels in complete control of their typically plain American diner-style meal. Go downstairs to the bar for a nightcap or keep it main level for a table-service dinner? Or perhaps you'd like a panoramic view of downtown with your lunch? Then there's the tedious decision to be made of what to order. yes, it's all about the customer and the extra-convenience at this downtown dining destination that'll have everyone crying "Plymouth Rocks!"

- by Matt Kirouac, Editor-in-Chief