THE DUCK INN: IS THE $70 ROTISSERIE DUCK AT THIS AWARD-WINNING CHICAGO RESTAURANT WORTH THE PRICE?
The Cost -$35 per person
The Atmosphere – Judging by the outside of the establishment, The Duck Inn looks like a local dive bar, but with its exposed brick walls and high-end furniture, the inside tells a somewhat different story. Despite some of the elevated aspects of the décor, the interior still retains a bar-like feel which serves to remind you that the building you are sitting in was a tavern that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The front area of The Duck Inn has a bar and some dining tables and the back area shows off the restaurant’s semi-open kitchen and has more seating. There was a bit of a foul (no pun intended) smell in the restaurant the day that we dined there but hopefully that was a temporary issue. The restaurant takes reservations and you’ll want to make them if you plan to go at a peak time. Casual attire is acceptable but athletic wear is discouraged.
The Duck Inn opened its doors in 2014 inside a tavern that dates back to the times before the Prohibition era. Since its opening, it has become a popular gastropub that has received many recognitions and awards, including being named one of the best new restaurants in America (2015) by Esquire magazine and Michelin’s Bib Gourmand award, which recognizes restaurants that present a good value. The Duck Inn serves modern American cuisine and one of its signature dishes, as you might imagine, is its duck.
The Order – Fried Cheese Curds, Brussels Sprouts, and a Rotisserie Duck.
The Great – Thankfully, the Rotisserie Duck was the highlight of the meal. I say thankfully because after knowing that it was a signature dish, needing to preorder it before the visit to the restaurant, and comparing its hefty price tag ($70) to the other items ordered, if it wasn’t the highlight, it would have been a huge disappointment. The Amish-raised duck, which came with salad and duck fat roasted potatoes, easily feeds two and is more than enough for three if you order an appetizer. It was cooked very well and was very moist and juicy and the jus that was added to the outside of the thigh and breast was really wonderful. The duck meat itself wasn’t the most flavorful I’ve ever had but it was quite good and with the potatoes, which were roasted in duck fat and jus and had a very creamy inside, and the nice salad, this dish was a winner.
The other dish that earned our Great rating was the Brussels Sprouts. An interesting version of the cruciferous vegetable, The Duck Inn tops its Brussels sprouts with a brown butter crumble, capers, and a creamy Caesar dressing which definitely reminded me that I was in the Midwest. The brown butter crumble and Caesar dressing made this appetizer special, but it also made it very decadent, so if you are looking for something on the lighter side, this is not it. The dish was tasty and would do well as an appetizer or a side.
The Good – Cheese curds may be most closely associated with Wisconsin but they can be found all over Chicago as well. The Duck Inn’s Cheese Curds really give you that ever so slightly elevated bar food feel as they are served in a basic metal dish, garnished with a bit of cucumber on top, and have a bit of the restaurant’s bloody mary ketchup underneath. The cheese curds were lightly battered and were nice but the ketchup was the best part despite there not being much of it. If you’ve never had cheese curds before this is a great dish to try but not one that I’d order a second time without trying the other items on the menu first.
The Verdict – The overall dining experience at The Duck Inn was an enjoyable one and I thought that the Rotisserie Duck was worth the price given that it served three people. In a Chicago food scene that has exploded over the years, The Duck Inn isn’t going to top the list of restaurants to visit but if you live in the city or happen to be near the Bridgeport neighborhood, it is worth a meal – just make sure you preorder the duck if you are going to want to try it!