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The L Station, Chicago, IL

The L Station

4.0
4
131 Reviews
$31 to $50
Soul food

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 39 times today

About this restaurant

  • Lively
  • Great for brunch
  • Good for special occasions
The L Station is a vision personified by the owners. As a family, they have always enjoyed catering, hosting gatherings, and providing a rich experience for their family, friends, and guests. Now, they are sharing their love for great vibes and an even better dining experience with the entire Chicagoland area through their labor of love, The L Station, Luxe + Soul.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Soul food, American
  • Hours of operation
    Tue 3:00 pm–8:00 pm Wed, Thu 11:00 am–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Brunch Sun 11:00 am–5:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 131 people are saying

The L Station reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0
4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.1Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The L Station offers a "great vibe" and is known for its "delicious food" and "amazing drinks." The ambiance is lively, featuring "fantastic music" and an "intimate atmosphere." While some reviews highlight occasional service delays and space limitations, many guests praise the "friendly staff" and "flavorful dishes."

131 Reviews
  1. Victoria VIP

    Chicago7 reviews

    2.0

    Dined today

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Sigh. I hate to have to write this review. My friend and I had been looking forward to trying this place. I'll start with the good---our waitress (I wish we'd gotten her name), the chicken, the mac, and the drinks. The rest of the story is that when 1 of my friends and I arrived (reservation for 3), we were told we had to wait to be seated until the full party was there--ok, fairly standard. We mentioned the 3rd in our party (who is the friend who'd also been looking forward to trying the place) was just a few minutes away. The manager/host told us we had 15 minutes to use the reservation--again standard; fine. He told us we couldn't wait inside, though because it's a small space. Uh, ok, so can we sit at the bar? He told us we couldn't because those seats are for people who come in and don't have a reservation. So we couldn't even sit there the few minutes we were waiting for our friend or unless/until others came in and needed the seats. He even suggested we go to Starbucks down the street to wait. We were not going to go sit somewhere and not buy anything. He suggested buying a bottle of water. I mentioned we were trying to support THEIR establishment, not Starbucks! This is probably when we should have left, but I was trying to be cool and my friend and I wanted to give them another chance. Thankfully, it was a sunny, 50+ degree day in Chicago. In March, it could have been anything and after telling him we were going to eat and patronize their establishment regardless, there was 0 customer service or bend on the "rule" he mentioned he was following. This is in downtown Chicago, a block from the Riverwalk. Not the level of service we were expecting--nowhere near it. We made no unreasonable asks and were not treated as appreciated guests. We clearly should have supported another establishment in the area. When my other friend arrived I asked to make sure my OpenTable reservation was checked in. I was told it should be, but the new person at the host table said...

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    Chicago2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was amazing. Loved every bit of it. Will definitely go back!

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  3. Terrance

    Chicago5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding food, environment, drinks and great hospitality will definitely be returning because it made my date night an amazing experience ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Chicago1 review

    4.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Overall my experience was good! I would go back! The food was delicious except the Mac n cheese. It has a weird taste to it like a fake sharp I don’t know how to explain it. The drinks were sweet and potent. The ambience was giving a few diff vibes but still a vibe in all. The service was good and our waiter Chris took care of us well. My biggest dislike though was the bathroom being right next to seated guest. Every time someone left out they kept the door open it was disgusting but the bathroom was clean. Maybe a little wall/gate will be helpful for that! Special mention on the salmon and shrimp bites they were so good

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  5. Biancia

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was amazing and the staff efficient, nice and really cool ambiance.

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    San Antonio2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The owner was very down to earth and sat and talked with us for a awhile. The staff was very friendly and accommodating.

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  7. Keenan

    Chicago4 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on March 8, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    Everything about this place was average slow service, extremely over priced, the chicken taste like it was cooked a few days ago, not a big place but big enough to have more than a one ,one stall restroom,

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  8. Alexis

    Unspecified1 review

    3.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    We had reservations at 2 o’clock. We did not get our food until 345. No communication at all only thing they gave us was a shot for free.

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  9. Felecia VIP

    Denver7 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Disappointed!!! It said UPSCALE but they were far from it. Me and my partner was very overdressed thinking it was an upscale place but there were people with sweatsuits and timberlands on. The lamb chops were good slightly over cooked and my partner said the potatoes tasted like they were out of a box. Overpriced for what they serve and their happy hour menu was far from happy. It’s a very small establishment.

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  10. Stephanie

    Chicago4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    The service needs work. We had a reservation for 3pm and was not seated until 3:30pm. Our drinks did not come until after our food was served.

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FAQs

The L Station is rated 4 stars by 131 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 39 times today
Google Map for The L Station

186 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60606

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    River North (Chicago)
  • Hours of operation
    Tue 3:00 pm–8:00 pm Wed, Thu 11:00 am–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Brunch Sun 11:00 am–5:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Soul food, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Wine
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