Maple & Ash Chicago

Maple & Ash sits on West Maple Street, a five-minute walk from the Magnificent Mile. The dining room carries a smart and elegant register, focusing on grills and classic fare with South American influences. It holds a 2024 Wine Spectator Excellence Award.

Most steakhouses in this part of Chicago lean into heavy, dark-wood tradition, but this space favors a higher energy that feels less like a boardroom and more like a celebration. While the surrounding streets near Water Tower Place are often choked with tourists, the dining room here manages to feel distinctively detached from the nearby retail rush. It is a better choice than the neighborhood’s more buttoned-up institutions for those who prefer their grills served with a loud, kinetic pace rather than stiff, formal silence.