
Girl & The Goat
Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard's acclaimed restaurant offers innovative small plates and a vibrant dining experience in Chicago.

Highlights
Must-see attractions
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Girl & The Goat

Highlights
Must-see attractions
Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard's acclaimed restaurant offers innovative small plates and a vibrant dining experience in Chicago.
"Girl & The Goat offers more than food; it crafts moments around the table where flavors surprise."
Book Ahead!
Reservations are highly recommended, but counter seating is available for walk-ins.
Embrace Family Style
Order multiple small plates to share for a diverse and family-style tasting experience.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
New American
Price
$$$
Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Innovative Small Plates
Experience groundbreaking small plates crafted by Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard, featuring unique dishes with bold flavors.

Signature Green Beans
Famously delicious green beans, often cited as a must-try and among the best diners have ever eaten.

Vibrant Atmosphere & Cocktails
Enjoy a lively, fun, and vibrant atmosphere complemented by well-crafted cocktails with creative and surprising flavors.
Plans like a pro.
Thinks like you
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Book Ahead!
Reservations are highly recommended, but counter seating is available for walk-ins.
Embrace Family Style
Order multiple small plates to share for a diverse and family-style tasting experience.
Don't Skip Signatures
Must-try dishes include chickpea fritters and the renowned green beans.
Dietary Needs Accommodated
Inquire about dairy- and egg-free options; the staff is happy to assist.
Tips
from all over the internet
Book Ahead!
Reservations are highly recommended, but counter seating is available for walk-ins.
Embrace Family Style
Order multiple small plates to share for a diverse and family-style tasting experience.
Don't Skip Signatures
Must-try dishes include chickpea fritters and the renowned green beans.
Dietary Needs Accommodated
Inquire about dairy- and egg-free options; the staff is happy to assist.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Girl & The Goat is celebrated for its innovative small plates and vibrant atmosphere, with many highlighting Chef Stephanie Izard's creative vision. Diners rave about signature dishes like the green beans and pork shank, and the excellent service. However, some find the noise level high, and portions are on the smaller side, contributing to a higher price point for some.
"Decided to come here after it being highly recommended! Smaller plate options so everything is family style. It was just two of us but we decided to do the pita, hamachi, & chicken dishes & the yuzu lemon bar for dessert. All the flavors were very fresh, and unique but good not a bad unique. I love craftsmanship especially culinary and you can tell that they really thought through everything on this menu. The dessert was exceptional as well and had basil and balsamic with strawberry gelato. Highly recommended trying this place and it’s definitely on my return list! The vibe is great, as well!"
Aeron Sheffield
"✨ Review: Girl & the Goat | A Shared Feast That Leaves You Speechless
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (10/10)
If culinary brilliance had a stage, Girl & the Goat would be the headliner. From the moment you sit down, it's clear this isn’t just dinner; it’s an immersive, family-style flavor celebration curated by the inventive mind of Chef Stephanie Izard.
The meal kicks off with a sip of sophistication: the Green Street Manhattan; deep, smooth, and beautifully balanced. It sets the tone for what's to come: bold flavor, creative pairings, and a flair for the unexpected.
Then enters the fried soft shell crab, golden and crisp on the outside, juicy and packed with umami on the inside. Paired with tangy sauces and vibrant garnishes, it’s a dish that demands attention and earns it with every bite.
The wood-fired chicken is equally dramatic in its simplicity. Smoky, tender, and perfectly seasoned, it evokes the warmth of a backyard flame with the precision of a top-tier kitchen. It’s the kind of dish you keep reaching for long after you promised “just one more bite.”
When it’s time for dessert, the menu doesn’t just whisper “save room;" it shouts it. The yuzu lemon bar strikes a gorgeous balance of tart and sweet, crowned with whipped toppings that add a dreamy touch. Then there’s the peanut butter & chocolate masterpiece, a decadent duet that satisfies every craving with its rich, fudgy brownie bites and silky layers.
💬 Final Word
Girl & the Goat offers more than food; it crafts moments around the table where flavors surprise, conversation flows, and every dish feels like a story worth telling. If you’re hungry for connection and culinary delight, this place delivers a perfect 10."
Vonetta Watson
"We recently celebrated our anniversary at Girl and the GOAT. I included that it was our anniversary on the reservation, and they made our night truly special! Our menu was printed with “Happy Anniversary” at the top, and they brought us a little dessert with candles in it at the end.
Every dish we ordered was sublime. We had the grilled oysters, chickpea fritters, green beans (truly the best green beans I’ve ever eaten!), and the goat empanadas. Our server was perfectly attentive and the courses were paced just right.
Would definitely return here next time we are in Chicago!"
Paige Fricke
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Reservations are highly recommended due to the restaurant's popularity. However, counter seating is available for walk-ins.
The restaurant specializes in small plates meant for sharing. Ordering multiple dishes family-style is recommended to experience a variety of flavors.
Yes, Girl & The Goat offers dairy- and egg-free options. It's always best to inform your server of any dietary restrictions.
The highly praised green beans are a signature item. Other popular choices include chickpea fritters, goat empanadas, and the wood-fired chicken.
The atmosphere is described as vibrant and lively, which can lead to a higher noise level. Outdoor seating may be quieter.
Yes, many diners celebrate special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays. The restaurant often provides special menus or desserts.
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Top Chef season 4 winner Stephanie Izard opened this eclectic eatery in 2010 within the Fulton Market neighborhood and has since expanded her empire in Chicago and Los Angeles. The dinner menu doesn’t shy away from meat, such as roasted pig face served with a sunny-side-up egg and goat empanadas, although there are plenty of vegetarian dishes and seafood entrees. Even the cocktail menu highlights goat, in the Goat Fashioned, folding in goat fat-washed Evan Williams Bourbon.
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Bravo's Top Chef Season 4 champion Stephanie Izard's always-packed restaurant lives up to the hype, serving her personal brand of sharable, eclectic plates with seasonal flair amid rustic decor with communal butcher tables and an open kitchen. Dishes are grouped into straightforward categories, like vegetable, fish, and meat—with an array of offerings made with goat, naturally.
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This farm-to-table restaurant has been the hottest restaurant on Randolph Street since it opened in the summer of 2010. Girl & The Goat is a culinary blast, and ensures an experience with each innovative small plate. While reservations are highly recommended, there’s also counter seating for those living life on the edge and attempting to snag a table last minute.
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Stephanie Izard’s dining landmark is offering a five-course prix-fixe NYE menu of classics and newly imagined dishes, as well as a toast of Moёt & Chandon Imperial Brut, for $135. Reservations available via OpenTable
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There’s a 99.9% chance you’re well-acquainted with Girl & the Goat - it’s one of Chicago’s best-known restaurants. And you probably already know they’ve always had outdoor seating. This year is no exception.
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Girl & the Goat is a household name not just in the Windy City, but across the whole country for its exceptionally well-done menu with a whole section dedicated to goat, bold flavours, beautiful decor, and great service. The goat empanadas are a must-eat, served with apple and squash slaw and blue cheese aioli. Some of the restaurant’s favourite dishes with patrons include the signature dish of wood-oven-roasted pig face served with potato sticks, red wine-maple, coriander, tamarind, and egg, Duck Tongues with Piri-Piri, Crispy Wontons, Black bean Poke, and Tuna, and the Seared Scallop with Blood Orange Gremolata, Jerusalem Artichoke, and Pecan Romesco.
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Girl & the Goat opened in summer of 2010 with the goal of serving a family style menu of tasty, bold flavored foods with global influence in a fun and lively setting that makes our guests feel at home from the moment they walk in the door. To enhance the experience we offer a selection of wines from around the world with a focus on small producers, a rotating list of craft beers with a celebration of local Chicago breweries and a list of fun cocktails created by our bartenders. The menus are extensive and have a little something for everyone, and our staff is happy to help create the perfect dining experience for every guest that joins them.
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This is such a special restaurant (in general, but particularly to me). Many years ago, Chef Stephanie Izard opened her very first restaurant with the famed Boka restaurant group after her Top Chef Season 4 win (do you remember that season? I remember it SO well!). I was such a big fan of hers and then I moved to Chicago right after collage and I remember getting to come her for the first time when I was probably 23–I was totally star struck to be in her restaurant and felt like “holy shit, I have made it in life–I live in the big city and I’m at Stephanie Izard’s restaurant!
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While Prairie Grass Cafe has been an Evanston staple since 2004, chef Sarah Stegner has been a household name on the Chicago food scene for nearly 30 years. Segner is a two-time James Beard award-winner, first for Rising Star Chef (1994) then for Best Chef Midwest (1998), recognized for her work at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel downtown. She opened the New American restaurant in ’04 with George Bumbaris — longtime friend, co-executive chef and former executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton — and Rohit Nambiar, a former hospitality pro at the Four Seasons Hotel and Stegner’s husband.
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A line-up of female chefs at Girl & the Goat on March 25th to celebrate Women's History Month. Chef Stephanie Izard called together a group of chefs, including Chicago’s own, Diana Davila, Beverly Kim, and Sarah Grueneberg, along with some of Steph’s Food Network buddies, Mei Lin from LA and Britt Rescigno from New Jersey. Together, they will host a brunch at Girl & the Goat to benefit The Abundance Setting, Beverly Kim’s charity that encourages and supports the advancement of women and working mothers in the culinary and hospitality industry.
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Mention to someone in Chicago that you’re searching for a place to get dinner in the West Loop and chances are they will go right into raving about Girl & The Goat. It’s hard to know if a restaurant will be live up to that level of fanfare, but we can definitively say that the food is worth the hype, which is why it takes the number one spot on our list of top West Loop Chicago restaurants. Right off the bat, it’s clear by the servers’ excitement and knowledge of the dishes that the food is spectacular.
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Stephanie Izard’s award-winning restaurant, Girl & The Goat, first opened its doors in 2010 after Izard became the first woman to win the television competition Top Chef. Known for its bold flavors and ever-changing menu, this New American restaurant was one of the first to establish itself in the now famous Randolph Street restaurant corridor. Izard is also the owner of several other Chicago-based restaurants, including Little Goat and Duck Duck Goat.
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Wrap up the day with dinner at Girl and the Goat, my hands-down favorite restaurant in Chicago. Go early or make a reservation, because this is one popular spot (but you’ll see why once you visit)!. End your evening and toast to your time in the Windy City with cocktails at one of Chicago’s rooftop bars. I like Cindy’s at the Chicago Athletic Association for lakefront views and a chic scene, but there’s plenty of places to choose from!
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Of course, you can get all the goat you want: goat legs, goat liver mousse, goat carpaccio, goat empanadas, confit goat belly but a favorite for many Chicagoans is the signature Wood Oven-Roasted Pig Face, with tamarind, cilantro, red wine-maple sauce, a sunny side up egg and fried potato stix. The food here has been talked up throughout Chicago for its bold flavor, created by the first female Top Chef winner — Stephanie Izard.
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With its mix of classic cuisine and cutting-edge delicacies, Girl & The Goat’s extensive menu is guaranteed to have something to please everyone. Set within a stunning loft with exposed beams, an iron fireplace, and a fresh oak bar, it’s as much a treat for the eyes as it is the stomach- which considering its tempting crispy beef short ribs, goat empanadas, and signature wood oven-roasted pig face, is high praise indeed.
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Considered one of the best fine dining restaurants in Chicago, Girl & The Goat is Stephanie Izard’s first restaurant after winning Top Chef that features rustic small dishes. Girl & The Goat is one of the hardest tables to get in Chicago but if you go early (like I did right when they opened) you can snag a walk-in seat. We ordered the wood oven-roasted pig face and it was incredible with the crispy shoestring potatoes.
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Right across the street from the Little Goat is what has been called the one of the best restaurants in the world: Girl & The Goat. It was the original of Stephanie Izard’s Chicago restaurants and it never fails to impress the masses, whether it be with roasted broccoli or goat empanadas. #SpoonTip: If you’re going to try this world-renowned fave, be sure to make a reservation in advance.
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Unlike most of the restaurants on this list, the Girl & the Goat does not rely on its environment or theme for their allure. The Girl & The Goat offers a unique twist on tapas, with their calamari bruschetta, duck tongues, wood oven roasted pig face, and more. The Girl & the Goat is proof that restaurateurs can take a unique approach to an ordinary concept and be incredibly successful.
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Girl & The Goat, led by Chef Stephanie Izard, is a celebrated restaurant known for its inventive dishes and bold flavors, with several plant-based options available. While it’s not a fully vegan restaurant, the menu offers a range of vegan and vegetarian-friendly options, including roasted vegetables, crispy chickpeas, and flavorful grains. 809 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
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Stephanie Izard, the first female chef to win the sought-after title of Bravo’s Top Chef works here. Even after bagging the Best New Restaurant in America at the 2011 James Beard Awards, it remains one of the best restaurants in the city. Every night it is always packed to the brim with hungry diners waiting to indulge in exquisite food like the wood oven-roasted pig face.
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Chef Izard opened Girl & The Goat, which has won multiple accolades for its often-changing menu that offers an eclectic range of New American and French-inspired fare. You can order things like wood-fired whole branzino or staples like duck tartare. If you want to stick with veggies, the chickpea fritters, as well as the pan-fried shishito peppers, come highly recommended.
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Opening its doors in 2010, Girl & the Goat has quickly become one of the most talked-about eateries on Chicago’s Restaurant Row. With a flavorful menu that boasts a distinctly international flair, even the pickiest eater will find something to love at Girl & the Goat, from spicy chili crab noodles to a hearty goat liver mousse (trust us, it’s way better than it sounds).
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The housemade bread here is so good that they opened Little Goat Bread across the street, where you can get full loaves, bagels and scones during the day. For dinner, the restaurant serves a rotating selection of several breads with unique spreads and butters, including pretzel with honey-mustard butter and “Forrest Gump” bread with pea puree and carrot cocoa butter.
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The expansive patio at Girl in the Park is both kid friendly and dog friendly, so bring the whole fam out for your next outdoor meal. The “Lil Humans” menu includes classic kids options like chicken tenders and butter noodles, and adults have some seriously delicious options to choose from, like seared salmon, chicken ‘n’ biscuits, ribs and much more.
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Address: 809 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607Phone:+1 (312) 492-6262Details: $$$, New American restaurant. Girl & The Goat is an upscale restaurant in Chicago, offering fantastic, organic, unique meals that are fresh, flavourful, and exceptional. The menu is inventive, and the dishes are meticulously crafted, with a lot of research behind each plate.
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Well, Chef Stephanie Izard, winner of the Top Chef competition in 2008, is the mastermind behind the incredible Girl & the Goat. Chef Stephanie Izard has a goal to serve bold, global flavors to her customers with an ever-changing menu of fabulous drinks and spirits. This is a lively spot that is definitely a must-try while in the West Loop area!
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Grant Achatz is not the only chef that primarily operates out of Chicago. Stephanie Izard has received multiple awards for her bold small plates at Girl & the Goat, and Rick Bayless' Topolobampo and Frontera Grill are two of the most popular restaurants in Chicago. You can even find food by Art Smith, Oprah's personal chef, at Blue Door Kitchen.
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The incomparable Girl & the Goat opens at 4:30 every day and stays open until 11 p.m. on weeknights and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Known for its craft beers, diverse and delicious menu (divided into three categories: vegetable, fish, meat) and diverse wine list, Girl & the Goat is sure to please even the choosiest of foodies.
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Girl & the Goat, known for its exceptional baking, makes gluten-free loaves that are as good as the real thing—seriously. Not only that, it provides a gluten-free guide to the menu, which clearly labels the dishes and ingredients that may have gluten. Last we checked, Stephanie Izard’s to-die-for green beans were still fair game.
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Girl & the Goat is a great choice for those looking for a casual but still upscale dining experience. This popular restaurant offers a variety of delicious and inventive dishes that are sure to please. Girl & the Goat is also known for its fun and funky atmosphere, which makes it the perfect place for a night out with friends.
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809 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607312-492-6262 Visit Website. Located along the West Loop neighborhood’s famous Restaurant Row, Girl & the Goat is a fine-dining world-cuisine restaurant and cocktail bar. Girl & the Goat has a seasonally changing cocktail, wine, and beer menu to accompany its bold, unique wood-fired menu.
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Also located on Restaurant Row, Girl & the Goat opened with the goal of serving bold flavors with global influence in a fun and lively setting. They also boast the title of James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes, along with awards from Eater including: Restaurant of the year, Chef of the year, Shaker of the year...
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Right by Bad Hunter is another “flavour of the month” restaurant that has maintained crowds since opening. Although more on the meaty side, the small plate restaurant caters well to vegans but be sure to note your dietary requirements when booking to be on the safe side. 809 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL
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Led by acclaimed chef Stephanie Izard, Girl & the Goat invites diners to experience bold global flavors with inventive flair. Enjoy dishes like hamachi poke with pickled kumquat and fried pork belly noodles with chili crunch. A sweet ending of miso maple budino is the best way to finish off this meal.
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Sultry mood lighting and a dramatic open kitchen concept make Top Chef’s famous Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat and dreamy dinner locale. Make your reservation for this beloved West Loop eatery well ahead of time, as Izard’s inventive cuisine and global flavors have garnered quite a following.
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Like Sunda, Girl and The Goat is not a vegan restaurant Chicago offering per se but comes with an entire vegan menu. This now-legendary spot has beautiful views out over the city with a high-ceilinged dining area. The walls are hung with modern art and the tables are all perfectly laid.
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The name may sound funny, but Girl and the Goat is indeed one of the best places to eat in Chicago. Reservations are hard to come by so make yours weeks in advance. Girl and the Goat is the creation of “Top Chef” (Season Four, 2008) and “Iron Chef” (Season One, 2017) Stephanie Izard.
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This restaurant always has been and will probably always remain hot. It hasn’t really gotten any easier to make a reservation here over the years. That’s because it is one of the top restaurants in Chicago, and the food is worth the wait.
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There’s a reason Girl and the Goat is booked out weeks to months in advance!. There is an abundance of gf options and staff will guide you through the menu. I recommend pig face (one of the signature dishes) and the chickpea fritters.
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The reasons behind this restaurant’s popularity are many and varied. However, one of the biggest reasons is that all the menu items they offer taste exceptionally delicious, with their goat empanadas taking center stage.
Any good funky, unique or fusion restaurants? : chicagofood
Girl & the goat impressed our friend in the food science business; and just overall is one of the best spots in the city. May not hit your fusion vibe, but is unique enough that it’ll certainly leave an impression.
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🍽️ New American | $$$ | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 (312) 492-6262 | Neighborhood: West Loop. Girl & The Goat is a Chicago favorite and for good reason. The menu packs a punch when it comes to flavor.
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- Rating: 4.4/5 (10467 reviews)- Price level: $$$- Address: 809 West Randolph Chicago, Illinois - Categories: New American, Bars, Bakeries- Read more on Yelp
Social
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit