Chicago Weekend Fun!

Update: The Zed 451 locations in Downers Grove and Schaumburg have closed. The only ZED location still open is in the River North neighborhood of Chicago.

The Zed 451 restaurant opened in Chicago a few years ago after Fogo de Chao brought Brazilian beef to the city and a new way of dining. Zed 451 is no copycat though. They have put their own spin on this unlimited buffet of beef in Chicago. First off, if you are a vegetarian, this is not the restaurant for you.

The concept is that for $49.00 (plus tax, tip and drinks) you get an all you can eat (prix fixe) experience featuring a large salad bar and about 15 choices of meat. The style of eating originated in Brazil and is called Churrascaria where all the meats are barbecued on a rotisserie and then usually served off that rotisserie by the Gauchos who walk around from table to table slicing off pieces of meat. This is an enjoyable style of restaurant if you are a big beef or red meat fan although there are some chicken and shrimp options now that they have diversified to meet the local tastes.

Zed 451 specialized in making this an upscale and more modern experience when they revamped the two Sal & Carvao restaurants without the gauchos under the new name in early 2007. (Located in Schaumburg and Downers Grove) In 2008 they went for more cache’ and opened a flagship Zed 415 restaurant in the River North neighborhood on Clark Street in downtown Chicago. Surely, all big Chicago steakhouses have a trendy downtown location. The atmosphere is cool but upscale and the wine bar and rooftop lounge downtown is a hangout most evenings for sales people, lawyers and the downtown social set. (or those who want to be)

Zed 451′s food is still centerstage though and it doesn’t disappoint. Some people have said that the meat is not absolutely perfectly cooked to their liking but I never have had that problem. The bacon wrapped fillet is the most amazing thing ever. The fillet mignon is also amazing on it’s own. The options also include fish (citrus salmon, macadamia nut encrusted fish) shrimp and chicken. The beef is usually cooked somewhere between medium and medium well so if you like rare meat, it will be hard to find here. It is just the level of cooking that most people want for their beef.

Overall, I think Zed 451 is a great place to go for a special dinner in Chicago, Schaumburg or Downers Grove. I like going to the suburban locations more than the downtown Zed 451 because they are less crowded and you can enjoy a meal there without traffic, reservations, parking hassles or hipsters judging you. 

Zed 451 is open 7 days a week for dinner from 4:30 pm to 11 pm and for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 3pm. Reservations can be made online through the opentable system or by calling the numbers below.

The Zed 451 address locations are at:

• 801 E. Algonquin Road in Schaumburg, IL Phone: (847) 925-0061
• 3008 Finley Road Downers Grove, IL Phone: (630) 512-0900
• 739 N. Clark Street in Chicago, IL Phone: (312)266-6691