Warlord

-Grubbing in Chicago  
New to the 'Scene'

As we sit in the 4th quarter of the calendar year it’s becoming clear what the years best restaurant openings will be. One spot you’re likely to see listed is Warlord. The Avondale eatery that Chicago Eater called a “covert culinary operation” is no longer much of a secret having been visited by all of Chicagos food media. But Warlord appeared out of nowhere when it opened last June. I had heard whispers about an interesting spot that was coming but for the most part it arrived without any type of press aside from an Instagram account of their own. Then word spread quickly upon its opening. 

Recently Opened in Avondale 

Warlord is the product of three veteran Chicago based chefs. Other than the chefs themselves not much is known about the story behind the city's most polarizing spot since the pandemic. I don’t recall anywhere that has generated as many different opinions as Warlord has since its opening, starting with the name itself which some people find offensive. While there isn’t much info on the behind the scenes happenings at Warlord there’s plenty of info on the dining aspect of it. First off it’s important to note that they’re closed on Tues, Wed, Thurs and they don’t open until 6p on Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon. There are no reservations and waits can be up to two hours if you don’t get seated at 6pm. If you don’t like loud music you might not want to visit but if you like food cooked over a live fire you very much might want to visit. Most of the stuff on the menu touches that fire which is sitting behind the chefs counter. We had a front row seat for the cooking and also for a bit of a meltdown by one of the chefs. I won’t name names but I got a kick out of it, it was like a scene from The Bear. Service didn’t seem to skip a beat so whatever. Shit happens. It was just a temper tantrum. Now onto the menu which is always changing so it’s unlikely you’ll see many of the things we ate if and when you visit but it does seem like the raw hokkaido scallops are a regular menu item. They get a light sear and are poached cold in butter. On our visit they came dressed with orange and tomato. I thought these were excellent. High quality ingredients made for a first rate dish. 

Hokkaido Scallop

I’d heard from some that the burger here was outstanding so I had plans to try it even before we arrived. It’s dry aged beef cooked over fire and comes dressed with nothing more than charred onion and mayo. It’s a thick patty which I’m starting to enjoy more and more now that everyone else is doing them thin. Also when grilling over wood or charcoal a thicker burger is pretty much the standard. I completely disagree with David Chang when he says a grilled burger isn’t flavorful. Beef and most meat in general is better when grilled. This burger would not have been as good if it didn’t have that kiss of fire. But the beef was high quality and thus would taste great prepared any way except overdone. I'd give it a B+ on the grading scale. I got fries with my burger (not included) and they were also really good. Served with a grilled onion aioli that works perfectly with the fresh cut spuds. 

Burger and Fries at Warlord

An angel hair pasta with trout roe, blue crab, parmesan and marigold was a big letdown. The pasta paled in comparison to all the pasta we ate a few weeks before in Italy. It might seem unfair to compare the pasta from a spot known for its live fire cooking to the pasta offerings of Italy but at the end of the day I wasn’t expecting to get a pasta on the same level as those in the mecca. But I was expecting something that taste good and this was rather bland and expensive. My only other qualm was the fact we visited in the summer and there was very little on offer as far as vegetables. I can understand the appeal in this place the same way I can understand why some people are turned off by it. It's probably the most polarizing restaurant opening Chicago has had in some time. 

Angel Hair Pasta 

Warlord
3198 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
Website