Veggie Burger
I popped in here for lunch with a co-worker because it was convenient and we didn’t need reservations. There’s something to be said for a “yes, we can seat you right away” place when your day is a mad rush of meetings and high-powered business deals (Ha, not! Though it sounds great.) Hub 51 is a sit-down restaurant, so I had to work through the initial lunch sticker-shock. I’ve been bringing food from home and eating in the cafeteria, so I forgot for a moment that Hub 51 was not out of line for places along Michigan Avenue.
An overflowing mound of chicken, avocado, and nachos
The servings are extremely generous here. I had forgotten that, too. Since we ordered lunch outside on the sidewalk cafe, rightly feeling that we should outside while we still could, there was no way to hide or downplay the mountain of food that our tiny waitress hauled to our table. I think I had a moment of denial when ordering, and was surely out of my mind when I made the executive decision to order dessert so we could forgo the coy dance of temptation and get straight to satisfying chocolate desires before the afternoon round of business, business, business. Like I said, Out. Of. My. Mind.
As you can see from the photo, the hard stop of a separate dessert menu is sometimes needed:
Brownie!
Service was quite good, and the food was neither outstanding or wretched, instead making its mark through the stuffed tummies of Hub 51 patrons. My co-worker argued that the brownie ala mode was worth the trip, though I think I would have been just as happy without the syrupy confluence of Hershey’s and cream.
Lunch came to about $25 a person, which means I’ll be taking “low powered business lunches” in the near future. I am assured, however, that they make up for the lunch prices by offering their sushi half price from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. YMMV, but I never seem to be hungry around that time and certainly wouldn’t be after trying their lunch menu.
Hub 51
51 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60610
