Girl & the Goat
Stephanie Izard's loud, wood-fired West Loop flagship of shared, adventurous small plates.
The call
Worth it if you are watching the budget and you only have one day.
Why
- 01
A roaring open kitchen, communal energy, and a menu that leans into goat, offal, and bold global flavors.
Our read - 02
The room is genuinely fun and genuinely loud — not the place for a quiet conversation.
Our read
Is it a fit?
Go if
You are watching the budget
On a budget, Girl & the Goat still earns its price.
You only have one day
Even on a tight schedule, Girl & the Goat earns the hours.
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, Girl & the Goat works.
You are traveling solo
Solo, Girl & the Goat works.
Think twice if
You are traveling with kids
With kids, it depends on the day.
You want something active
For adventure, Girl & the Goat is hit or miss.
The night matters
For nightlife, Girl & the Goat is hit or miss.
You prefer local life to spectacle
For local authenticity, Girl & the Goat is hit or miss.
The plates that decide it
- The sauteed green beans — cashews and fish-sauce vinaigrette — the dish even regulars order every visit
- Goat empanadas and the wood-oven-roasted pig face — the kitchen's most-talked-about plates; the menu is seasonal, so they rotate
- Over-ordering up front — plates are rich and arrive fast — pace yourself or you'll over-order
Plan it well
- Cost
- $$$ — shared plates add up quickly
- Timing
- Early or late seatings are easier to land
- Booking
- Reserve well in advance via the website
- Allow
- 1.5–2 hours
- Accessibility
- Vegetarian options exist but the menu leans meat-forward
Sources and method (2)
- Stephanie Izard won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes (2013) for her work here; she was the first woman to win Bravo's Top Chef en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Opened in the West Loop in 2010 with Boka Restaurant Group partners Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz; ~130 seats, nose-to-tail menu bokagrp.com ↗