Restaurant Review: Bridgeport’s The Duck Inn goes all-out for the holidays
A little over a decade ago, Chef Kevin Hickey had a dream to bring fine dining to a 135-year-old, pre-Prohibition era tavern, located at Loomis Street and the Chicago River, on the border of Chicago’s booming Pilsen and Bridgeport neighborhoods, where Hickey had grown up.
“This was not a pretty street” back then, Hickey told WTTW in April.
Thus was born The Duck Inn, a retro-inspiredgastropub styled with mid-century modern furnishings and historic curios of the neighborhood, specializing in New American cuisine…especially their signature duck dishes.
The restaurant has earned national accolades, including 2024’s James Beard Semi-Finalist for Outstanding Restaurant and Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America 2015. As their website notes, he’s nominated for Chef of the Year in the 2025 Banchet Awards.
The Duck Inn was part of a renaissance for the Bridgeport/Pilsen area.
Now for the important part: The food! As they say on their website, The Duck Inn’s signature dish is a simple yet elegantly-prepared Whole Rotisserie Duck. The legs and thighs are slow-roasted for three hours and the breasts are pan-roasted medium-rare to order. The carved duck is served over greens tossed with duck fat dripping potatoes and seasonal fruits. The final component is a duck jus reduction served at the table.
As they say, “We serve only the ducks made that day so we offer guests the opportunity to preorder the dish and reserve one for the table. Please call (312) 724-8811 in advance to reserve your table and your rotisserie duck.”
Another treat is their Duck Inn Dog, a tribute to the classic Chicago Hot Dog. It’s made with all-natural beef and duck fat in a hog casing and grilled to a perfect snap, topped with homemade mustard and relish, combined with pickled hot peppers and pickle, tomatoes, onions, and celery salt, nestled in a one-of-a kind brioche poppy seed bun.
Holiday Treats at The Duck Inn
The Duck is hosting several holiday events over the next two weeks. On Saturday, December 21, they’re hosting BRUNCHIN’ WITH SANTA! at 11am and 3pm. Santa himself will be stopping by to enjoy a delicious brunch with all guests. Get ready for a morning filled with festive cheer, tasty food, and maybe even a surprise or two from the man in red. Don’t forget to bring your Christmas wish list and get your photo taken with St. Nick. There’s hot cocoa and a special kids menu as well!
Theyarestill accepting orders for take-home Christmas Dinners. A family of four will find plenty on their table by ordering their $325 STANDING PRIME RIB OF ALL-NATURAL BEEF with mulled red wine sauce and “all the fixings, or their EVERYTHING BUT THE BEEF for $125. When ‘the fixings/’ include such specialties as Duck Fat Yorkie Pudding, Creamed Kale, Irish cheddar potato casserole , and sticky toffee pudding with whiskey cream for pickup or delivery. Orders will be ready for pickup or delivery on Monday, December 23.
On Tuesday, December 31, The Duck Inn will ring in the New Year…Duck Inn style, with a $174 per person Multi-Course Tasting Menu, including POMME PAVÉ, with Champagne ranch créme and dill. VENISON TARTARE with spruce & dijon ice cream and pomegranate geleé, and a rosemary & foie gras cracker. CIGALAS LANGOUSTINE has scallop thermidor, sauternes poached tail and Italian white sturgeon caviar. TORO TUNA is served withUni geoduck, shiso-clam cream and finger lime. DUCK À L’ORANGE is a seared breast with foie-stuffed thigh ballotine bigarade sauce, and blood orange. WAGYU RIBEYE is served with huckleberry chasseur sauce, Italian white truffles, wagyu tallow confit, and lion’s mane mushroom. CHARTREUSE ROOT BEER “FLOAT” has chartreuse meringues, root beer spice anglaise root beer foam, and mint. Top yourcelebrationwith a CHICAGO SPRITZ, made with Chicago’sown Malort, sparkling prosecco, and orange.
Mine is not the only positive opinion, as these Google reviewers note:
“ I dined in with my brother on Monday. Everything was outstanding. Of course, we got the signature roasted duck which was out of this world. The cocktails and appetizer were fantastic as well. Thank you Mark for your amazing hospitality and suggestions!”
“The amazing food matched the service in this place. Everyone’s so nice and the food is out of this world. I had the duck. It’s by far the best thing I ever had.”
The Duck Inn is located at 2701 S. Eleanor Street. They are open Monday-Thursday, 5pm-10pm. Saturday, they are open from 5pm-11pm, and Sunday from 10:30am for brunch and go till 10pm. For information and reservations, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
