Best Pre-Theater Restaurants in China Town

First, we noticed the fresh and bright decor. Next, the live music. Beautiful young lady. Amazing voice. I didn’t catch her name, unfortunately. After looking at the menu (thank you for mocktails!) we settled on hushpuppies and fried green tomatoes for apps. Wow. The pimiento cheese and red pepper jelly went perfectly. We also ordered the fried chicken, strip steak, chicken sandwich, cucumber salad, greens, mac & cheese, and shrimp & grits (upgrade to cheddar, totally worth it). Everything was absolutely amazing. Portion sizes were big enough that we all shared bites and still each took to-go boxes home. Mel was outstanding. She had such a great personality and made sure we were well taken care of. The only thing we would change was to wait to place our entree orders until after we finished the appetizers. The food came out so fast that we weren’t finished with the apps. But it was all good. We will definitely be back!!

We went here after getting married at city hall and the staff made this such a wonderful experience! They put flowers at our table and wrote us a handwritten card with complimentary Prosecco. Great service and food, and they were accommodating to our party of 12. Would recommend to anyone!

Only complaint is that when I ordered a burger there was no side. That’s pretty silly - should at least come with fries. But no yeah, really good food and drinks. Great date vibes

12/10 experience! My boyfriend and I come to Mercat every year for our anniversary and our server Jeff made this year truly memorable. He was very informative answering questions about the menu. He made us feel comfortable and taken care of, despite it appearing to be very busy. He was personable and it was very enjoyable to chat with him throughout the evening. The server’s assistants also helped make the night special. We had the Valentine’s Day menu which had 3 courses to it. Each course was delivered accurately in a timely fashion. After each course our silverware was changed and empty plates removed from the table promptly. We love Mercat and we come back every year because we love the food! This Valentines tasting menu absolutely blew us away. Each course was more fantastic than the last. My favorite was the lobster fideua, the bold barbaque peppery flavor of the vegetables and pasta combined with the tender subtle lobster was unparalleled to anything I’ve ever tasted before. My boyfriend deeply enjoyed the imberico tenderloin and brava sauce. The plates not only tasted amazing but they looked visually stunning. We eat with our eyes first, and each time a new course was delivered to the table I was in awe of the culinary craftsmanship of each the dishes. Overall, the entire Mercat ala planxa team goes above and beyond to provide exceptional food and service, guaranteeing a uniquely memorable dining experience every time. I will make it a priority to visit more than on our anniversary. Thank you to the whole team who made this possible. The only thing left I have to say is, how doesn’t this restaurant have a Michelin star yet? I think they deserve 3 at the very least.

Proxi's food is not only outstanding but memorable. It is rare to experience such a level of care and quality. We are grateful to have such a restaurant in Chicago.