We went out this past Saturday night in River North to celebrate two of our dear friends’ birthdays, and the night ended up being one of those where everything just sort of worked. Two stops, two very different experiences, and both worth talking about.
The Night at a Glance
- Electric Shuffle (River North, Chicago): electronic shuffleboard bar. A genuinely fun way to start an evening with a group before dinner. Good drinks, right vibe.
- RPM Steak (River North, Chicago): the dinner stop. Seafood towers, a serious sides list, and steaks.
- Order: The seafood tower to share, the Bacon Mac and Cheese, the steaks
- Skip: The $29 Wagyu Double Cheeseburger. Very good burger, not worth $29
- Good for: A birthday night out, groups, a pre-dinner activity that is not just another bar
Electric Shuffle
We started the night at Electric Shuffle, which is a shuffleboard bar in River North that I’d actually been to before at the Austin, TX location a few years back. That trip was a blast, so when it came up as an option for the pre-dinner activity, I was already sold before anyone finished the sentence.
The building looks great. The outside is clean and aesthetically sharp, with a solid patio out front that I can already see being a great hang when the weather cooperates. Inside it’s spacious and well laid out, with a bunch of electronic shuffleboard boards you can reserve and play at throughout the night. We booked ours for an hour and ended up extending to an hour and a half because we were having too much fun to leave.
The concept is simple and it works. There are several different game formats you can play on the boards, and everything is electronically scored, so you’re not standing around arguing about whose turn it is or what the count is. You just show up, grab some cocktails, and play. The drinks were great, the service was attentive, and the vibe was exactly what you want out of a pre-dinner activity spot. If you’re into the idea of a game-plus-drinks night before dinner, we’ve also been big fans of Pinstripes Northbrook for bocce and happy hour for years, but Electric Shuffle is a different energy and worth checking out on its own. We only had a few rounds of cocktails here before heading to dinner, but we’ll definitely be back, and we’d recommend anyone check it out while it’s still relatively new to the Chicago scene. Easy recommend.
RPM Steak
After Electric Shuffle we made our way to RPM Steak. This was the one RPM I had left on my list. I’d been to RPM Italian a few times and I’m not going to get into the RPM Seafood situation right now, but that’s a story for another day.
RPM Steak was packed at 7:45pm on a Saturday, which is not a surprise for that area. We were seated in the main dining room, which is large and open and very dark. I will say, as someone who is slowly accepting that his eyes are not what they used to be, trying to read a menu with small print up close in a dark room is becoming more of a challenge every year. That’s my problem and not the restaurant’s, but it’s worth noting if you’re in a similar situation. Bring reading glasses. The restaurant itself is nice, and the main dining room features, for whatever reason, a motorcycle sitting in the middle of it. Our server told us the story behind it, which I have completely forgotten, but at least there was a story.
Service was solid throughout the night. Nothing rushed, nothing falling behind, just a good dinner pace for a packed Saturday in River North.
The Seafood Towers
We started with two seafood towers: the Grand Chilled Seafood Tower and the Ember-Roasted Seafood Tower. I’m not generally a seafood person, but on a night like this with a big group, I try to be a little more adventurous.
The Grand Chilled Tower ($275) comes loaded with Shrimp Cocktail, Maine Lobster, Alaskan King Crab Legs, and East Coast Oysters, served with Cocktail Sauce, Wasabi Dijonaise, and Drawn Butter. It’s a big, impressive presentation and the kind of thing that makes a table feel like the night is officially starting. The Ember-Roasted Tower ($120) is the more interesting of the two: Wild Blue Prawns, Manilla Clams, Maine Lobster, Maryland Blue Crab, and Oysters, all finished with a Curry Aioli and Drawn Butter. The warm preparation and that curry aioli give it a lot more personality than a standard chilled tower.
I tried the oysters and Manila clams off the Ember-Roasted Tower, though I couldn’t tell you which was which by the time they got to me. One had more breading and some spice to it, with a rubbery texture on the actual shellfish. The other was more watery, but the oyster or clam itself was noticeably fresher and less chewy. Honestly I preferred the topping on the first one and the shellfish on the second one, which is not super useful advice, but that’s the truth.
Everyone else at the table was very happy with both towers and we cleaned them out pretty completely. The Ember-Roasted Tower is the more interesting order of the two if you’re choosing one. If seafood towers are your thing, the table seemed to agree they were absolutely worth it.
The Sides
Bacon Mac and Cheese
The Bacon Mac and Cheese ($18) is made with White Cheddar and artisanal pasta, which sounds like the ingredients for something that should really deliver. And it was good, but it didn’t quite land the way it should have. The white cheddar sauce was creamy and coated the pasta well, but I wanted the cheese to be sharper and I wanted significantly more bacon. The bacon that was there kind of disappeared into the dish rather than making its presence known in every bite. Would I order it again? Probably, because mac and cheese is always going to make the list. But I think it could be more flavorful overall. Not the one I’d call out as a highlight.
Japanese Sweet Potatoes
These were genuinely great. The Japanese Sweet Potatoes ($14) come prepared with Sweet Soy and Fresno Chili, and the result is almost candied. They’re sweet all the way through, with a little heat kicking in if you happened to get a Fresno chili in your bite. The sweet soy glaze is the right call here, it pulls the whole thing together without being heavy. This is the side to order. Don’t overthink it.
Millionaire’s Potato
The Millionaire’s Potato ($22) is mashed potato loaded with Fontina Cheese and Shaved Black Truffle, and based on the name alone you know what you’re getting into. I didn’t actually get a spoonful of this one, which I’m still not sure how that happened at a table of our size. But it looked like exactly what you’d hope it would look like, and everyone who had it seemed pretty happy. File it under “I’ll get to it next time.”
The Steaks (The Duke and the Filet)
Two people at our table ordered The Duke ($68), which is an 8 oz Ribeye Cap, and they had been talking it up before we even got there. Both of them loved it. The ribeye cap is one of the more prized cuts you can get, and at a restaurant like RPM Steak it’s going to be handled properly. The people who split a filet were also very pleased with their choice. I didn’t eat either of them, so I can’t give you a personal take, but when two people who were excited before they even sat down are still talking about a dish when the dessert menu arrives, that tells you something. If you’re coming to RPM Steak, order a steak. That’s the whole point.
Wagyu Double Cheeseburger
I got the Wagyu Double Cheeseburger ($29), which comes with Crispy Onion, Pickle, and your choice of Cheddar, White American, or Blue Cheese. I went with White American, skipped the crispy onions and the pickle. Just cheese, meat, and bread, cooked medium. That’s the move for me every time.
It was a very good burger. The wagyu patties had great fat content and cooked up with a nice crust on the outside while staying juicy in the middle. The White American melted properly across both patties and the bun held up without falling apart. That said, I don’t think it’s worth $29. It’s one of the cheaper things on the menu, which tells you everything you need to know about what kind of night this is going to be on your wallet. If you’re at RPM Steak and you’re not trying to spend steak money, the burger is a solid choice and it’s genuinely well-made. But you can find better burgers around the Chicago area at a fraction of the price, even if those burgers aren’t wagyu. Order it if you’re committed to not ordering a steak, but go in knowing what $29 gets you.
Dessert
We finished with two desserts because it was a birthday celebration and that’s not the night to skip dessert.
The Vanilla Sugar Donuts ($14) come filled with Boston Cream. They’re fine. They taste exactly like what they are: good donuts with a solid Boston cream filling. Nothing wrong with them, nothing that’s going to make you rethink dessert. If you’re a donut person and you want something on the lighter end to finish the night, they work. But they’re not the reason to save room.
The Martha M’s Special Occasion Carrot Cake ($15) is a different situation entirely. Five layers, secret recipe, cream cheese frosting. I claim I don’t like carrot cake. I have said this many times. And then I could not stop eating this one. It was genuinely that good. The layers were moist and had real flavor, not just the faint spiced background you usually get from carrot cake. The cream cheese frosting was rich without being overwhelming. If you have any interest in carrot cake at all, this is the one to order. And if you think you don’t like carrot cake, order it anyway. I’m speaking from experience.
The Verdict
The night was great and most of that was the company, but both spots held up their end. Electric Shuffle is a genuinely fun way to start an evening, especially if you’re in a group and want something to do before dinner. The drinks are good, the vibe is right, and the electronic shuffleboard setup makes it easy to just show up and play without any learning curve. Go check it out.
RPM Steak is a good restaurant. The steaks that were ordered were a big hit, the Japanese Sweet Potatoes are worth ordering every time, and the Martha M’s Carrot Cake alone is worth saving room for. Service was on point for a packed Saturday night. But it’s not the best steak place in the city for the price, and the $29 burger, while good, is not worth $29. If you’re going for a special occasion and money isn’t the constraint, it’s a solid night out. Just make sure you order one of the actual steaks and end the night with that carrot cake.
Electric Shuffle and RPM Steak FAQ
Is Electric Shuffle in Chicago worth it?
Yes, especially with a group. The electronic shuffleboard setup makes it easy to pick up, the drinks are good, and it is a genuinely fun way to start an evening before dinner.
Is the burger at RPM Steak worth $29?
It is a very good burger. The wagyu patties have great fat content, a nice crust, and stay juicy, and the bun holds up. But no, I do not think it is worth $29, even though it is one of the cheaper things on the menu.
What should you order at RPM Steak?
Get a seafood tower for the table and do not skip the sides. The Bacon Mac and Cheese is worth the order, and the steaks are what the place is built on.
Can you do Electric Shuffle and dinner in the same night?
That is exactly how we did it. Electric Shuffle first as the pre-dinner activity, then walk to dinner. Both are in River North, so it is an easy night to plan.
Is RPM Steak a special occasion restaurant?
Yes. We went for a birthday and the pricing matches that. It is not a casual weeknight stop.
