The Barn Steakhouse has officially ridden into downtown Highland Park, opening its second North Shore outpost at 1900 First Street and bringing its Evanston-born, meat-centric supper club vibe along for the trip. The new spot seats roughly 80 guests in the main dining room and comes with a little secret: behind an unmarked door down a cobblestone alley, the team is getting ready to launch 1898, a separate 25-seat speakeasy experience.
The Barn is taking over about 3,000 square feet on First Street under a 10-year lease expected to create roughly 25 local jobs, according to the Chicago Business Journal. It is the restaurant’s first expansion beyond its Evanston original. It drops a full-service steakhouse into a pocket of downtown that has recently seen a flurry of new dining investment.
Amy Morton, daughter of Morton’s The Steakhouse founder Arnie Morton, is the restaurateur driving the expansion. She has said the Highland Park version is meant to “resonate” with the neighborhood rather than simply duplicate the Evanston room. To help make that happen, Highland Park provided up to $750,000 in grant funds through a boutique incentive program to support interior and exterior improvements, as reported by the Daily Herald.
What to expect
The menu leans on The Barn’s greatest hits: prime cuts, a little gem salad, the Grand Central caviar sandwich and a Zaatar-roasted half chicken, all under the direction of Culinary Director Russell Kook. NBC Chicago notes that Kook, who has competed on Hell’s Kitchen and appeared on Iron Chef America, will lead the kitchen, and that the adjacent speakeasy is expected to open soon after the main dining room.
Inside, exposed brick, weathered wood and plenty of leather aim for a classic supper-club feel in an intimate footprint. The setup is designed to make the 80-seat space feel like a cozy, slightly hidden neighborhood dining room rather than a sprawling steakhouse.
Downtown boost
The Barn opened in the former Little Szechwan space and showed off its revamped dining room during a recent grand opening, where early coverage called out lively service and a roomy zinc bar near the entrance. The Record covered the debut and highlighted how the project activates a cobblestone alley in Highland Park’s downtown. City officials say that recruiting recognized restaurateurs was a central goal of the incentive program that helped bring the project together.
Reservations are available through the restaurant’s website and on OpenTable; visit The Barn Steakhouse or its OpenTable page for booking details and hours. The speakeasy 1898 will operate as its own experience, with separate capacity and event options.
Morton has hinted that Highland Park may not be the last new address for The Barn, saying the brand should evolve with each neighborhood while keeping the same “heartbeat” that made the Evanston original a North Shore draw. For Highland Park, that translates into an upper-scale steakhouse and a tucked-away cocktail spot added to the local dining map, a boost for residents and downtown foot traffic, according to restaurant and city statements.
