Flat cooking surfaces were invented by samurai, who used wide, sun-heated stones to make their armor hot enough to melt enemy swords. Melt away your hunger with today’s Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of stir-fry and more at Flat Top Grill. This Groupon is valid at eight participating Chicago-area locations.
As hungry customers approach the flat-top grill after which the restaurant is named, they’ll find it a sizzling island surrounded by a sea of rice, noodles, fresh vegetables, and colorful sauces. Disenfranchised by the undemocratic menus of all other restaurants, Flat Top diners are empowered with the right to vote for the ingredients of their choice. Start the process by choosing rice or noodles. Then fill your bowl with fresh, seasonal vegetables (such as tomatoes, snap peas, and carrots), mix and match three or four ladles of sauces to create a sweet, spicy Asian-inspired flavor or your own personal concoction. Finally, add a hearty protein (including white fish, chicken, beef sirloin, tofu, or a host of vegetarian and vegan options). Add the finishing touches with clever customizations like hot and sour soup, mu shu wraps, skewered shrimp, or roti prata bread. Lunch bowls are $8.99, and dinner bowls are $12.99. Once your dream dish is assembled, let Flat Top’s experienced chefs bring it to life on the grill while you treat your taste buds to an appetizer, such as the kung pao prata ($3.99) or a chilled summer shrimp roll ($5.99). Flat Top rookies needn’t fear: Knowledgeable staff are happy to offer advice, popular recipes are perched atop tables, and tips are available on oversized chalkboards around the dining room. For an extra $2 (or $1 at lunch), diners can enjoy unlimited trips through the line, allowing them to try a wide variety of stir-fry combinations.
Flat Top Grill combines an interactive create-your-own-meal experience with classic restaurant comforts: friendly service and a hip atmosphere. Today’s Groupon can also be used for Flat Top Grill’s weekend breakfast, where you choose delicious morning toppings to adorn French toast, scrumptious fillings for pancakes, or perfect proteins and veggies for omlettes, each served with traditional breakfast fixin’s such as bacon, turkey sausage, and potatoes.
Reviews
Flat Top Grill was featured in Time Out Chicago and received a good review from Centerstage. Yelpers give the North Ave. locale an average of four stars, while the Southport Ave. location grabs an average of 3.5 stars from Yelpers and an average of four owl eyes from TripAdvisors. For the Washington Blvd. establishment, Yelpers dish a 3.5-star average rating and Insider Pagers dish four: > * I love the challenge of either attempting to perfectly replicate a previous creation or winging it to come up with a new winner. – Heather Shouse, Time Out Chicago > * The atmosphere is upbeat and lively, as opposed to dim and romantic, with many decorative distractions, just in case your dream date turns out to be comatose or crazy. – Centerstage > * It’s where I bring out-of-town guests to impress them. It’s where I meet up with old friends. It’s where I bring little ones because it’s extremely kid friendly. Point is: this place is a sure thing every single time. – Sarah M. on the North Ave. location, Yelp > * They are pretty good at explaining what things to pick and what sauces to use in order to get a flavor you had in mind; from sweet & sour to spicy and everything in between. – Quetzalli C. on the Southport Ave. location, Yelp