RJ Grunts
Popular menu items
Oreo Shake
The way milk shakes and malteds were originally made. Real hand-dipped ice cream, real milk, and tons of great goodies to flavor them up just the way people liked them. Scrumptious!
$7.95R.J.'s Famous Chili
Honored in '79 as Chicago's best chili and I have been too slack to try to improve it ever since. But then, why should I? Topped with cheddar cheese and onion.
$8.95 +Onion Rings
Sure, you can find a decent onion ring in Chicago. But are they stacked on a stick!?
$8.95California Wrap
A west coast treat featuring crispy chicken, lots of chopped bacon, cheddar, avocado, lettuce, tomato & Flying Lizard Ranch dressing.
$15.95 +Buffalo Wrap
Kind of like the crispy Buffalo chicken sandwich minus the sandwich but plus bleu cheese. And the colossal tortilla of course.
$15.95 +Chicken Fingers
Significant pile of deep, batter fried chicken tenders served with two profound dipping sauces known simply as BBQ & Ranch.
$17.95 +Brunch
Beverages
Milk Shakes
Vanilla Shake
The way milk shakes and malteds were originally made. Real hand-dipped ice cream, real milk, and tons of great goodies to flavor them up just the way people liked them. Scrumptious!
$7.95Chocolate Shake
The way milk shakes and malteds were originally made. Real hand-dipped ice cream, real milk, and tons of great goodies to flavor them up just the way people liked them. Scrumptious!
$7.95Strawberry Shake
The way milk shakes and malteds were originally made. Real hand-dipped ice cream, real milk, and tons of great goodies to flavor them up just the way people liked them. Scrumptious!
$7.95Oreo Shake
The way milk shakes and malteds were originally made. Real hand-dipped ice cream, real milk, and tons of great goodies to flavor them up just the way people liked them. Scrumptious!
$7.95Appetizers
R.J.'s Famous Chili
Honored in '79 as Chicago's best chili and I have been too slack to try to improve it ever since. But then, why should I? Topped with cheddar cheese and onion.
$8.95 +Homemade Veggie Chili
If you wan't that extra stuff on top you'll have to ask for it. As far as the oyster crackers are concerned, you'll get some whether you like it or not.
$8.95 +French Onion Soup
A classic French recipe but I switched to Spanish onions because they're not as bitter, and Swiss cheese on top because it's more neutral. And it tastes better.
$9.50R.J.'s Pickle Fries
Two thousand years of civilization and it's all come down to this. Fried pickles. But they are so good can we all agree to just get over it?
$9.50Onion Rings
Sure, you can find a decent onion ring in Chicago. But are they stacked on a stick!?
$8.95Chips, Salsa & Guacamole
Home (restaurant) made white tortilla chips. As opposed to those el-cheapo, spineless, yellow factory made ones.
$10.50Cheese Quesadillas
Great snack for cheese lovers featuring 2 different kinds of cheese and a lot of salsa and sour cream.
$10.50Nachos Nirvana
Previously known as "The Great Pile O'Food", this nacho fabrication is built up with masses of chips, chili, beans, guacamole, cheddar and pepper jack cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream and salsa.
$14.50 +Buffalo Chicken Nachos
Corn tortilla chips covered w/ chopped Buffalo chicken, 2 melted cheeses, lettuce & tomato and an ample dribbling of our zesty ranch sauce.
$15.50 +Salads and Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
$6.50Grunts Chef Salad - No Modifications Please
Grilled chicken, mixed greens, tomato, cheddar, bacon, egg, cucumber, blu cheese, croutons.
$17.95R.J.'s Emporium Wings
Buffalo Wings
8 Wings. Spicy. Served on a pile of fried onions. Comes with a side of blue cheese.
$12.50Hot Buffalo Wings
8 Wings. Really Spicy. Served on a pile of fried onions. Comes with a side of Blue Cheese.
$12.50Tangy Barbecue Wings
8 Wings. Tangy BBQ. Served on a pile of fried onions. Comes with a side of Blue Cheese.
$12.50Super Hot Buffalo Wings
8 Wings. Veritably. Served on a pile of fried onions. Comes with a side of Blue Cheese.
$12.50Wraps
California Wrap
A west coast treat featuring crispy chicken, lots of chopped bacon, cheddar, avocado, lettuce, tomato & Flying Lizard Ranch dressing.
$15.95 +Buffalo Wrap
Kind of like the crispy Buffalo chicken sandwich minus the sandwich but plus bleu cheese. And the colossal tortilla of course.
$15.95 +Santa Fe Wrap
Al pastor marinated chicken cinched up with pico de gallo, pepper jack, guacamole, chipotle mayo and lettuce.
$15.95 +World Famous Burgers
Works Burger
If I was marooned on a desert island with just one burger, this is the one I would pick cause it would have cheese, lettuce, tomato & mayo & onion & pickle on it. Alone at last.
$16.95 +Green Chile Cheeseburger
Poblano? No problem. Zesty burger featuring fire-roasted poblano chilis, cheddar, chipotle mayo, lettuce, pickle & red onion. Corona on the side? Maybe.
$16.95 +Better Bacon Cheddar Burger
Available elsewhere but their bacon isn't home smoked and their cheddar is that crappy two day old stuff.
$17.95 +Hickory Bacon Cheddar Burger
Easy to remember cause it has the same elements as "bacon cheddar burger" plus fried onions & BBQ sauce. But here's where things get a little peculiar. It also has tomato & lettuce.
$17.95 +Yowza Burger
We think the name speaks for itself but if you must know... peppercorn burger, spicy ketchup, pepperjack, smoked bacon, lettuce & tomato.
$17.95 +Gruntburger
Someone had the vision to gussy up a burger w/ fried onions & bleu cheese back in 1971. Me! And to this day, no one will let me forget it.
$16.95 +Peppercorn Burger
Interesting change of pace for pepper lovers that also contains bleu cheese, fried onions and lettuce & tomato.
$16.95 +Mushroom Swiss Burger
Or is it Swissroom mushburger? I am not totally sure, but it is made with grilled mushrooms & Swiss cheese. Or is it?
$16.95 +Patty Melt
Do you ever get a craving for one of these? Maybe it's the rye bread, or it's the sauteed onions or American cheese. Or maybe it's just patty.
$16.95 +Turkey Burger
This beefless burger is no chicken when it joins up with tomato, lettuce and Swiss cheese to fight for freedom, justice and thousand island dressing.
$16.95 +Veggie Burger
Fake out your mouth and stick to your diet all at the same time. Served with pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, salsa and a honey oat wheat bun.
$15.95 +Chicken
Mr. Chicken
A fowl homage to Joe & Dom over at Mr. Beef. Sliced roasted chicken dipped in au jus, w/ grilled peppers, provolone & spicy giardiniera.
$14.95 +Buffalo Style Chicken
Im not sure I really want to know what Buffalo style is but I do know that this crispy chicken sandwich contains lettuce and tomato on a sesame seed bun.
$14.95 +Cajun Chicken
A Mardi Gras for the mouth. Seared chicken with blackened cajun spices, pepper jack, lettuce & tomato. When you get your sandwich, raise the top of your sesame seed bun and show us your chicken!
$14.95 +Old Hickory Chicken
Chicken breast marinated in BBQ sauce, grilled, topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato & fried onions yet more BBQ sauce and served on a sesame seed bun.
$15.95 +Chicken Fingers
Significant pile of deep, batter fried chicken tenders served with two profound dipping sauces known simply as BBQ & Ranch.
$17.95 +Buffalo Chicken Fingers
Significant pile of deep batter-fried Buffalo Chicken tenders served with Buffalo and Blu Cheese dipping sauces. Served with your choice of side.
$17.95 +More Good Stuff
Grilled Cheese Special
The cheesiest sandwich in Chicago. 2 slices of Swiss over 2 slices of cheddar or vice versa.
$11.95 +BLT Classic Special
Few people give me credit for the invention of this popular sandwich and for good reason. All that aside, I still like ours best.
$12.95 +The Vintage Tuna Special
Take a trip down memory lane with this old-fangled bit of culinary history. Remember the 1st time you had one? Was it this big and gooey? Probably not.
$14.95 +Tuna Melt Trio Special
Begin with 3 English muffin halves with a pile of tuna salad & tomato on each. Then alternating slices of cheddar, Swiss & pepper jack so it's like having three different sandwiches all for the price of one.
$15.95 +BBQ Pork Sandwich Special
Lincoln Park styled shredded BBQ, served on our unique bread that looks like a hot dog bun, but it tastes like challah.
$13.95 +French Dip Enigma Special
Starts out credibly enough with tender roast beef, au jus and horseradish sauce. But here's what's so totally confounding, it's served on Italian garlic bread!
$16.95 +Sauces
Ranch Dressing
$0.75Bleu Cheese Dressing
$0.75Buffalo Sauce
$0.75Hot Buffalo Sauce
$0.75BBQ Sauce
$0.751000 Island Dressing
$0.75Mayo
$0.75Chipotle Mayo
$0.75Chipotle Ketchup
$0.75Salsa
$0.75Sour Cream
$0.75Horsey Sauce
$0.75Pico de Gallo
$0.75Honey Mustard Sauce
$0.75Sides
Merkts Cheese Sauce
$3.50Cottage Fries
$4.50French Fries
$5.50Sweet Potato Fries
$6.50Coleslaw
$3.95Mac and Cheese
$7.95Cup of Fruit
$4.00Cottage Cheese
$3.50Desserts
Late Night Drinks
Late Night Appetizers
Chips, Salsa & Guacamole
Home (restaurant) made white tortilla chips. As opposed to those el-cheapo, spineless, yellow factory made ones.
$9.50Cheese Quesadillas
Great snack for cheese lovers featuring 2 different kinds of cheese and a lot of salsa and sour cream.
$9.50Nachos Nirvana
Previously known as "The Great Pile O'Food", this nacho fabrication is built up with masses of chips, chili, beans, guacamole, cheddar and pepper jack cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream and salsa.
$13.50Buffalo Chicken Nachos
Corn tortilla chips covered w/ chopped Buffalo chicken, 2 melted cheeses, lettuce & tomato and an ample dribbling of our zesty ranch sauce.
$14.50Late Night Burgers and Sandwiches
Works Burger
If I was marooned on a desert island with just one burger, this is the one I would pick cause it would have cheese, lettuce, tomato & mayo & onion & pickle on it. Alone at last.
$13.95 +Green Chile Cheeseburger
Poblano? No problem. Zesty burger featuring fire-roasted poblano chilis, cheddar, chipotle mayo, lettuce, pickle & red onion. Corona on the side? Maybe.
$13.95 +Better Bacon Cheddar Burger
Available elsewhere but their bacon isn't home smoked and their cheddar is that crappy two day old stuff.
$14.95 +Hickory Bacon Cheddar Burger
Easy to remember cause it has the same elements as "bacon cheddar burger" plus fried onions & BBQ sauce. But here's where things get a little peculiar. It also has tomato & lettuce.
$14.95 +Yowza Burger
We think the name speaks for itself but if you must know... peppercorn burger, spicy ketchup, pepperjack, smoked bacon, lettuce & tomato.
$14.95 +Gruntburger
Someone had the vision to gussy up a burger w/ fried onions & bleu cheese back in 1971. Me! And to this day, no one will let me forget it.
$13.95 +Peppercorn Burger
Interesting change of pace for pepper lovers that also contains bleu cheese, fried onions and lettuce & tomato.
$13.95 +Mushroom Swiss Burger
Or is it Swissroom mushburger? I am not totally sure, but it is made with grilled mushrooms & Swiss cheese. Or is it?
$13.95 +Patty Melt
Do you ever get a craving for one of these? Maybe it's the rye bread, or it's the sauteed onions or American cheese. Or maybe it's just patty.
$13.95 +Turkey Burger
This beefless burger is no chicken when it joins up with tomato, lettuce and Swiss cheese to fight for freedom, justice and thousand island dressing.
$14.95 +Veggie Burger
Fake out your mouth and stick to your diet all at the same time. Served with pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, salsa and a honey oat wheat bun.
$13.95 +Late Night Wings and Sauces
Buffalo Wings
8 Wings. Spicy. Served on a pile of fried onions. Comes with a side of blue cheese.
$12.50Hot Buffalo Wings
8 Wings. Really Spicy. Served on a pile of fried onions. Comes with a side of Blue Cheese.
$12.50Super Hot Buffalo Wings
8 Wings. Veritably. Served on a pile of fried onions. Comes with a side of Blue Cheese.
$12.50Tangy Barbecue Wings
8 Wings. Tangy BBQ. Served on a pile of fried onions. Comes with a side of Blue Cheese.
$12.50