The Hampton Social, like the one in River North, Chicago has recently opened at the Westfield Old Orchard. The restaurant has a fancy casual, seafood vibe with beautiful decor making you feel as if you are on the bay. The restaurant is famous downtown, but opening up another version of it in the middle of Skokie is a little out of place.

The food itself is very good. My personal favorite item on the menu is the Smash Burger. The meat is very well cooked and comes with the best fries I have ever tried. The fries are garnished with cilantro and spices to give it an extra kick of flavor alongside the perfectly golden, thinly cut potatoes. The fruity drinks are also aesthetically pleasing and delicious. The restaurant has a variety of virgin fruit drinks that are all sweet and tangy. I recommend any of them, but especially the Lavender Lemonade.

The best part of this restaurant is definitely the appearance of it.  The Hampton Social is the perfect place to take pictures with your friends under the famous “Rosé All Day” LED sign. There is beautiful lighting all over the restaurant with natural details peaking through. There are imitation bushes and tree branches decorated all over. The vibe of The Hampton Social is very light, beachy, and elegant with an immense amount of white, green, and pink to create a spring feel. This restaurant is ideal for a day out with friends.

The only thing that needs getting adjusted to is the service. The Hampton Social is very busy and rather new, so the workers are getting a hang of things. The service isn’t bad just a little slow and everyone is getting a hang of things so be patient with them. The other interesting aspect of the restaurant is the location. I personally think that it is out of place to be in the middle of Old Orchard Mall because all The Hampton Social’s surroundings are very casual while the restaurant itself is attempting to be elegant. It is convenient for us to have The Hampton Social so close, but it doesn’t fit in.

I overall rate the Old Orchard Hampton Social location a 4 out 5 stars. The food itself and the experience is amazing, but it just doesn’t mesh well with its surroundings and needs to improve the service.