Made ByRestaurant

Acadia

Chef in Residence

Ryan McCaskey

Chef

01CuisineMediterranean
02CityChicago, United States

"Chef and owner Ryan McCaskey helms the menu at this South Loop tasting-menu restaurant, where he’s best known for contemporary American fare that serves as a nod to his formative years in coastal Maine. Diners travel to partake in his upscale takes on classics, such as whimsical and delicious variations on Maine treats like lobster rolls and lobster pie, and Acadia's own riff on risotto, a serving of diced Yukon potatoes cooked with green apple and truffle butter. And though the place has no shortage of accolades (including two Michelin stars and an AAA Five-Diamond award), that doesn’t mean it's above the basics. The burger, served at the bar with Gruyère cheese, truffle-Gouda Mornay sauce, and bacon-onion jam on a brioche bun, is one for the record books."

Wine Spectator · Tier 1

At a glance

Cuisine: Mediterranean
Price: $$$
Hours: Mon: 8 AM–10 PM; Tue: 8 AM–10 PM; Wed: 8 AM–10 PM; Thu: 8 AM–10 PM; Fri: 8 AM–10 PM; Sat: 9 AM–10 PM; Sun: 9 AM–10 PM
Neighborhood: South Loop
Rating: 4.7 (1,384)

Two Michelin stars held for five consecutive years — earned first in 2013, second by 2014 — made Acadia one of the more decorated addresses in Chicago's South Loop, a neighbourhood not historically associated with fine dining at that tier. Chef and owner Ryan McCaskey built the restaurant around a specific culinary reference point: the coastal Maine of his summers, particularly the traditions of Deer Isle, translated into five- and ten-course tasting menus that ran through New England's larder with the rigour of contemporary American technique. The menu's anchor points were drawn from that coastal inheritance: lobster preparations, Wagyu steak, and upscale cheeseburgers that appeared in the bar programme alongside serious cocktails and wine. The bar functioned as a genuinely separate proposition from the main dining room — more casual, lower in price, and accessible in a way that the tasting-menu format never is. Critics including Julia Kramer at Time Out noted the relative affordability compared to Chicago restaurants operating at the same Michelin level, a distinction that mattered in a South Side context where fine dining at this scale had few precedents. The Chicago Tribune named it among the city's best restaurants in 2019. Acadia opened in 2011 and closed permanently in 2020, a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its run of roughly nine years placed it among the longer-lived two-star operations in Chicago's modern dining history, and the South Loop location — at 1639 S Wabash Ave — remained a point of discussion throughout, given how little comparable fine dining existed in the surrounding neighbourhood. McCaskey's background as a Vietnam-born chef adopted through Operation Babylift, who spent formative years on the Maine coast, gave the restaurant a specific biographical logic that extended into every course rather than serving as backstory alone.

Know before you go

Reservations: essential

Reserve via direct →

Frequently asked

Is Acadia more low-key or high-energy?

Based on its South Loop address at 1639 S Wabash Ave, Acadia sits in a neighbourhood that runs quieter than River North or Wicker Park. The area's bar culture leans toward regulars and after-work crowds rather than high-volume nightlife, which shapes the likely register of the room. Expect something closer to a settled local bar than a high-decibel destination.

Where can I find Acadia?

Acadia is located at 1639 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60616, Chicago.

How does Acadia fit into the broader Chicago South Loop bar scene?

Chicago's South Loop has fewer destination drinking spots per block than the Near North Side, which gives a place like Acadia at 1639 S Wabash Ave more room to function as a genuine neighbourhood anchor rather than a stop on a touring circuit. The Red and Green Line corridors nearby pull a mixed crowd of residents, students, and museum-area visitors. That foot traffic shapes the kind of bar Acadia is positioned to be: accessible, local in orientation, and not built around a marquee cocktail programme.

What should I try at Acadia?

Confirmed menu data for Acadia isn't on record, so arriving without a fixed agenda is the practical approach. South Loop bars in this bracket tend to keep a short, rotating selection of draught beer alongside straightforward spirits pours. Ask the bartender what's moving well that night rather than defaulting to a list.

What makes Acadia worth visiting?

Acadia occupies a stretch of S Wabash Ave that doesn't appear on most Chicago bar shortlists, which is part of the point. The South Loop has a layered neighbourhood tavern tradition that pre-dates the city's current cocktail programme wave. For anyone spending time near the Museum Campus or Cermak corridor, it fills a gap that polished destination bars don't.

Do they take walk-ins at Acadia?

No reservation policy is documented for Acadia. Neighbourhood bars at this address tier in Chicago's South Loop typically operate on a walk-in basis, particularly outside peak weekend hours. Arriving early in the evening is the standard approach if you want a seat without a wait.

Address

101 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

South Loop

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