42 Best American Restaurants near Elwood

“We had a funeral luncheon today, perfect location for the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery- the set up/family style food they have specifically for this type of event is great- private area, pleanty of food, good food. But what made me come on to leave a review was the great waitress we had. She went above and beyond, finding out my daughter couldn't eat much because her wisdom teeth had been pulled last week, and got her pleanty of mashed potatoes, and she was able to take some to go too. I know it doesn't sound like much, but when your 13, you haven't been able to eat much for the past week, have to go to all day funeral services, and then a lunch where your not sure what you will be able to eat, her kindness was very much appreciated! Thank you!“

“Absolutely delicious and filling!😁“

“Great food, drink, and staff. Reasonable prices. Love the outdoor area!“

“Clean, quiet, local restaurant. Tried bacon cheeseburger, waffle fries, chicken Philly sandwich, and two soups. All was good. Very clean, not busy. Easy to have quiet conversation. Staff pleasant, helpful. Yummy dessert case with several options, cheesecake, cakes. Carrot cake looked good, as did mango key lime cheesecake. No room for dessert, maybe next time. Prices reasonable.“

“I came to use my reward points for my birthday dinner. I surprised to find out the trio special was not a part of this reward. I guess always read the fine print. We ordered the shrimp scampi. The shrimp a bit over cooked but the fettuccine was tasty.
I am sorry to say our server was not attentive and we had to have someone flag her down 3x. To me customer service is key to the tip amount. Regardless of how busy she may be, I believe we were forgotten. The atmosphere is pleasant and overall I'll give a 3.5 star rating.“

“I always love Culver's burgers, they're always a hit. Tried onion rings off the suggestion of an employee and was impressed with the crispiness. Sweet tea was delicious 😋 and I tried the butter pecan flavor of the day with some add on which was very good. Enjoyed a booth, not too busy, clean restaurant and nice service.
Spent 20 dollars for everything (also got a small fry)“

“WE GET FOOD FROM BABES SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK AND IT ALWAYS OUTSTANDING..NEVER DISSASPOINTED,, GREAT BURGERS,,WRAPS,CORNED BEEF, POT ROAST SANDWICH,, EVERYTHING EXCELLENT. WERE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A GREAT,LOCAL LUNCH SELECTION.. FORGET THE KING AND THE CLOWN, MORE CHOICES , FRIENDLY STAFF,FRESH MADE TO YOU,, FAST SERVICE. THANK YOU BABES“

“Twice a year my colleagues and I come to Joliet for a teacher conference/education. We always stay at this hotel and have dinner here. This fall we were unable to however one of my colleagues and I made the trip over to have Burger Theory! We absolutely love this place!“

“Had to wait a long time for our order because the owner was the only one working. Her employee scheduled didn't show up... Again. That being said the food was excellent! Everything is made fresh, no frozen. The burger was high quality and fantastic. My husband had brisket sandwich which he liked also. The baked beans were thick and hardy with pulled pork meat in it. Yum! They were out of several items due to supply chain issues. Which, is happening all over. We will definitely be coming back. Thanks Jodi keep up the good work! Hope you can find some reliable employees to help you.“

“This is truly a hidden gem in downtown Joliet. Food was absolutely delicious. We tried the pollo anticuchero, the lomo saltado and the papa a la huancaina and it was all very tasty. I had the parchita for a drink and it was also very good. We will definitely be back.“

“More of a bar that serves good food when you're inside. You order at the back of the hall, pay there, then wait for your buzzer to go off to go get it. Burgers were great! Barman was friendly and helpful about learning about their craft beer“

“me and my daughter love it. great customer service, drinks and bowls“

“This place gets a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me! Everyone I spoke with was super nice! Gabriela, specifically, went out of her way to make a special day complete for me. Living in Ohio, I needed some assistance. She stayed in constant communication with me and the results were better than expected!!! Can't wait to visit, in person, in May!! Thank you so very much 💞“

“Go to 99 Hops House great food“

“On Feb 17 my granddaughter got married so we decided to go to Cracker Barrel previously I had spoke to the manager Angel to warn her 25-30 people were coming by the way she's awesome! The food was great the waitresses were so nice we had a wonderful experience. I go there to shop lol my daughter eats there every weekend so I would recommend this place hands down!!!!“

“Eating area was clean as always! Great friendly service! I think it was Lineta maybe (sorry if I didn't get the name correctly) was nice, attentive, and knowledgeable as always, and greets with a smile! Definitely a good place to go on lunch. Food is always cooked to order, fresh, and hot.“

“fun bar great music and great bartenders“

“Ate here with my family and the food was very delicious. The staff was friendly. The restaurant's atmosphere was very relaxing and you can tell they poured their love into the place. Tried the pizza that I'm assuming is a new addition to the place and it was really good 👍 Might become our next pizza place. Prices are very very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food you get. They even have a selfie camera once you enter the restaurant you can take pictures and have it sent to your phone. Will be back!“

“I just love their food, everything fresh & tastes perfect! My favorite besides their sandwiches will gotta be their chicken noodle soup, rich flavor with lots of veggies & chicken. The store’s ambiance and staff are friendly too! Can’t believe they are the only one RAX in Illinois :,) hope to see more RAX in the future!“

“Family owned and family friendly!!“

“Best chili ever Great service Feels like home ❤️“

“Haydens is a great place to eat! they are the best restaurant in town. The food is wonderful and their soups are out of this world. I only wish they would get this website up to date and working properly. I try to check it every day and am often disappointed with it not being updated.“

“Excellent staff, lots of laughs, great music inside and outside!!“

“Great service, friendly servers, good prices and amazing food!“

“Four of us from Dwight ate there Thursday night. Everything was outstanding. The pork chops were well seasoned and moist. My veal and smashed sweet potato was to die for. And the bread pudding was delicious. Missed several items on the menu, I will be back. Kudos to you and your staff for a fantastic evening!“

“This place has been here forever!! And I became new to this place a smacking 8 yrs ago yes!! I travel here for my shrimps and fish.. prices are beautiful. Food always fresh to the taste and I will come here till I move too far lol. Parking is decent always a place to park. Not wheelchair accessible however don’t let that make you miss ordering here“

“Rode my horse through the drive threw and they took care of us amazingly 😂👍🏻 definitely recommend coming here“

“I catered food from here for my sons birthday party. The gal who took my order was pleasant and through. When I went to pick it up, the order was ready on time and I also received a discount I didn't even ask for! I was again pleasantly surprised to find that when my son and I were carrying out part of the large order because we knew we had to make a couple of trips, 2 employees had followed us out with the rest of the order and placed it in my car for me! The food we ordered was italian beef and sausage, baked mostaccioli, fried chicken and salads. Everything was prepared and packed well and all was delicious! Thank you Pops of Shorewood for going above and beyond and helping make my sons birthday a success!“

“This place has been around 'forever''. The food and service hasn't changed. Try this place, I guarantee you'll love it. I haven't t r ied the beef sandwiches, but I hear they're pretty tasty. Next time I end up there for lunch, a beef sandwich will be my choice.“

“1.00 beer!!! Friendly bartender!! Free pool on Monday!!!!“

“I have to write a super positive review about a waitress here. This is my favorite place to have a wholesome, down to earth, old-fashioned breakfast or lunch. The food is so tasty and done well but the main reason I comeback is because of the waitress Suzanne! She is so personable and attentive. She lives in the area so you can converse with her about local issues and know she is feeling the pain about things going on in our town right now. She's gentle and funny and really knows her stuff. I depend on her recommendations often. She is a hidden treasure in Joliet and should be recognized for the exceptional job she brings to her job.“

“Excellent food, great place to stop for lunch/dinner. Service was great. Definitely plan to come back for dinner and to try some of the winter cocktails!“

“Hugh pieces of white meat chicken with excellent breading. 3 pieces fills you up“

“HOLY MOTHER OF BEAUTY 🌶️

April 2025

Thank you Lalos, Roula and Ivan for the re-experience of this Chili’s 🌶️ Grill & Bar. They mentioned how much this great restaurant changed their overall customer service to their establishment.

The staff was so attentive and I LOVED the potato 🍟 fries. I forgot the soup but wow 🤩 I was in love. Thank you to the chef and staff of this Chili’s Grill & Bar!

You reminded me why I fell in love with Illinois. Congratulations beautiful Roula Blooma 🌸 for you and Ivan’s special baby girl 👧❤️.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟“

“great food at great prices“

“I've been there 2x this week for breakfast. First time I had the chicken fried steak and fruit. While not much on presentation (not an easy dish to " spiff up"), it was delicious. The service was a bit slow. Today I had the gypsy skillet and substituted for the fruit. Better presentation. Server remembered me and was was very attentive. I hope to go back for their new dinner. Maybe they could table tent some of the different dinners?“

“My hubby and I finally made it into White Horse Inn for lunch after years of driving by saying, “We really need to try that place!” Well, we finally did, and it was such a great experience! Our waitress, Julie M., was amazing—so friendly, attentive, and welcoming. We had a small issue with a steak being cooked just a touch more than we ordered, but the way it was handled really impressed us. Not only did they take care of it right away with genuine apologies, but they continuously checked in with us while the replacement was being prepared so we never felt like we were waiting and wondering. That kind of service says a lot about how much they truly care about their guests. Between the cozy atmosphere, delicious food, and fantastic service, we left saying, “Why did we wait so long to stop here?!” We’ll definitely be back—sooner rather than later!“

“Heroes is a great sports bar with food that’s better than most sports bars. I have eaten here several times over the last 3 years but it was tonight that I was impressed and decided to give a review. Don’t get me wrong the food has always been on point but if you know me a little bit from my other reviews, I don’t do them unless it’s something great. Well tonight I had the normal honor of sitting at the bar because I’m a traveler for work but tonight was different! I met a wonderful bartender named Taylor. She’s is amazing with a wonderful attitude and gifted ability to produce a common midwestern drink but different! As if you could make an Old Fashioned different and better.. well challenge accepted Taylor said, and did she deliver well heck yeah! Stop by and see Taylor (otherwise known as the girl with blue hair) psss there’s a story there too but she doesn’t have blue hair anymore..“

“Always a great experience and variety of food…“

“I'm at this location at least once a wk & it's the best one there is. The bartenders remember you & what you drink. It's like Cheers. I was here this Thurs Apr 4th. I had the triple bacon cheeseburger & it was the best burger I think I've ever had. Everything is good here & the service is always top notch. This is by far my go to lunch spot.“