41 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!😁“

“We had a wonderful breakfast here! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the service was exceptional. A special thank you to our waitress, Amy, who made sure our coffee cups were always full and checked on us throughout our meal. She was friendly, attentive, and truly made our experience even better. Excellent service and a great breakfast—we'll definitely be back!“

“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.“

“My husband and I had a great time here for his birthday dinner. We were instantly greeted when we walked in. The service was great the whole time and the food was amazing. We will definitely be back!“

“Their donuts are amazing ! Best donuts around Joliet. Coffee prices are kinda high priced.“

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

“Ordered online for breakfast and parked in pickup area. Wasn’t sure how their process worked so I called and the staff was friendly. Someone came out and got my name and then brought my food out to the car with a smile. Also learned that they now serve pizza!“

“Cool Place good food cold drinks.“

“Took my mom out to lunch here, prices are very nice for very good food. Wait staff is students who seem unsure of themselves but no one minded. No vegetarian options available, as every dish had meat. 29 dollars for two large entrées and a desert. The restaurant needs clearer signage as we needed to ask a lady at the service desk to point us in the right direction (it is on the second floor).“

“I invited my family to join me at The Reserve so I could treat them. In the past I had them join me at Buckinghams in Elgin, who's atmosphere is old fashioned, so I was excited for them to experience the atmosphere at The Reserve, which is a larger restaurant, and more lively. I was so very disappointed that we were seated in a side room with 2 other tables. One of the other tables had a large gathering, and it was way too loud for the room. The room's lighting was brighter and almost medicinal compared with the main restaurant ...so overall the atmosphere was sub-par. Our server was excellent, and overall the food was enjoyed by most of my family, however the cook on the steaks was inconsistent. I ordered medium well, and it was very well done. The server suspected there'd be an issue when she delivered the steak, and had me cut into it right away. Once I saw that it was overdone, they promptly started a new one. Another of my guests ordered their's medium rare, and their's was medium well. He didn't want to bother waiting for another one since it took a while for the dinners to arrive at the same time to start with, and he was over the whole wait game. The appetizers, soups and drinks were served promptly, but the wait on the dinner was too long...to the point that you almost forgot what you ordered.“

“I rarely write reviews, but I had to share my experience at the Culver’s on Larkin.

From the moment my sister and I walked in, Julius at the counter treated us with exceptional kindness and respect. He deserves a raise! He asked for my name when I ordered and continued to address me by name throughout my entire visit, which made the experience feel so personal and welcoming.

I usually visit the Shorewood location, but I’ll definitely be coming back to the Joliet Culver’s just to see Julius again. Outstanding customer service like his is hard to find!

The food was amazing, as always, and the restaurant was clean and well-maintained. Overall, a fantastic experience from start to finish.“

“We eat here every time we hike down south of Joliet and they are always fast, accommodating, and most importantly tasty. Gluten free options are great and being able to order ahead saves us tons of time starving. We always get so excited when we know we’ll be in the areas.“

“My daughters hosted a 65th birthday party for us at Old School Brewery with Nelly’s catering. We had an odd request, as we usually get their burgers when we go there. My daughters worked with Nelly’s and planned a Burger Bar complete with toppings, potato salad, baked beans, veggies, fruit and green salad! It was amazing! We really enjoyed it and everyone seemed to enjoy it! Thank you for working with us and for making that work! So anyone planning a party and are burger fans, check out their burger bar! Thanks again!!!“

“First time here the place was busy the young man will help me Tony R. I feel he was amazing. He waited on me and he was very helpful. I ordered the baby beef, gyro, fries n drink with tip included everything was like 25$I must say the beef andseason fries wasn't bad the gyro I've had better however it still wasn't bad. However that beef was really tender. I would visit again for sure“

“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“

“I've only been there twice since the new location opened, but it's a killer vibe inside. The games are fun, the tables seem to be doing great and the drinks are solid. I'm a sucker for a great old fashioned, and they make a solid one at &vine. Overall it's a great time and a solid modernization over the old one, although the sports bar in the old one always did good by me. Go give it a shot.“

“Best chili ever Great service Feels like home ❤️“

“I visited Rax on 07/05/2026 for the first time. I was very excited to try this place as I heard Rax used to be popular in the 90s and this is the only one in Illinois! As I was walking in I loved all the plants it felt very welcoming on the outside. The inside was a 90s look I loved it! The lady at the counter was very nice and the day I went it was empty inside sadly (Sunday Afternoon). But i took my food and headed over to the sunroom it was a warm day out and the sunroom stayed cool as there was hanging plants inside, it was beautiful! Everything here was super nostalgic and I hope it does not change! I got a beef n cheddar with curly fries. Honestly the beef was delicious and similar to Arby's minus the Arby sauce. I will totally be back. After I left I did some research I had no idea this was the 5th location Rax opened during there peak times. Thank you to the owner Terry, I hope your restaurant stays busy and please keep the 90s fast food aesthetics up!!“

“Stopped in when I was out shopping. The order was taken quickly and brought to me fast. The food was as expected for a fast food burger place it was quick, which is the selling point. I really enjoyed their root beer. The place was busy and was clean. Not bad. Pretty good for fast food. I would come again.“

“Family owned and family friendly!!“

“Omg I went for the first time to this restaurant yesterday and absolutely loved it. They serve a good portion and I asked for extra tomato and they sure gave me a lot of extra tomato in my hotdog. Most places don’t give a lot of extras when you ask for it. And the best part of going there was their soup. The soup was absolutely delicious. I will be definitely going back here a lot more. The people there were very, very nice. I wish I would have gotten the cashier’s name. She was super nice and attentive. I think I’m going to go back again today. See what kind of soup they have today and try their beef sandwich. I’m sooo glad I stopped there.“

“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!!!!“

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

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

“we went on the training days. very good food and the servers were friendly“

“Chelsea Handler is the best bartender. Very attentive and knows my order before I even order it!“

“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“

“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!“

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

“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?“

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

“great food at great prices“

“My first reaction was disappointment because it was in a gas station. But that’s where the disappointment ended. Sloppy Joe was like how my mom used to make them. French fries are generous and salty and crispy. Their hot dogs were very good. This is an awesome place. The fries match or beat McDonalds!!!“

“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.“

“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!“

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

“My sons brought me here to celebrate Mothers Day. Everyone really enjoyed their food. We shared a nacho, very good. Our table had chicken wings, grilled cheese panini, burgers, and chicken fingers. Many different specialty drinks and beer. Service was great. Sports atmosphere, lots of tvs.“

“Great employees and great food!“

“Grace was a wonderful server and provided excellent service throughout our visit. She consistently checked in to make sure we had everything we needed and ensured we were well taken care of. Her friendly attitude, attentiveness, and helpfulness made our experience very enjoyable. Grace went above and beyond to provide great customer service, and we truly appreciated her professionalism and kindness.“