28 Best American Restaurants in Joliet

“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!“

“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.“

“I am CONSISTENTLY IMPRESSED TREMENDOUSLY with the INCREDIBLY CREATIVE, HEALTHY and EXTREMELY TATSY ENTREES THAT THIS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFFUL LOCALLY OWNED DINING ESTABLISHMENT OFFERS ON A DAILY BASIS!!!!!!!!!!! PHE SERVER WAS TRULY AND SNCERELY A JOY IN ALL ASPECTS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND AMAZING DINING PROFESSIONALISM!!!! GOD BLESS EVERYONE AT ONE OF THE BRIGHTLY GLOWING STARS OF THE GREATER JOLIET AREA DINING COMMUNITY,THE METRO!!!!!!!!!!“

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

“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!“

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

“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.“

“Jae took great care of me, She was like a breath of fresh Chi-town air! Her suggesyiond of what i should get was on point. Reminded me of my Sista! Jae was Professional, courteous, and took care of me in a timely manner. Fellow Truckers, go see Jae, i highly recommend n commend her“

“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“

“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).“

“Wanted to give a huge shout out to the Joliet location. We stopped there after taking my grandmother to the casino and she didn’t have her wheelchair. She walks but very slowly. The staff was super kind and made sure she had a walkway and opened all the doors for her. They didn’t rush her or make her feel bad for taking a while! They cared and were so helpful! Great food and great staff! Thank you!“

“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!!!!“

“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!!“

“We arrived here on a Sunday mid day when the place was not busy but within 30min there were so many families with unruly screaming kids we were wondering if this is a kindergarden party or a restaurant? We took a booth near the entrance and fortunately these big families were placed a bit further away, I felt so sorry for the poor old couple who had 3 screaming girls right near them - many old people are in poor health just like me and trust me, high pitched screaming are not helping when trying to eat ideally quietly. Apart from that, the food was great and had: amazing waffle chips, then steak while I had ribs for the first time in a long time - licking my fingers, of course. Staff was nice and friendly yet I sensed they are not allowed to tell these big families with screaming kids to quieten down, so I kind of feel sorry for the staff - management, think of a solution if you want to have mature people coming back here!!!“

“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.“

“Crab legs were awesome and tasty.“

“I recently ordered online, I ordered from the wrong location, as you know when that happens at other businesses you either go to get the order from wrong location or your just out of luck, no refunds. This restaurant on the other hand had my order canceled & money refunded by the time I ordered at the correct restaurant. THANK YOU!!“

“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“

“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.“

“great food at great prices“

“10 outta 10. Last 3 times we sat with Haleigh. A Monday Wednesday Saturday good time w bros. Moving around the restaurant like it's all her tables. Even with our Togo order . Apps and food came out in perfect time. Whiskey good and beers ice cold“

“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.“

“My mom and I went for dinner, we go often. Have to say today was the best service we had, Jeff was awesome!!
He s friendly, checked on us often and he was the only server there too.
Thanks Jeff for the great experience 👍“

“Great employees and great food!“