50 Best American Restaurants near Winnetka

“It is so refreshing to meet an owner who is actively present in his restaurant. Mark Salmon enthusiastically and creatively arranged for my friend and I to dine outside (our request), despite the rain. We stayed dry under umbrellas and thanks to Sandra, our amazing waitress, we celebrated my birthday with fine food (impressive menu choices and food presentation) and great company! It was my first time dining at 501 Local and this restaurant met and exceeded my high standards in every way! It is a hidden gem and our new fav restaurant. Highly recommend!!“

“Cool place excellent service!!!“

“I had looked at the menu before I came here so I knew I wanted The Cuban Sandwich when I arrived. It was fast and fresh. The meat was mouth watering! Was the best Cuban I ever had. I was not expecting this. Hoping for goodness.. but the best!! ???. The service was fast and friendly.
I give this place 5⭐️
Jerry (the pigeon) gives it 5.5⭐️“

“Muy rico todo me encanta el cafe“

“We went last night for the first time… Great menu options, food was delicious, portions were perfect, staff was really nice. I had the Grilled Salmon, he had the Braised Pork Shoulder…definitely recommend both.“

“Great food, family friendly!“

“Super…Great service from Ashley!!“

“Very nice clean place nice and professional staff , delicious fresh food . We always come here and enjoy the food . We will recommend people to come here and enjoy the delicious fresh chicken . It’s very convinient one stop shopping mall . Rest rooms are very clean“

“Today was my first time trying this place and I was impressed with my big and delicious Merkts cheeseburger and waffle fries. I'm definitely going back to try other things. The staff was very friendly and helpful, too. I was too hungry to remember to take pics.“

“One of my favourite breakfast spot! They have grits!!“

“our friend/landlord brought us to you all and it was so good and fresh and juicy and it was the best food I've ever had in a long time! I really recommend this place!!“

“Met for a brainstorming session…their coffee is a catalyst for sure! Great selection of healthy options with just enough sinful options to keep it balanced!“

“My Aunt Marcia Hoffman turned 90 and is a rehab center where she is confined to her room . We wanted to do something special so we call Scotty’s and the made a meal to order for pick up. It worked out great and she loved it . Thank you Scott and the entire staff for making her 90th as special as it could be under the circumstances !“

“Small and mighty. Had a fantastic bacon cheese burger and fries! Much needed in our neighborhood. My new spot.“

“Our favorite restaurant,great food and our server Karen B. Was fantastic!“

“Best burgers in the area!“

“Had a short but super nice visit. 10/10 friendly and awesome people. $5 Mimosa get in my belly. Will visit again, will rave about it to anyone who will listen.“

“We loved the dome experience! It was great service! The dome was decorated for St Patrick’s Day and it had blankets and pillows with heaters. It was awesome“

“Had a great dinner here before our concert at Ravinia. Our server, Tobyn, was friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. We had the Roasted Beets with goat cheese fritters, the Rigatoni, and the Eggplant Flatbread. It was all delicious!! And what a fun winelist.“

“I FINALLY have a NEIGHBORHOOD spot that I call my own !!! My GO TO restaurant ! And that saying a lot with as many great restaurants as Chicago has ! But I LOVE ❤️ the BYG and often go here several times a week ! Great food , friendly service and NICK and his family are Awesome !

Parking: Free parking lot for customers and plenty of parking! Pull in front right up to the door and walk in !

Kid-friendliness: Friendly family atmosphere and even some special menu items and sizes for kids !

Wheelchair accessibility: Very accessible ! Zero steps !“

“Great food, comfortable atmosphere, wonderful staff and an incredible chef! Have eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner many times here and I’ve never had a bad meal! I recently hosted a dinner for a baby shower for my daughter in their side room. Had 14 people with a catered menu of chicken limone, beef tenderloin, gnocchi, salad, roasted potatoes, and grilled vegetables for a very reasonable price. The food was delicious and the service was superb. This is the second dinner like this that I have done here and it was amazing! Thank you Ms. Medina, Jose , Dorita, and Chef Jose!“

“We have visited Cooper Hawks in Morton Grove several times, sometimes for drinks and appetizers and sometimes for dinner and drinks, we have never had a bad experience. Great food and drinks, but we have been able to experience the same waitress Lori P. She is the best great personality food and drinks fast…… she is totally awesome. Thank you Lori for making our experience at Morton Grove Cooper Hawks great! See you next week.“

“great food, friendly staff, excellent customer service“

“I will drive across the state for the fries with garlic aioli. Yummy!!“

“Such great service (Alex) and food! Fantastic time and we were a large group.“

“Don’t order the short rib mini sandwiches! They were 90 percent fat. When I informed the waitress she indicated that there is always fat on those sandwiches. My sandwich was mostly grizzle and fat. My friend had the same thing but hers at least had some meat.“

“A decently inexpensive place to go if you're craving some breakfast! The menu is pretty delectable overall, save for a few misses. I wouldn't recommend diverging from the classic's here. The service is quick and attentive, leaving no real room for complaint. Finally, for atmosphere, this establishment perfectly embodies the feelings of a small town diner. Decorative walls, booths all around, and a cozy place to be“

“Delicious huge chicken sandwich!“

“Love Valley Lodge. It's just nice enough to feel like a semi-elegant dinner out and just casual enough to feel like a cozy neighborhood tavern. The Porch is awesome, feels kind of northwoodsy. And, it's much quieter than the front/bar area. Food is always excellent.“

“We went to the City's Edge and were served by "Princess Allison". She makes us call her that or she won't serve us. I had the Nachos with Chicken - absolutely delicious!“

“Whether you’re from Mars or Venus, if you ask yourself, “When we go out to eat, what do I do?” then Ten Mile House is for you. Cool artwork, good food and great tunes if the owner is there.“

“After a long day of travel, we were welcomed by Sid our amazing server! He made delicious suggestions and made sure we enjoyed them. Amazing service!“

“Great little diner, huge portions, and the food was so good. We had the hash plates, biscuits and gravy, their special french toast, pancakes, and it was all delicious. We went Saturday morning and it was definitely the old folks time but it wasn't too busy and the food came out quickly. If I'm ever back in Chicago, I will be back.“

“We've never heard of a Bloody Mary bar before, and we've never been to Highway House before, but everything was great today so we will be back.“

“Great customer service and food“

“Perfect little spot to enjoy some good food. I came in with my friend for the first time, not knowing what to get. Not sure the names but the food was absolutely delicious. Decent price for big portions. The service was amazingly and super friendly. Definitely give this place a try.“

“First time at Valley Lodge Tavern and it was an outstanding experience. Cozy atmosphere, great service, top notch management, impressive menu and food. Thank you!“

“We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon to grab a bite. The service was fast and the server (owner?) was really nice. I got a chicken Marsala, it was fresh and delicious. I also enjoyed an espresso. Hrana i usluga su odlične!“

“Very personable people, a family owned restaurant with excellent breakfast/ brunch menu and decent for lunch as well. Ordered chilaquiles with chicken. It was awesome. Service was excellent. Would go there anytime esp for brunch

Parking: Parking is on the backside on Deerfield road“

“Awesome food and service. Excellent drinks and cocktails!“

“Great place to pick up groceries for dinner, speciality items, or a quick delicious snack from D&D Dogs or the Rollin’ at D&D sandwich menu from the deli. Although it’s the exceptional customer service that makes this spot a go to over and over.“

“Let me point out one key detail to why the hotdogs are so good at u dog u. Take a really good look at the photos that I’ve posted. you see that end of that hotdog you see how it’s twisted you see how it overhangs the bun well those are all great signs. Have a wonderful delicious hotdog. Also, I would like to point out the toppings sauerkraut ,sport peppers. These are the two things that we really should have on every single Chicago style hotdog and the only ketchup you see insight is on them fries and let me say ,them fries were crispy delicious warm in the center just the way you expected crinkle cut fries to be. they have mastered the art of the Chicago style hotdog and the crinkle cut fry.

Parking: It’s certain times of a day it might be a little difficult to get a prime spot so you might have to walk about 25 to 50 feet to the door but man is that walk worth it and you’re gonna need it once you leave because the food is so damn good!

Wheelchair accessibility: All the tables are wheelchair height and all the chairs can be moved to accommodate anyone in a wheelchair“

“Wow! What a fantastic meal. We came in to eat after craving fries; we were excited to see a mountain of fries on our plates. The smash burger was great too. There is indoor and outdoor seating, and while we were there, there were a lot of carry out orders. The service was great and the place itself was nice. We will definitely be back!“

“Grilled cheese with gyro meat was amazing!! There were 11 of us in our group! Service was super friendly and extremely fast! We will be back on our next trip!“

“BOOM! Dinner on fire! I love these dinners and so do my kids! We have not found one we don’t like and the quality is so much better than the mail order frozen meals. Flavor is solid and it’s not just “salt”, there is real depth to the meals. You also can heat them up and feed them to your kids when you pick them up from sports practice!!! Could not be happier this option came to carmel!!!“

“I had the mac and cheese with the steak on top absolutely divine🤍“

“Shavaonne is one of the sweetest and nicest servers I have come across“

“My daughter had her wedding at this venue on 8/4/25. From the point of discussing the space, to reviewing the contract, to discussing options, to answering ALL of our questions, to the tasting, to the day of, our event coordinator (not sure that's her specific title) Amanda was nothing short of stellar. She was patient, thorough, and accommodating ensuring that my daughter was comfortable in a very important time of her life. Our event captain (again not sure of her title) Kylie also was amazing -- handling each of our requests quickly and pleasantly. These two ladies are an asset to your company & should be commended for their fantastic work ethic. All the event staff from the bartenders, to servers, to bus boys were pleasant and efficient. The food was delicious as well. Our event was amazing & memorable largely due to the associates we interacted with.“

“Been going here since it opened, food is amazing. From breakfast to dinner I've tried it all, even got my kids hooked. I recommend it all, but especially the catfish. Had it the past 3 weeks straight. I don't miss it when he make it. I find a way to get there. Great customer service as well. Make sure you stop by, you won't be disappointed!!!!“

“Local craft beer, seafood“