501 Local

What a gem in Chicago's suburbs. Spirit Elephant provides a unique sanctuary for you to dine in at…read more Very homey vibe with plants all over, a bar, indoor seating, outdoor seating and occasional special events. I did get to try their lasagna, chicken Parmesan, southwest egg rolls spicy broccoli, crème brûlée, strawberry cake, and their skillet cookie, all of which were great! The chicken Parmesan and crème brûlée are a must! If you are lucky enough and can get there by Aug 2026 you can try the danky special menu collaboration with Chef Priyanka. All of that collaboration was top notch and a must try for any foodie in Chicago. Oh and their service is so attentive and friendly. Happy Munchies, @JaeGreens

Big space inside and outside. Patio space is fenced, large, heating and fan. Patio allowed behaved…read moredogs. No espresso based drink. Service was good. For early morning brunch no reservation needed. Our server was very attentive and open to our feedback. Crab appetizer- 4.5- great taste and flavor can take some seasoning Calamari fritter-3 - lacks seasoning and bottom ones were little soggy. The pickled were great touch Fried chicken sandwich- 4.5 - good size, bun was good. Would like little.more aioli. Was on little dry side. Fries is good Burrito - 3 - way dry for my taste. Again lack of flavors. Baked potato was little cold

Plant wall

Carrot cake

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Cast-iron Ribeye

jimoto

4.0(54 reviews)

0.0 mi

A great midday stop after shopping till we dropped. We went in right at the start of business and a…read moreserver sat us promptly. The decor was minimalist to a degree but still so elevated and nice to look at, with cranes painted on the wall for a nice touch. Lots of natural light and great music. Both the cocktails and mocktails were pretty tasty. There was a strawberry mocktail that I really enjoyed, even though the specific name escapes me! The Chicago Fire Roll was EVERYTHING, and my mom was VERY satisfied with her Salmon Teriyaki bento box. I'll definitely make my way up there the next time I'm in town.

Overall, I think this place is decent. It is a little overpriced but what do you expect in the…read moresuburbs. Service is good. Salmon Sashimi or fatty salmon - delicious Fatty tuna sashimi - delicious Tuna and a white fish - a bit too fishy Spicy tuna roll - ok Wagyu Beef nigiri - delicious Ramen noodle salad - just ok, i'd try a different one

Dining room

Chicago fire roll (8pcs)

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Miso Glazed Eggplant

Fred's Garage

3.6(195 reviews)

0.1 mi

Bar is nice and the bartender was very friendly loved my experience for a great value meal and…read moretasted amazing

Went with grandkids. The cheese curds are delicious, some of the best we've ever had! The burgers…read moreare juicy and flavorful, be sure to tell them how you like it cooked, waiter didn't ask and mine was well done but still good! Pulled Pork was disappointing, not your traditional bbq style, it's was more a mustard base but still did eat it. Service was just okay.. younger kids who may be new or inexperienced and learning. Great ambience and location. Parking can be difficult!

Watching the game while at our table.

Fred slaw

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Mino's

4.2(215 reviews)

1.1 mi

We sat outside and had a lovely time. Not too loud or crowded, but we were there early. Every dish…read morewas generous and delicious (I would love the recipe for the biscotti that came with my affogato!!) Friendly and helpful staff made us comfortable and we never felt rushed even though we did linger as the place filled up. Would definitely be back.

Overall we enjoyed our experience. The food was phenomenal…read more We came here after spending the day at the Chicago Botanical Gardens and it was a perfect treat. We were all starving after walking around. And the outdoor seating is perfect for kids. The food was LEGIT. I personally love Italian - pizza, pasta, salads. And all so fresh. We started with baked artichoke and the shredded brussle sprout salad. The baked artichoke was damn delicious and we al joked we could eat a few more plates of them. The brussle sprout salad I'd skip next time. It was shredded enough and the brussle sprouts needed to sit in the lemon juice a little longer to loosen up. It was too hard to eat and because some of the pieces weren't shredded enough you couldn't bite into it. The kids both got rigatoni in a red sauce and finished their entire plates. The only thing I wish is that they had a kids menu because if they want a drink to it comes out to $16 a kid ($12 for pasta and $4 for drink). And the kids soda is just as much as the adults soda. But the pasta itself was freshly made and the red sauce was so good I could drink it. And prolly the most frustrating part of the meal was asking if they had bread to be told that they don't except we watched baskets of bread be brought to our tables. When we asked our waiter Jeffrey if they had bread he said no twice and told us they have focaccia. The kids obviously didn't like it. After being lied to we decided to ask someone else who then brought us the free bread ??? So don't get tricked to order focaccia because they do have bread. This was really frustrating to be straight lied to and the focaccia in my mind wasn't worth $12. It needed more oil while being baked because it was dry. But in all my dining experiences I've never been lied to about getting a basket of bread just to get us to buy focaccia. It was so weird. I ordered the tortellini with balsamic and I enjoyed the tortellini themselves but the sauce lacked flavor. It almost needed a mushroom base or something that had more a punch. My husband got the bolognese and really enjoyed it and he is the last person to order pasta out. My best friend got the eggplant lasagne and damn it was good. I forget what her husband got. Then we also ordered pizza for the table and shit it was so good. Next time I'd try the mushroom pizza. We sat outside and the ambiance out there is much more livelier than inside especially if you're traveling with kiddos. They also had a magician who came to our table and really made the night enjoyable for the kids. We plan to head back at some time and have learned our bread lesson lol. Next time we would just ask for another waiter because being lied to is just odd.

Dining room

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Exterior

Great Coast Commons

4.7(84 reviews)

1.5 mi

Highly recommend! Quaint, great food, service and atmosphere! So happy I found it while visiting…read moremy daughter.

Specifically made a reservation, and upon arrival our table was not ready for 10 mins. Not sure why…read morethis happened. Forced to wait in bar area which was high traffic and we were shuffled around. Not fond of our server's humor/attitude - felt a little uncomfortable. My medium rare steak was rare and I asked for it to be cooked me more. He kept asking are u sure in a condescending way, to which I replied yes, this is raw according to the high end steak houses I've been to. Yummy food though. Sucks hospitality is lacking here. Prob won't be back. Heard the bartenders are lovely people though.

Inside

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Guildhall

3.6(346 reviews)

2.3 mi

•$$$

Came by for happy hour one afternoon and enjoyed a few items. Started off with a butterfly tea…read moremocktail, it was okay a bit on the sour side but still a fun drink. We got the burger and truffle fries to share, along with / rolls and the karrage chicken. The burger was good with the caramelized onions but nothing significant to write home about. My favorite items though were the truffle fries, and the hot honey karaage we asked for the honey on the side so that we're able to share with our little but it was super crispy, and the chicken bites were juicy and delicious it didn't even need the honey. I truthfully don't love pickles but the pickles were delicious and I ate them all! The sushi rolls were both really fresh and had great flavor. Overall a good experience I'd like to come back during regular hours to try their regular menu. We were a bit disappointed that the only available menu was the happy hour one which was pretty limited.

I went to Guildhall for brunch on a Sunday. We ordered the cinnamon roll, shakshuka with a side of…read moresausage, and the omelette. Everything tasted fresh and delicious! The cinnamon roll was surprisingly moist (we were skeptical due to its appearance) and sweet! The restaurant is bright and the service was very friendly. There was a nice mix of customers and there was even a party going on while we were there. I don't remember when I was last in Glencoe. It's charming! I'd love to come back for dinner or happy hour.

Small private room

Swordfish

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Swordfish

Valley Lodge Tavern

3.6(213 reviews)

2.4 mi

Great restaurant in the heart of downtown Wilmette. They have a wide selection of items on the menu…read morealong with local brews and drinks. During dinner, they will also bring fresh warm bread over to the table. The staff is very friendly and the ambiance is definitely casual tavern style. You can catch all the local sports game there and in the warmer months they setup the outdoor patio.

Got lunch at this longtime Wilmette favorite. It certainly is among the most notable of the…read moredowntown hangouts. Valley Lodge Tavern has a classy but casual atmosphere good for groups and parties. A lot of the expected menu items. There's burgers and meaty things but also some lighter options. Big inside with a bar in the middle and tables all around. It's got plenty of room for large groups. There's also a pretty big patio. Gets crowded. Thankfully we were able to get seats at the bar and it was pretty fast to be honest. It's about $15 for a cocktail. Too expensive but good though. I got the Valley Lodge Signature, which is their main one of course. This is made with Chambord and Ketel One Citroen, along with cranberry, lime, and sour mix. It's about $17 for a burger. These are also too expensive but at least these come with a side. Each of us got the Classic Burger with a Beyond Burger patty. These have the basic toppings like lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Has a lot of classic items but it's pretty expensive. It's located on Central Avenue among other restaurants and the theater. There's mostly meaty items but has some things for vegetarians.

Shrimp

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The restaurant front

Guanajuato

3.4(188 reviews)

1.1 mi

I wanted to try a new Mexican place as opposed to some of the usual places I've tried and stuck…read morewith very often. This place delivered in flavor and would definitely try again. I started with the guacamole, which I got spicy, and the shrimp soup. The guacamole had good balance and texture, but I didn't get a lot of spice from the flavor that I requested. The shrimp soup had a nice, spicy broth with well cooked shrimp. However, I would have liked the shrimp to be more abundant and chopped up. Also would've liked to see some more substance in the soup such as avocado or maybe some corn. The entrees is where it really stood out. The steak burrito was flavorful and the steak was tender and the ratio of steak, cheese, beans, and other fixings were perfectly executed. The enchiladas were delicious as well with the mole sauce having an exceptional flavor and spice. Beans and rice that came with the enchiladas and burritos were both good and cooked well. The tres leches cake was outstanding! The balance of sweetness and the tart berries layered in the cake gave great texture as most tres leches cakes can sometimes be one dimensional. The cake is a MUST if you come here. Delicious Mexican food here, a nice change for me to try, and I will be back.

This was not Mexican food. It's watered down Mexican for white North Shore. Saturday night it…read morewasn't even that busy and they were out of a specialty margarita and we're unapologetic about it. Our waiter could not have been less attentive or more unbothered about anything. The salsas they brought out were completely tasteless with their stale chips. I ordered the crab ceviche, whatever you do, do not order this. It is completely without taste or texture or anything. When I asked him what the skinny ceviche was, he said shrimp and that's it. He didn't give me any other description. The queso fundito was half melted, so not that good. Plus, it came out before our drinks even got to the table. I had to wave at our waiter to ask for another round, he could see I wasn't eating my ceviche and said not a word. I can't believe this place even has three stars. I can't believe people in Winnetka even eat here. It was so bad. i'm getting two stars because my husband had enchiladas con mole, which it wasn't even on the menu, and it was pretty good. The beans and rice, on the other hand, horrible.

Live music

Sizzling Fajitas

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Burritos

Carlos And Carlos

4.5(130 reviews)

2.4 mi

Amazing. Every single thing our party of 6 ordered was terrific. We went over one week ago and…read moreeveryone is still talking about it. Salmon was amazing, filet was amazing, house gnocchi was to die for. We will be back.

Disclaimer: I'm a New Yorker who's moved to Chicagoland so maybe I'm a bit snooty but the regular…read moreYelpers in the Midwest should always be viewed with a star and a 1/2 less than what is expected normally. Can't remember the last time we were here but the wife remembered us enjoying their food. Went back last night and was again, a great experience. Fresh pasta, well-seasoned proteins, generous cocktail portion, and 2 bussers whom I felt like, were there to solely cater to our table only; I love restaurants when you don't have to ask, they just know. I would highly recommend this place if you're in the area for an NU event. If you're a local, get your butt over there tonight!

Tiramisu

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Chocolate Mousse Cake, very good

The Lawn

3.7(33 reviews)

2.5 mi

I met a friend after work at The Lawn, which is tucked away at Wilmette Golf Club. It's open from…read more11am-10 pm year-round. We sat overlooking the greens (late winter/early spring) so I can only imagine how gorgeous the setting is in nice weather. We had a casual dinner, relaxed and comfortable. I had firecracker shrimp (starter) and my friend had a Caesar salad. There are a lot of delicious options, so we made a plan to come back soon. We were alone for a while but then families started to come in. Service was friendly and relaxed.

Pleasant covered patio on which to chill and enjoy food and cocktails. Lovely fake nature via the…read moreadjoining golf course. The bar may even have Blanton's, if you are lucky. Only drawback is that a passing golfer may be sucking on a stogie. But then the unpleasantness passes.

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Hotel Nacional

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8 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Lon W.

4 years ago

Great Restaurant, But Very Unprofessional Bartender Being an upper class income, black man living in the North Shore, working in the Financial District, and frequenting many upscale and elegant restaurants, I have very high expectations even from bartenders, and because of this horrible experience, I will be taking my money to other restaurants in Winnetka and will no longer be a customer. I thought I would never write this kind of review about one of my favorite restaurants, but if the management does not address Andre the bartender's unprofessional conduct, they will lose regular customers like me who have poured a lot of money into the establishment. I had the worst experience that I've ever had at any restaurant last night because of an unruly and disrespectful customer who clearly drank too much, threw ice at me, and even tried to get into a physical altercation with me because she couldn't control her anger. Instead of asking the lady to leave because of her behavior, Andre primarily treated me as if I was the issue. When the lady finally left, I tried to talk to him in private to ask why he did nothing about her behavior and to explain what happened from my perspective, but he was not trying to listen to me or be reasonable and he began to get upset and disrespectful with me by some of the things he said to me as well. Later on when I was just talking to other customers I knew and trying to have a better experience, he singled me out and loudly told me that he would no longer serve me, in front of everyone and out of nowhere, which was completely uncalled for at that point because the lady already left and the situation was defused. I have been a regular for a while, and I guess I'm not shocked that he wouldn't know how to manage this kind of situation because since I've known him, he has consistently made childish, unintelligent, and unprofessional remarks to get laughs, I've had to tell him myself how to behave in front of a lady when I was on a date in the past because of the bad jokes he was making around us, he just doesn't seem mature enough to handle the pressures of the job, and he gets too comfortable with customers. This review is not a reflection at all on the other great bartenders, staff, or awesome managers because overall, I've had good times there and experiences with them. But I'm sure that Dan the bar manager will truly be missed when he leaves, and I hope management seriously corrects Andre's bar management flaws so they don't lose any more customers or ruin the upscale brand that they've worked hard to build. read more

mike s.

6 years ago

What a welcome addition to the restaurant scene in Winnetka!! Everything from the server to the appetizers to the chocolate fondue was amazing. We started out the evening with a bottle of red burgundy (yum), and the avocado toast sampler. Yum again. We then Split the the cheeseburger. Wow. Great burger. We then had the chocolate fondue. The ambiance is incredible--much better and brighter than the previous restaurant Trifecta grill. Our waitress made us feel completely comfortable as well. Know I know what all the buzz is about this place. The nailed it. read more

Annie C.

6 years ago

I went to 501 Local tonight with 5 other ladies and it was outstanding! The staff was very attentive, the decor is beautiful, and the food was delicious! This is just the kind of restaurant Winnetka needed. We will definitely be going back soon. read more

Aman C.

4 years ago

Halibut & hanger steak was really delicious. The presentation was amazing and halibut had a very unique flavor. Definitely recommend Mint Blanc cake for the dessert. For a cocktail, you cant go wrong with chili paloma. read more

Peter S.

5 years ago

Sat at the bar for dinner and had great service and drinks from Griffin. The Fillet Sliders were amazing. Will definitely be going back to try the rest of the menu. read more

John F.

6 years ago

Outstanding food and service! We will definitely be back for more! Try their amazing potstickers.

Howie D.

4 years ago

Had the Prime Rib sandwich. Was not even sure it was prime rib, more like Arby's for $24.00.

Max O.

4 years ago

Great restaurant with friendly staff. Will be back again soon!

501 Local - newamerican - Updated September 2026

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My coworkers and I went here for a dinner after work. The interior is so pretty and well decorated…read more I love all the chandeliers and the plants (fake, but it works!) I like the complementary garlic bread. We got the chip to share and it's so good! So crispy and thin! The aioli is really good too. I got the branzino as my entree. I asked for whole. It was perfectly cooked. The parmesan crust was perfect and it was well seasoned too. I was told it's like 90% deboned. I wasn't too worried about seeing bones considering I asked for it whole. It was accompanied by garlic noodles and broccolini. I think the addition of the pasta was perfect. Most of the time the fish by itself with a vegetable doesn't really fill you up. As for dessert, we also got a few to share. I can't remember the names of all of them, but I think the cheesecake is banana foster? It was pretty good. The cake was like a lemon mousse? We liked that one too. I don't remember the name of the ice cream, but it was my first time trying it. It was interesting mix of flavors, it's not my favorite. We all want to go back to try other menu items, considering how close it is to work too!

Ridgeview Grill

(122 reviews)

We had the most delightful waitress. We spent a good amount of time talking to her, and she even…read morechatted with my children. The establishment is a fancier diner. The restroom was clean and very spacious. They have their own parking lot as well. I ordered the sirloin burger with bacon. The bacon may have been old. The burger was okay. It needed seasoning though it was cooked perfectly medium. My children enjoyed their mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwich.

I have mixed feelings about this place. I got a sirloin cheese burger. It was cooked perfectly but…read moreI don't think the burger was seasoned. It lacked salt and it was a really thick patty. You have to pay extra for onion rings and the onion rings were ok. My kids got a grilled cheese and a Mac and cheese. They enjoyed it. The waitress gave us great service. She was engaged with our kids. My wife thought her burger was ok. The location was in a great spot beautifully decorated. Bathrooms were very clean. My biggest complaint would be the prices. 2 burgers 1 plain mac and cheese 1 grilled cheese was about 80 dollars. It's a nice place but I don't think I would go back.

Burl

4.1

(34 reviews)

Who doesn't love a farm to table restaurant? We have been meaning to come try this newer restaurant…read morefor weeks and am so glad to finally make our way over. Tucked away from the main street but packs a mean punch. It is street parking mostly, but there is also a parking lot not to far away that's paid parking. When you walk in it's a clean and modern decorated restaurant. It is bright and cozy all at the same time. We had the best service who was extra attentive esp since we had a little who was making a mess but she interacted with our little with a smile and offered extra things to make sure that all of us had everything we needed to enjoy our experience. The menu is broken down in to four sections and we were recommend 4-5 plates as they are share plates for 2 people. The plates came out in the order of the menu and as they were prepared. To start under the for the table we got the ricotta, honey and hazelnut plate and it came with their warm baked breads which were a ficoccia and a pita both were delicious. The presentation was also simple and stunning! They came by and offer us more bread even before we finished our first plate's worth which we were super grateful for. Under vegetable, we tried the peach salad and the broccoli. I didn't get to the broccoli because I was enjoying the peach salad far too much but my husband was raving about the char and flavors on broccoli. Now on to the peach salad, so simple, yet what a beautiful and refreshing plate! It wasn't too citrusy or cheesy, and the breadcrumbs on the peach slices were incredible! Under water and land, we tried the pappardelle bolognese, and the striploin. The pappardelle was delish, the pasta was cooked just right and there was just the right amount of bolognse that you could scoop and enjoy some with every bite without overpowering the freshness of the noodles. The striploin was the one dish that I was a bit disappointed and that doesn't mean it wasn't flavorful or delcious by any means. I think for a $95 plate, I was expecting some coheisiveness. We got two plates, one with the striploin itself with came with squad blossoms on top that were prepared 2 different ways, both were delciious. I was shocked they didn't ask us what temp we wanted our steak, some parts of it came out a bit too rare but at this point we were starting to get pretty full so we ate the parts that were just right, and took the rest home to cook up just a bit more so it worked out. Then the second part of the plate was the pommes dauphine, usually when I read this, I expect a piped potato of some kind and we did get that, in a more whimsicle way in the form that was a play on a funnel cake. Super creative, it had great texture but it was rather sweet. And a bit hard to eat. It didn't feel like it belonged with the steak and we felt it could've use a sauce or soemthing to tie the two together? Not sure what exactly it needed but it needed something to tie the plates together. Nonetheless, we had a great time, the food was delciious and with a rotating menu we are excited to come back and try out other dishes soon.

If you live or are traveling to Chicago, travel north to Evanston. @burlevanston is worth the…read moredrive. The the whole experience is wonderful. The decor is refined, comfortable and warm. The service is excellent. You will not need for anything and then you have the food!! The food is clean, bright flavors highlighting the quality of the farm fresh ingredients. We had a group of 6 and we had basically ate the whole menu. Come in ready to share so you can try more things. I would get everything we had again! My don't misses if they are on the menu in some version are the white bean hummus, chicken liver pate, all the vegetables, the bolognese and the lamb. The white bean hummus is silk, enough said. Then they added garlic scapes, everyday yes. The chicken liver pate was some of the best I have had. It tasted like liver in the best way. Sometimes chef add too much butter and cream to hide the liver taste. The quality of the liver they use can be tasted. Vegetables - we had turnips, cabbage, and carrots. They are all humble vegetables that are cooked and presented to make them superstars. The bolognese is what all Bologneses should taste like. The lamb is from a farm outside of Pontiac IL. This is a shareable piece of meat because it is rich and fatty. Thank you @tomccarlin and staff for a wonderful meal and evening.

Elyon

4.9

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We went on Father's day. We were concerned that they would be too busy and challenged with service…read more Instead the opposite. Well service wise - it was empty when we got there, but filled up quickly. Very attentive staff from water refills, wine refill, and quick food. And very attentive on clearing plates (of course, all plates were empty except the leftovers to take home). With so many courses, the portions were generous. My favorite was the lamb - probably best I have had. She liked the chicken - it was tender and juicy with just enough charcoal flavor to balance the kabobs out. The decorations and ambiance was a nice mix of art without feeling over stimulated. The tasting menu was fun to refer against and made it easier to just enjoy and converse. A great addition to the neighborhood. We planned on it being a pre-theater meal, and it worked out great time-wise, but we mixed up showtime. Nice and close to Writer's Theatre around the corner. On street parking was easy. A great meal and service for a great value. Enjoyed talking with Chef and his passion for great food.

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