Big Bowl has been around for years and they remain consistent. It is a casual restaurants serving Chinese and Thai dishes. I met a friend on a Wedsnesday evening for a quick dinner. We explained to our waitress we had after dinner plans and she easily accommodated our timeline. I had the Chicken Lettuce wrap. It is listed as an appetizer, but it was my main meal. The lettuce was crisp bibb - large enough to create a wrap or cup. The ground chicken was mixed with chestnuts, onions and seasoned with asian seasonings. It came with hoisin sauce and crispy noodles. My friend had the Mongolian Beef. We each left with leftovers. The food was good, and service was excellent. \ read more

Meandered up north to check out this Lettuce Entertain You establishment. Which of the following do you enjoy? A) friendly and attentive service B) salty food C) stir fry noodles with customizable options D) fortune cookies If you answered one or all of the above, Big Bowl may be for you! Unfortunately, for me, selection B led to the disappointment in my meal. My chicken pad see ew was unpalatably salty, and the cooked Thai basil (?) added too much of a licorice flavor to the dish. The stars are for the elements my family enjoyed: the kids' buttered noodles and chicken noodle soup (both $6.95 and come with a drink!), option to add custom vegetables and noodle type to my husband's stir fry chicken, and my lavender lemon drop martini was smooth, sweet, and tart. Fernando was a solid waiter. Parking lot outside is limited, especially at peak hours, so you might have to drive over past the neighboring steakhouse. read more

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I like Big Bowls and I cannot lie. It's been years since I've been to Big Bowl, and it's still going strong, still popular. We stopped in Saturday night and got one of the last tables by the kitchen. The parking lot was very crowded, perhaps from the nearby hotel, or because it shares a parking lot with Wildfire? We started with ginger ale, I got the pomegranate version, and it was tart and spicy. We also had some stirfried green beans, gingery and garlicky with lots of chopped veggies. The menu is a mix of Chinese and Thai dishes and I like that they have the option for cauliflower rice instead of regular rice. I went for a stir fry with shrimp and chow fun noodles, with the option for the Chef's pick of vegetables (it looked like all of them) and my companion had a stir fry with chicken and cauliflower rice and they selected their own veggies. I love a stir fry but I can't get the intense flames that I saw in the kitchen. Those chefs are pretty bold to be around those monstrous flames. It didn't take long for our dishes to come back from the kitchen -- and they were hot, spicy, full of flavor. Up until this time our service was great, but it started to get a little lax once we had our food. However, another server noticed that our server was bogged down, or busy, and picked up the slack -- bringing togo boxes, bringing the check, bussing the table. Big Bowl was as I remembered it -- that's a good thing! read more

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Went to eat at Big Bowl before attending a theater performance. I dined at a location in the city many years ago. This location was easy to find and had ample parking. Our waiter was friendly and offered advice on our meal choices. My friend chose the Big Bowl while I ordered chicken curry panang. Both dishes were delicious and the plates were filled. Plenty of food. You won't be disappointed! I am looking forward to returning. read more

Big Bowl - Chinese Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

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Big Bowl is consistently one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. Their Stir Fry options allows you to customize which protein(s) you want (I prefer both beef and chicken), noodles or rice (again, I prefer both), and you either pick or own veggies or they can give you a pre-set list. The Chinese ginger garlic sauce (order extra!) is delicious. While I am typically a sandwich type of person, this meal is delicious, very fresh tasting and the staff are always super friendly and attentive. Big Bowl- please come to SW Florida!!! read more

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Solidly OK--just ok. Way too expensive for basic Chinese food. Everything spicy, even when it shouldn't be. The satay when it wasn't warm was rubbery. Pad Thai was a nice portion but not great. Won ton soup was passable. Would not go again read more

My Husband & I decided to eat lunch at Big Bowl before Easter. Well, the place was packed. Our waiter was Excellent. Our meal for the price was not too good. The food is ok but around $20 for noodles & a few pieces of chicken. It is not worth it. We know of many Chinese & Thai places that are much better & you get more food paying less. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was freezing cold inside too. Why not put some heat on?[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Or at least have free hot tea as other places offer. We did order a appetizer which was good. But again very pricey for what you get. We will find a less expensive place for Thai food. If places keep over charging sooner or later customers will go elsewhere to find a better deal. Big Bowl is off of our list of favorite places. Sad but true. read more

We ordered the chicken potstickers, Calamari and crab Rangoon for appetizers. The potstickers smelled and tasted great, but I was expecting them to be more crispy being pan-fried-- the texture seemed more like steamed dumplings. The Calamari was great and as expected. Crispy with a nice chew. The Crab Rangoon crab cream cheese filling hit the spot, however, they seemed to be fried too long. Instead of a light golden brown, they were dark with translucent edges and corners. I appreciated how accommodating, informative and the extra precautions the server took regarding my son's peanut allergy. They fry dishes with cashews and nuts in the dryer, so to avoid cross contamination, my son's Orange chicken dish was prepared differently than usual. My daughter ordered the orange Chicken from the kid's menu while my son ordered the Orange Chicken lunch bowl. There was a significant difference in portions between the kids menu, lunch and dinner items. I ordered the Pad SeeEw. I liked that there was a lot of vegetables, but felt like it was very salty, the basil was overpowering, and the noodles were burnt. I did like the chicken to noodle/vegetable ratio. The portion was good, but felt it was just too salty. The service was good. It was strange that the host brought a teapot out at the end of the meal as opposed to the beginning. I though but it was a bit strange that when Our appetizer plates were empty, the server/staff would walk by and not pick them up. It was only strange because we went for an early lunch (11:30a) and the restaurant was not crowded/busy. It felt awkward that the empty dishes piled up. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambience was stylish and contemporary. It seemed to match the type of fusion cuisine through the use of red and black colors and modern decor[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. read more

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Great stir fry Chinese food. Lots of selection but the stir fry was unique and worth a visit. Great hot sauce and chicken portions. Staff are lovely and attentive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Temperature was scorching but it was also 100 outdoors.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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I have been here more times than I care to admit over the last year, and have had the opportunity to try the majority of the vegetarian dishes. The cashew tofu is definitely my favorite, as it has the right amount of kick to it! The vegetable dumplings are also a solid choice for a starter to share, and the chocolate fudge cake is a rich treat to share with a friend or two. The portions here are MASSIVE, but who's complaining?! The service has always been impeccable, and the restaurant is great for large groups, or a more intimate dinner with a loved one. Solid, safe choice if you're looking for a good place to grab stir fry in the area. read more

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The food at Big Bowl was amazing everything we ordered was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. We really enjoyed our meal. The only issue was with the girl who brought the food to our table (not our actual waiter). She clearly wasn't in a good mood and it showed she practically threw the plate to my husband. I understand everyone has rough days, but in a customer-facing role, attitude matters. A small change in energy would've gone a long way. Still, the food was great, and we'd definitely come back just hoping for a more pleasant overall experience next time. read more

Big Bowl - Chinese Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

I recently tried Big Bowl for a team dinner at the Lake Forest location and it was a good experience. We ordered a lot of appetizers to share - crispy vegetarian potstickers and spicy sichuan green beans. My coworkers also tried steamed chicken gyozas. The apps were very impressive and we all liked it a lot! I have been to the Big Bowl outlet in downtown area many a times. They don't have the make your own stir fry option since covid. I was glad that the Lake Forest location offered make your own stir fry. I added a lot of favorite veggies to the bowl. It was really good and worth the buck! My coworker ordered a beef Mongolian rice, fried rice without egg, and green thai curry with rice. Everyone was very delighted with their food choices. Overall, an amazing place, and pretty reasonable too! read more

Big Bowl - Chef's Choice Stir Fry - Chinese Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

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I hadn't been to a Big Bowl in over a decade, but things have not changed too much. They still have the stir fry bar where you can choose your veggies and the short rib dumplings I remember were on special. I feel like they had more drink options before but with kids in tow it wasn't a big deal and they have a pretty long kids menu too. Great service and dessert (lava cake) was a hit with the kids! read more

If i can give 0 i would! Mongolian beef very tough hard to chew and appetizers bad made differently crab rangoon light nothing to it and too crunchy egg rolls too crunchy!!!! Wonder how this place stays in business! read more

I took 6 kids to par-king across the street. It was going so smoothly that I figured I'd take them all to dinner. When I suggested potbellys they said they'd prefer something else and so we ended up at Big Bowl across the street. For some reason I thought Big Bowl was fast service where we would order at the counter. I paused at my decision to take 6 kids out to dinner when I realized it was a sit down restaurant, but we were there with a bunch of hungry kids in tow so we decided to stick around. We started by ordering some dumplings for the table and everyone got a variety of options. A few of us (myself included) ordered the stir fry bowl, which they are known for. You go up and choose your veggies after ordering your base (protein & carb) and then they bring it to you. I really enjoyed mine and the others seemed to also. My daughter ordered some sort of noodle dish that she said was just OK and her friend ordered a steak. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food, but it started to get late and by the end of the meal we had one kid who wasn't feeling well (literally threw up) + another who had reached his limit for the evening and was ready for bed. The last 20 min of the meal were a little stressful as we finished up, paid and left (no dessert for this crew). I'd probably choose a faster option for taking 6 kids out next time, but if i was in the area with just my crew of 3 kids I'd come back here. read more

This was our first opportunity to use gift cards the restaurant had sent us to compensate for our previous ummm ... misadventure here. At least this time our server was more attentive. Our meal began with vegetable wonton soup. It was surprisingly meh, on the bland side. The peanut chicken egg rolls were comparable to the Cantonese neighborhood restaurant version. Well, at $10.95, they'd better be. The three of us ordered various beef dishes. On our previous visit, the runner plunked our entrees down without asking who ordered what. Well, guess what? This time, the runner plunked our entrees down without asking who ordered what! There were a couple anxious moments until we got the similar-in-appearance dishes sorted out. All contained an excess of sauce but were otherwise very good. Well, at double the neighborhood chop suey joint prices, they'd better be good. On our previous visit, the server neglected to process our Frequent Diner points. I had to email the restaurant manager and then follow up with a reminder before this was finally corrected. Well, guess what? Once again, the server neglected to process our Frequent Diner points and I had to email the restaurant manager. But this time, it took 3 emails and 12 days until the points were finally credited. Holy crapola, Big Bowl managed to duplicate our previous experience almost exactly! read more

Service is phenomenal! Super friendly and welcoming. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Outdoor seating is perfect.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The aroma of the food smells amazing. This is my first time here but definitely not my last! read more

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We ordered carry out .. my experience was similar to that of "Richard" from July 16th of this year. Food was okay but nothing exciting nor outstanding. I personally don't understand the reviews which say the food was outstanding. Portion sizes were decent but I believe the offerings are overpriced for what you get. Shrimp Pad Thai was $21 and only had 8 small (31/40) shrimp. $12 for an order of two egg rolls? Really? I know I could have passed but decided to give the app a try. Tasty, but maybe worth half the price. We paid using a gift card .. but had this been our money, I'd have been really disappointed. Lettuce Entertain You should really be called "Lettuce pad our bottom line at the expense of our customers' wallets." Very unlikely to return, for take out, dine in, or anything else. read more

I generally do not like to write bad reviews and choose to stay positive when writing about a restaurant experience. We had not been to Big Bowl in years and decided to try it again. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Our first clue when we walked into the place was it was only about 1/4 full with two guys who looked like regulars sitting at the bar.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Getting right to the point the food is just not good. It's not really Thai and it's not really Chinese. I don't know how to describe it. It's just not good. Why three stars you ask. The server was nice. read more

Came with F before a movie. Good food and amazing service staff it has been a while since my last visit but it was a great as always. read more

Big Bowl - Big Bowl - Chinese Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

I came here today for the first time in maybe 10 years. I rarely review, but I wanted to give 5 stars to Big Bowl because I had a great time there. We went around 4pm so it was pretty quiet. Our first server, I think her name was Hannah, was super cheerful and very informative. We had come during a switch change so we had a second server while we finished her meal. Her name was Gaby and she was super nice as well. Both servers had the perfect balance of giving us our space and making sure we didn't feel forgotten about, which I find very important and hard to come by. The food was great, my fiancé and I both got the stir fry bar. You HAVE to try to peach ginger ale. I honestly might stop by just for a ginger ale to go, it was that good. Thank you, Big Bowl for your amazing service! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]A very nice place for dinner. Not stuffy fancy, but good food and quick service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I suppose it can be considered Asian food. Read othevreviews for specifics on their experiences, but I enjoyed a chicken curry. It had a good selection of vegetables. The curry flavor is there, but not overbearing nor spicy hot. It was very good with the fried rice option. It is not cheap. Nothing in the area is inexpensive. It was a good portion size... maybe a bit large... for some perfect size, others big. Of course, there are many options - including select your own items. Then have the cooks prepare it for you. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The description of the operation was a bit daunting, but when you get there it's OK[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. I would like to go and eat there again if I get the opportunity. I highly recommend it. read more

Last week we had 20 people for a birthday dinner. Our server was attentive and helpful. The food was delicious. However, my daughter whose birthday it was and has a food allergy finally got her appetizer as people had finished their appetizer and started to eat. We had asked twice about it. Then her food came out too. Overall, the food was excellent and flavorful while service was good the kitchen or expeditor could have been better. Drinks were also good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We had a nice time and no one left hungry.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Was shocked to see how busy this place was at lunchtime on a weekday[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], but on the never-ending quest to find the best pad thai in Lake County, had to give it a go. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The interior was nice, comfortable, and well-decorated.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I got one of their house drinks (non-alcoholic), which was very tasty. The server was very friendly and helpful, going above and beyond to accommodate me. In spite of this, the food was just so-so. Crab rangoon were heavy on the sesame oil, and lacked the sweetness and onion bite that makes a crab rangoon shine. The pad thai was especially disappointing, with the primary flavors being charred burnt, and sour. The noodle to vegetable ratio was 1:1, with an abundance of wilted bean sprouts, scallions, and entire basil leaves (???) making up a large part of the dish. The prices are also VERY high, and the fine print on the menu reveals that in addition to these extremely high prices, a 3% fee is added to all bills, which is disappointing. The lackluster food and high prices would bring this down to a 2/5 or 3/5, but all of the staff brought the score up considerably. I don't think I would return. read more

I think Big Bowl's rating of 3.5 stars is very accurate. The restaurant can be summed in three sentences: Service was great, food and ambiance was mediocre, and prices are high. Our waiter was great and very attentive, and there was definitely no complaints there. I ordered the dumpling wonton soup as appetizer. The soup was actually really good and I definitely recommend it. For the mains, we ordered Mongolian beef and kung pao chicken and I got 1 alcoholic drink. Both entrees were very flavorful but way too salty. I had to order an extra bowl of white rice to balance out the salt and couldn't finish. All in all the bill was $95 including tip, which is pretty hefty for two entrees, an appetizer, and a drink- and portions weren't even that big. I see complaints on here about the prices and definitely agree. I overheard the family in table next to us complain about the prices as well as they got the check. read more

Big Bowl - Kung Pao Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

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We went for dinner on September 23rd, 2025 and asked to cut down the spices from our dishes. They made the food totally blend and tasteless. Also, the chicken was not even cooked. All the food was wasted and we came home hungry. Never going back to this place again!!!!! read more

I've been eating at Big Bowl for about 10 years now and the taste is always something you expect. They have a certain citrus flavor in all their foods that gives them a signature taste. Everyone at their table enjoyed the food but bear in mind it is a bit pricey which each dish being at least $20. My only disappointment is the calamari. They completely changed it and no longer serve it in the white takeout container with the little foam noodles surrounding it. The portion was also much bigger than now but things change. We did love the soup however. I had enough food left for leftovers so that makes it more worth the price but I'd highly suggest trying a family owned restaurant when possible. This place is alright but not my first choice. I'd say it's more of an easy choice if eating with picky eaters or you don't want to risk something new. Overall, it's pretty decent. read more

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Unfortunately, the "Big Bowl" has joined its "Lettuce Entertain You" corporate sibling "Wildfire" in scamming its customers with 'hidden' 3% surcharge, see the attached photo and related review at https://www.yelp.com/biz/wildfire-lincolnshire?hrid=Ry_zMdXQ_iaSrb5oDEwsmw. Translating the message to plain English, it means this: "Inflation affects us as everybody else. Instead of honestly increasing prices and showing them on the menu, we decided that our customers are particularly stupid and gullible, so we will sell them $20 dish and charge them $20.60. Hope they will not notice." The food was decent except for the hot-'n-sour soup, which was bland and contained undissolved clumps of starch. Generally, prices at "Big Bowl" are higher than in comparable oriental cuisine establishments. The decor is clean, but somewhat dated. read more

Big Bowl - Hidden surchage - Chinese Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

Went as a group of 4 with my coworkers. We made a reservation and arrived right at opening and were promptly seated. The space started to get busy so I would suggest the reservation. I ordered the Big Bowl Chopped Salad. It was just okay. Not bad but nothing to write home about. I feel it was a bit overpriced at $17 but I wasn't paying. My coworkers enjoyed their food so I will give them another try with a different menu item. read more

Big Bowl - Green Tea - Chinese Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

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We were looking forward to another Lettuce Restaurant, but it was a real disappointment. The wonton soup was so blend we had to ask for soy sauce to make it more palatable, it had some blend thick noodles and it was cold. We ask the server to have it warmed up, when he brought it back it was still cols, we ended up not eating it. We had the beef with broccoli and pea pods, it was very salty and the meat was tough. The prices are a bit high compared to other Cantonese restaurants, we were a party of 5, and all 5 of us will never come back . read more

Hidden service fee at the end. It's right on the receipt. For added insult we had to use your phones to scan a QR code and pay by entering our credit card number. Upcharge for the sauce the waiter RECOMMENDED for my dish. Food tasted good so get it to go or get played. read more

We haven't been to Big Bowl in several years, our last visit at the end of COVID was a disaster. Given the circumstances I overlooked all that was wrong. Tonight I was very disappointed in the quality of the food. I ordered an egg roll. The texture was strange, it tasted like ground up vegetables and was not appetizing. The mustard sauce had little on flavor and certainly wasn't spicy, our local Chinese take out does much better. The sweet dipping sauce faired no better. I ordered shrimp in panang curry. The curry had little or no flavor, while this curry is not known to be spicy, the heat was totally lacking. The curry was thin and had an unfinished texture to it, not thick and creamy that this curry is noted for. Service was good. The other people I was with thought their food was good, but no raves. Lettuce is still taking on a 3% service charge which patrons can request it be removed from the bill. After spending $80 for a mediocre dinner I find this money grab to be insulting and totally unwarranted. I am not inclined to return to Big Bowl. read more

Food is fresh. Price is reasonable. Service is excellent. I eat there at least once or twice a quarter. I love stir fry. Only problem is if you don't make a reservation you will be waiting. Try it. It will love it. read more

Enjoyed dinner with my colleagues at the Big Bowl. It was completely packed when we showed up at the door with no reservation, but they were able to accommodate us in 10 mins max. Overall, the service was excellent (both the hostess and the waitress were courteous and knowledgeable). We all enjoyed our food. It was "sold" to me as a healthy options restaurant - I won't go that far... but you can probably find just right food item to fit your diet. I would put in Cheesecake Factory category. I enjoyed my poke bowl (although it was definitely an interpretation of some sorts). I would return next time I am in town. read more

Big Bowl - Ahi Tuna Poké Bowl* - Chinese Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

First time here at this location wait time- we ad reservation but we still had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. place was very busy. we were seated and attended by a very nice server. he told us that this was the first location of big bowl.food- we ordered vegetable Wonton soup and spicy tofu with rice. taste was amazing. serving size- we ordered large soup which serves 2-3 people. but it was small servering size. someone like me who loves soups, can easily have by its own and still eat food. But it definetly does not serve 3 people. Bowl was good enough quantity and i feel they have reduced their serving size, or may be this location gives smaller size. quality of the food- good Noise level- Loud. music with alot of people seating close together which makes the place sound louder. restrooms are clean and they have hand sanitizer just outside, which is something I really liked. parking - does not have designated spots. the plaza was very busy on Friday night and we had to park behind the hotel and walk back. read more

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This is always a solid choice for dinner. Also - they have a gluten free menu which is pretty nice. I have been here a few times and usually get the cashew chicken. It is a bit spicier than you might think. Even on a Saturday night the wait - at least when I was here - was only about 20 min. read more

Came for a birthday and was happy to see the make your own stir fry is back! I got mine with shrimp & teriyaki sauce. It was so so good! I was blown away by how much shrimp there was! So tasty! They also gave a dessert on the house for the birthday which was another nice surprise! read more

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Both my wife and I got food poisoning after eating there. We each had different food items, so there must be contamination in the kitchen. Won't be back. read more

Food was amazing! Flavors were outrageously good. Service was good; between 1-10, a 5. The restaurant was outdated since nothing has changed in the last 15 years but still comfortable just nothing to talk about. Prices were on the high side. I was OK with it until they added two unexpected charges. My drink was $18 but since I ordered it in the rocks I was charged an additional $3 for ice. Then there was a 3% restaurant surcharge. I've seen it before due to COVID, inflation, etc., but that was before the hefty price increases to the menu. These are just excuses to take advantage of the customer. I don't like it. Yes I like the food, but... to be underhandedly taken advantage of, that has me thinking maybe it wasn't worth it. read more

The only positive thing about my experience was that we were seated without a wait. We were there for my birthday and it was documented in our reservation. Our server was very slow, he never asked if we were celebrating anything and on top of that he got my order wrong. I ordered Thai yellow curry with tofu and it came out with chicken. By the time they remade my food the table was finishing theirs. I ended up packing up most of it to go. Usually when a restaurant screws up they will comp.the meal or discount is or comp an appetizer something. Instead when the bill came the incorrect entree was on the full price and there was an added 3% restaurant service charge. My husband and I have always enjoyed Big Bowl, and it was one of our first dates. We agreed that after our terrible experience tonight this will be our last visit there. The manager and what I believe was the GM was there too and no one asked how our meal was when we left, or offered an apology when they brought the correct meal. A truly disappointing experience. read more