Funny how the best meals are never planned. I ended up at Emil's on Center with some friends for a low-key birthday get-together, and it turned into another reminder of why I keep coming back. I've actually been coming here for a while. I was first introduced to the Mundelein location years ago, so when I started working in the area, I figured, why not give the Grayslake location a try too? It ended up being a great decision. I went with the buffalo wings, all flats. One thing I really appreciate is that they'll actually accommodate all flats or all drums, which surprisingly isn't as common as it should be. The wings are meaty, juicy, and cooked with a nice crisp that holds up even after being coated in sauce. The buffalo has that classic buttery flavor with just enough kick to keep each bite interesting without overpowering the wing itself. They're not trying to reinvent buffalo wings. They're just executing them really well. The biggest compliment I can give them is the consistency. Every visit tastes like the last. The recipe doesn't change because it doesn't need to. When you find something that works, you stick with it, and Emil's has. This place also always seems to be packed, and after coming here multiple times, I completely understand why. Even when I don't order the wings, everything else I've had has been just as impressive. It's the kind of place where you can confidently try something different and know you're going to leave happy. One thing that makes Emil's even more interesting is that there are two locations. I've been to both Emil's Tavern on Center and Emil's Sports Bar & Pizzeria. The menus are very similar, but the wings definitely aren't. I actually asked about it once, and they confirmed they use different recipes. Wing Rating: 8.55/10 So now I'm curious. What's the verdict? And while we're at it... flats or drums? read more

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This place has come a long way. The pizza and sandwiches are all pretty good. Mixed cocktails are ok but not perfect. Service is great. Definitely worth a try if you haven't been here for a while. read more

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There was a hair in the cheese bread , but I know that happens especially when the cooks don't wear hairnets. Waitress followed up with a fresh batch of garlic bread and packed it up to send it home with us. Which these days is Beyond the Call of Duty! There was music playing which made it easier to relax in a strange place. First Time there. Our beer had ice in it so it definitely was cold- that was a first I've seen that! I ordered the brisket sandwich, my wife ordered the pulled pork, mac & cheese, my coworker friend ordered the chicken sandwich, and his wife ordered the Reuben sandwich, which all of this was done well served with presentation and was enjoyed by all at the table! My friend spoke highly of the place, although other people have not on Yelp, but I would have to say this is one of the better experiences I've had in this area of restaurants in a long time! read more

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Another crappy experience at Emils. What a shame. Place was always great. Been there 3 weeks in a row. Broasted chicken first time and tiny pieces. Should be ashamed to sell crap like that and keep prices the same. 2nd week. Same thing. Tried it one more time. Went with my dad. Told waitress, we are going to have the same thing. 4 piece broasted chicken , waited 20+ minutes and the order came out and it was only one order. I was pissed and told my dad to eat it. She stated they had a catered order and it was going to be 25-30 minutes if they made a second one. I told her to not worry about it as I was already pissed. She mentioned to me that she didn't charge for the diet cokes, but the charge .75 for bbq. We both asked for bbq sauce because we thought we were getting 2 orders. Still charged for 2 bbq sauces. Didn't take that off bill. I brought pizza for home to eat the next day. Under cooked. All toppings in the middle and nothing outside. Place is going down hill. Sick of the incompetence of businesses. So tired of it!!!!! read more

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Worst old fashion ever. Then I asked for woodford with orange slices and she forgot orange slices. Cant even get a simple drink right. Serivce was shit. Bartender was Rude. Won't go back. read more

Been here twice and each time, placed is packed but we were seated right away. We come here for their broasted chicken (combination of pressure frying and traditional shallow frying). Big restaurant, large bar area, and plenty of seating. Wait staff pleasant. Quick service. Good food with reasonable pricing. Broasted chicken was delicious!! Lightly coated. Crunchy, seasoned well, and moist. If you like broasted chicken, I would recommend this place. read more

Emil's - American Near Me - Grayslake, Illinois

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Finally had the chance to try out Emil's wings, and they did not disappoint! The wings were delicious, crispy, and made fresh. While I did not have the opportunity to dine in, staff was friendly when placing my order online. When picking up, finding parking was a bit difficult given that there is no designated parking lot but my order was accurate and on time. I look forward to going back and dinning in! read more

Emil's - Chicken Wings served with ranch (+side of celery in included) - American Near Me - Grayslake, Illinois

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The food has always been good. We had the Friday Fish Fry a few weeks. It was great! read more

Emil's - Fish Fry - American Near Me - Grayslake, Illinois

Bottom line: Good value in food and drink. This place is comfy. Nice mix of regulars and non-regulars. I am not a "regular" but Emil's is an often choice. I like it best in cooler fall months with a good dark or Oktoberfest brew but it is busy year round. The service is consistently competent. The food is always good and there is always something interesting on tap or to be mixed--and at still relatively reasonable prices. Value to price ratio greater than one. The outside patio/bar is also a nice place to eat/hang out at the tables or bar though the seating around the fire pit can be a little unsavory and could use some maintenance or changing it out more often. Tip: if there is a band on the patio you may want to take a pass sitting out there because every band thinks their stuff is so good we want to hear it with amps at "11", and with the patio between two hard brick surfaces, you can't have a conversation. Nevertheless, Emil's is always a go to. read more

Fast service and plenty of parking . Located right downtown. I ordered the mushroom and Swiss burger which was very good . read more

Emil's - American Near Me - Grayslake, Illinois

Came here for the first time on Saturday because my sister just moved to Grayslake, and I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the food is and everyone in my party loved their food, too. As appetizers, we ordered the buffalo chicken wings and the mozz sticks The buffalo wings were cooked perfectly and very juicy, and I didn't try the mozzarella sticks, but my sister loved them. They are like mozz sticks that we are used to from a place in Edison Park. They are unique in that they aren't just breaded, they have a wrapping around them like what they wrap egg rolls with. My sister really enjoyed these, and we were all shocked they made them like this. For dinner, I ordered the seared Ahi tuna salad and it was amazing. Honestly, I would crave this and come back here for this and that means a lot... because I normally don't crave salads. This salad had ahi tuna, edamame, cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers (and normally it has won ton strips but I didn't get those). The salad also normally comes with a ginger dressing, but I ordered the cilantro lime one instead, and it was so flavorful and amazing. It balances out the creamy wasabi dressing that the salad also came with, so it wasn't AS spicy. There were many other positives other than the food. We had very good service; our waitress was friendly and very attentive. The draft beer was cold and refreshing (I ordered the Hell or High Watermelon), and the place was pretty large and clean. I know I will definitely be back here again when I am in the area, and I'm sure my sister and her husband will be back soon since they live close to here. This place was actually recommended by some of their friends, as well, so I am glad we tried it! read more

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Very good neighborhood sports bar and grill, the food never disappoints and the atmosphere was friendly, they have a lot of tv to watch sports read more

We met a couple of friends here... we sat at a big spacious table with room for social distancing which was great! I had a Rueben pictured ... it was good .. corned beef juicy and tender ... Fries were good ! Crinkle style Two parties had burgers that looked delicious made exact to order ! One more had a small thin crust pizza that he said was yummy! It was my daughters and my first time the couple goes often! Prices reasonable middle road ! Wait staff kept checking on us! Thumbs up!! read more

Emil's - Ruben Sandwich - American Near Me - Grayslake, Illinois

W enjoyed our visit at Emil's. Waitstaff was wonderful. Suggested the Smashburger and tomatoes soup. Both were delicious! Our drinks were also wonderful. I'm new to Grayslake and it was nice to find a good restaurant locally. Will be expanding other establishments. This was a great start. read more

My favorite people and I came in as a party of 6, around 10:45 this Sunday. Our server was "BB". She was absolutely amazing. Asked questions we didn't know needed to be asked. Attentive, lovely and a pleasure to have serving us. We had wings, pizza bites, pizza, burgers, wraps& even a brunch item. Everything was hot & perfectly delicious. Highly recommend BB and Emils. Thank you for making our Sunday read more

Love this place. Great place to have drinks and apps and a really nice outdoor space. Food is great, always delicious.. anything Ive tried is great. Large portions as well. Their pizza is phenomenal and worth a visit for that alone. Great craft beer list as well. On occasion we have had just okay service but outside of that one of my favorite restaurants in Lake County. read more

Ordered sweet potato fries well done no salt, was repeated back as such. Yet I don't get them and the receipt is wrong. I won't be giving this place my business as they can't get a simple fry order right. What a joke. And I spent my money on it. Guess the joke is on me. Clearly the manager of this place doesn't care because no one can even reach out. What a joke of a place. Won't give this place a dime of my money because no one cares about making a customer happy. read more

Great service, great food and awesome atmosphere! Fun bar too - outside area too is awesome in summer! read more

Food was great, music and overall ambience was not too loud. Service was fast and friendly. Prices were reasonable!

Great food and staff, their burgers are some of the best! Do yourself a favor and check it out read more

This is a busy place and a great place to watch sporting events. TVs all around and huge one on the east wall for the main dining room. They also have an outdoor seating area and a large bar (always packed). The pizza, nachos and beer nuggets are solid but I really enjoy the chopped salad and coleslaw. I don't usually like coleslaw but I love it here! read more

I ordered a sausage and pepperoni pizza Very little toppings On Super Bowl Sunday ordered wings They were horrible The wings were chewy and tough For the amount of money spent,will not be ordering from them again No stars read more

Went to Grayslake Thanksgiving weekend. We went to Charlie's to visit with family. We ordered carry out pizza and brought it back to the bar. I want to say they did a great job! Pizza was just the way we like it. Leftovers heated up great I have a feeling we will be bringing it home every visit. read more

Great tuna melt. Wish they served it all the time. Great addition to the Grayslake dining scene. read more

This was a fun place for a Saturday night! We stopped in for apps and drinks and there ended up being a live band in their outdoor seating area. The band was great and though it was busy, the service was quick! If you love a sweet drink the Strawberry Moon is a MUST TRY! Sooo delicious but different! The Havest Mule was too strong for my liking but some may enjoy it. As for the apps they were nothing special. The cheese fries were so bland and the cheese was cold. The chicken fingers were typical- honey mustard was very good though! read more

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This place is always packed with people. I have only been here 3 times and the food is decent. I've had the veggie pizza and I did enjoy it. It can be a bit loud at times due to sport games being played on all the tv's, but it is a sports bar restaurant, so that is acceptable. read more

Emil's is a great place to grab some pizza and apps and get a drink anytime of the week! My favorite is their dessert nuggets! I mean anything made a la mode is amazing. I love their drinks as well as in the summer/fall they have a small intimate patio! read more

Emil's - Dessert Nuggets - American Near Me - Grayslake, Illinois

I was in the Grayslake area with some friends. I asked them what would be a nice place to go to on a Sunday night to eat. They said Emil's Tavern in Grayslake is the only restaurant that was still open and decent. The restaurant and bar were pretty packed. Most of the patrons seem to have been there to watch the football game. I was seated with my friends and their kids at a large round corner table. We all ordered cokes for our drinks. I looked over the extremely large menu that had many items on it. I decided I was going to go with their special of the night. The pulled pork mac & cheese. I also put an order for their special mozzarella sticks as an appetizer. They are called "CrossRoads mozzarella sticks". Their mozzarella sticks are wrapped in a wonton wrapper. They look like an eggroll but are filled with mozzarella cheese. My wife ordered a simple grilled chicken sandwich with fries. The food came out fairly quickly. My main dish of mac and cheese with pulled pork was nothing special. The cheese on the Mac and cheese was gritty. I have a feeling the mac and cheese came from a box or at least the cheese tasted like it. The pork was not bad but I could tell also it was frozen and had a taste of being in a freezer. My wife's chicken sandwich I tried and the chicken was spongy with lots of water content. I do not know if the chicken came frozen in paddy form. This also was something that was not very good. The highlight of the night was the CrossRoads mozzarella sticks. They were absolutely delicious. I would definitely order those next time I would stop in and have a beer at the bar. The restaurant as a whole is nothing special. It almost has a feel like one large rec center. If I lived in the area I would probably stop by and have a drink at the bar and watch a football game. I would not make this restaurant a spot to go to dinner I feel there are better places elsewhere in the area. If you are in the area definitely try out the crossroads mozzarella sticks. read more

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Didnt like the high seating chairs/tables. We made reservations. We should have been given reg table or booth or adked if we wanted high seating.i stead we had a high table in bar. Ordered appetizer of mushrooms. Asked to get it before entree. To be served first. Got it after entree was served. We ordered Rueben's with thousand island on side. We were charged 75 cents each. We asked waitress when bill came and she said all dressings are 75 cents. Menu said it comes with it. But because we asked on the side we were charged extra. Very disappointing evening.feel we should have been comped for lateness in appetizer order and 1,50 taken off. read more

Just left the restaurant in disgust and will likely not be back. The bartender and an apparently "regular" customer of hers were making a "secret arrangement" to sneak a plastic cup full of booze out the door so he could take it elsewhere where he couldn't have liquor. She did it. Pathetic. Is this what Grayslake is coming to? Food is good, yes, but I'm seriously not impressed after that. read more

The cream of chicken soup was out of this world!!! Waitress was funny and knowledgeable, and everyone's food tasted delicious. A Grayslake hidden little gem!!! read more

We went there on a Friday night further famous fish fry, and we waited a total of an hour for our food to even be served! The waitress completely forgot to put our order in and didn't admit to it and then when we were served our fish, it was kind of like big fish sticks. It was awful and horrible and nowhere near worth the wait!! I do not recommend this place in anyway !!!! read more

Great local restaurant with a wide variety of options on the menu. I had the Mr. B, a brisket sandwich with onion straws and BBQ sauce. They have a smoker out back, makes for good BBQ. A place I visit often. read more

Emil's - Beef Brisket Sandwich - American Near Me - Grayslake, Illinois

My friend and I came here since we couldn't play Christmas trivia at Light the Lamp, as it was just PACKED with people and not a single table in sight. Our food and service were great! We both had these chicken tender wraps and tots. You can never go wrong with tots! After we were done eating, a guy came around with bingo markers and we thought about staying to play but he said a drink purchase is required to play bingo. We both ordered food and had sodas so we thought we were good. Nope. It has to be an alcoholic beverage. That's a really crappy policy because some people don't drink alcohol and a policy like this excludes a decent number of people from playing bingo. read more

Ordered a side salad for my young granddaughter visiting from Florida and this is what we got. No one wants to eat this. read more

Emil's - Side salad to go. - American Near Me - Grayslake, Illinois

This neighborhood sports bar and patio has become a go-to spot for me to hang out before my haircuts next door at Paris Hair. As such, I can only review their bar and patio. Further, the only thing I ever order is a Don Julio margarita on the rocks with salt. It's delicious. The value is unparalleled. It's exactly what I need before my monthly cut. read more

Just update your menu prices on-line, if sandwich on-line says 10.95, and menu inside says 15.99, you could see where i would have a question. I typed in the grayslake location on center street on my phone, and guess what, prices are different. Food is good, however next time, I should be talking about the food 1st. Is it really that hard to update your menu on-line. read more

What a crazy busy and very noisy spot! But it is a sports bar and we love it. We've eaten here many times with 2-6 people in our party. There is always a wait but worth it. Great apps, yummy beer choices, da best pizza! Very helpful staff. More pics to share later. read more

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Love the Cajun Chicken wrap and potato chips. I usually only get that but pizza always smells delicious. Big place, comfortable seating.

I called and ordered a steak sandwich to pick up. I asked to upgrade from standard fries to onion rings and they said sure. My sandwich was ready on time and it was tender and delicious, served on excellent french bread. It might have been just a teensy bit too salty, but I gave in to the general umami-ness and just enjoyed. They have terrific onion rings too. read more