Summary: Eat here if you want the following: * An over-priced glass of beer * Just average burgers * Lame desserts * A total lack of business responsibility for the local community and the environment The Full Story Ate at Emils Tavern on Center on TUE 01-MAR @ 7pm. Place was probably 20-30% full, several TV's, but the IL-Purdue game was not on any of the TV's? Replays of the NFL Indy Combine, but no Illini Basketball? Burgers were good (cooked as requested), but brownie dessert had soft-serve machine ice cream. Not real scoop ice cream for a $5.99 dessert! Then it got even more interesting when I asked to talk with the manager (Mark?). I requested that the restaurant phase out the use of Styrofoam To-Go containers, and start using fiber board containers. The manager's response was flippant, and he simply said, my focus is selling food. I asked if he was concerned when we had the Gulf Oil spill. Response "Yes", to which I added, the daily use of Styrofoam is a Gulf Oil spill since Styrofoam is not recyclable, and never, ever biodegrades. The manager then asked me if I was wearing leather shoes? I just had a hamburger? I'm not a vegan. Styrofoam is not renewable, nor recyclable" I then shared the fact that I've asked several restaurants to consider phasing-out the use of Styrofoam To-Go containers, and this is the first time I experienced a manager with such a disingenuous response. To which he again responded: "My focus is SELLING FOOD !" So feel free to eat here if you want the following: * An over-priced glass of beer * Just average burgers * Lame desserts * A total lack of business responsibility for the local community and the environment And oh yeah, they throw all those glass beer bottles into the landfill. Come on, how hard can it be to have a recycle bin for the glass beer bottles? Other posts indicate that the pizza is good. Guess I should have gone with the pizza. read more

I contemplated giving this place just 1 star but decided to be generous and give it 2. We came in, they told us 40 minutes (totally fine, we don't mind waiting). It was only 10 maybe 15 and I thought "we're off to a great start!"... That's as good as got. We waited over an hour for our food and to be honest, it was not at all worth the wait. I imagine the kitchen to be full of frozen pizzas and microwaves for heating up premade soups. To top it off, our waitress only came by our table MAYBE 5 times in the basically 2 hours we were there. Thankfully I don't live near by so I won't have to worry about using it as a last resort meal. Go to Dog n Suds down the streets, that place is 5 star by comparison. read more

Let me start by saying Emil's has some great food and the price point is perfect for Grayslake. It was awesome to have Emil's come to town several years ago! However, I wish they would be more involved in the community. As recent as this past week, we went to try and save a few tables (for about 15-20 people) for a local firefighter who we were throwing a surprise birthday party for. I spoke directly with the owner who has seen me in there MANY times for lunch and dinner. Many times I have brought 15-20 people in for a meal. Instead of saying sure, we would be happy to save a little corner we were told flat out no we can't save any spots for you. I could see if myself and several others attending didn't stop in often for food etc, but many of us attending do and to be told flat out no we can't help you was somewhat of a slap in the face. This is not the first time myself and others in town have experienced this treatment. I will continue to go to Emil's and take co-workers and friends there, but I truly hope they understand the value and importance of supporting and helping those who have been strong supporters of theirs the minute they served their first meal and poured their first beer. It's great to see how they have helped the downtown bring more people in and as I said I will continue to support them and the many other local business owners who make Grayslake a great place to live and work. As for the party, we were forced to look for another spot last minute and Tony @ Bake's on Rt 45 was very welcoming and able to provide us with a private room and the service needed to put on the event. He made us feel welcome and went out of his way to help us! Bake's is also very giving to the community giving away gift certificates and prizes for charity events! Hopefully the owners of Emil's can take some of that charity type generosity and add it to their business plan. It would go a long way in Grayslake! read more

Been going to Emil's for years and have always received great service. Definitely would recommend

The start of the evening was great, we called about an hour ahead made a reservation for 4 adults and a high chair. After arriving it was less than a 5 minute wait for such a busy Friday evening. After being seated one ordered a dirt martini on the rocks. The waitress forgot to have it on the rocks and had to go back. We felt like another table on her check list to get out of there. Few check ins. When we ordered more martinis both returned without the olive juice added. Resulting in another 15 wait. Another individual had ordered no tomatoes and the server repeated the order. But upon having it delivered there were tomatoes. Not wanting to be a hassle she just took them off. At the complete of our meal one individual left the coleslaw for last. After a few bites he pulls a LONG blonde hair from his mouth. Which had been in the coleslaw. We asked for a compensation on his meal and were argued with by the manager and server that they could only take off for the coleslaw because the rest was gone. Well duh it's gone because he was saving the best for last. I was so excited to return but don't see it anytime soon. read more

UPDATE! Emil's is improving on service. Ate there on Sunday afternoon while watching baseball on the big screen. 3 separate waiters/waitresses must have come by our table to check on things. Maybe management was getting the message about slow service/indifferent staff. Food is good for the most part. When this place gets really busy, that's when missteps occur. Kitchen probably needs more experience, if not more bodies. I know Emil's has a manager, but don' think there's an expediter in the kitchen. That would help. So, the place is doing better and better. read more

Service was terrible, again. Order took longer than it should have for a few chicken tenders and a burger. Burger came out wrong. Just a bad experience. And it's not the first time where the order came out wrong. At least I got an apology this time read more

As a local Grayslake resident I had high hopes for Emils. What I enjoy about our town is the small town hospitality. Sadly, it is lacking here. Hostess was rude! A simple smile can go a long way. read more

I've eaten here before, great experiences both times but today was the BEST! My friend and I came here for lunch with 4 kids and 2 huge double strollers. People helped open the doors for us right away, and immediately made us feel welcomed. Unlike the usual roll of the eye when people bring young kids into restaurants. Our service was not only great but extremely helpful with the kids. I can't say enough kind things about this restaurant and staff. Oh and the food was great! They were also very accommodating to my son with sever peanut allergies!! read more

Service really slipping. 4 for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Waitress initially attentive with drinks. Took order fairly quickly. Food for 3 of 4 delivered by kitchen staff. 4th meal didn't come out for another 15 minutes until we flagged down bar help to get a manager. By then drinks needed refilling. Waitress nowhere to be found. Told that manager (who is also owner) is too busy for customers with complains as they are making food in the kitchen! 4th food comes out cold. Waitress finally comes over casting blame anywhere but her. Even if waitress doesn't deliver food/drinks, isn't it her responsibility to see that her table is being taken care of? Manager never came to table. Waitress then rang wrong bill onto our credit card. Ended up comping 50% of bill. Had to have bill rerung on credit card. Food was good (what wasn't cold), but serviced was a D+ at best. read more

I have been here several times before but decided to come here with my friend for some face to face buddy time. The hostess was friendly and seated us promptly. The waitress then came and took our drink order and returned with our drinks and then took our food order. After our food was delivered by a different person, our server became MIA. We needed utensils but our server never returned. We had to flag down the hostess to get any service. Although I ordered the taco trio and my friend got one of the burgers, the food was delicious, the service was adequate at best. When I looked for her she was talking with another server and apparently not interested in taking care of her tables. In the future, I will think twice about coming here again. read more

Finally! A local hangout, that has good food, a wonderful drink selection and isn't crazy expensive or clicky. I've visited twice in the past two weeks and am pleased overall that Emil's has decided to inhabit the budding downtown section of Grayslake. First there isn't much of an entry/reception/waiting area, although we've never had to wait. We visited once on a weekend for lunch, and then for a late dinner last Thursday.The interior is quite large, and is divided into a dining room section with low tables - while high tables fill in the area around the large bar. Flat panel TVs are mounted everywhere, while a large projector screen is on the large wall in the dining room... Don't ever worry about missing a game or sporting event while you visit Emil's! I hope that they add some booths in the dining room, and a few more tables around the bar... The waitstaff have been super helpful and knowledgable - although the receptionist wasn't the most hospitable or confident with people waiting around her. Both times the waitresses have suggested new beers and/or food that has been on target. We have sampled many things, and it's all on par. Hamburgers, pizza, sandwiches, wraps & salads. But, you must try the brisket! It's definitely the hidden gem of the menu, not over-sauced or too smoky, but springy and moist. It's served with hand cut fries, which leave a little to be desired and baked beans. Parking is free and on the street or in the new municipal lot behind Emil's, which runs the length of the block. We haven't had an issue yet, but did have to find our patience as we circled the block. I recommend Emil's - it can be whatever you want, a good local hangout, quick bite or family dinner. I hope Emil's settles in and remains permanent landscape of downtown Grayslake. read more

We were out and about and cut thru Grayslake on the way home. drove downtown, and found Emil's. We had to wait about eh 30 min. I think the woman seating/taking names screwed up a few times, and I think there was a pay off involved in one seating but never the less we were finally given a table. Our waitress was attentive, she made great suggestions, checked on us as needed, followed up quickly. I had the Chicken Panini with pesto and my hubby had the fish fry. I am not a fish fanatic, more than often we get a bad plate so I kind of ixnay the fish fry now a days. But I have to say it was fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised and we will make this one of our "Go to places" the only issue was with seating and the wait time, who came when. read more

I have eaten at this restaurant many times probably 3 or 4 times a month and have always found the food palatable tonight was no different except for: We arrived about 7:00 pm and were seated in the main dinning area in a booth. We proceeded to order dinnerand again it was very palatable. Then when I was having my coffee the waitress came over and said if you want to play trivia there is a table in the bar area near the narrator and I can move you over there so you can hear better. Also you won't have to walk so far to turn in your answers. We said "OK", never suspecting that we would be then given an ultimatum to order again or move. So the waitress picked up my coffee and the check and moved us to the bar. A few minutes later another waitress came along and asked if we wanted to order anything, we responded not at this time because we were just having our coffee. She came back with well aren't you going to order anything else??? We said no we just finished our dinner and the waitress told us to move here. Again the second waitress responded with; Well if you aren't going to order anything else you have to move to the bar!!! Ok we are a couple of older (75 and 83) people so our drinking days are pretty much over and besides we just had dinner and I still had a full cup of coffee to finish. We explained that it wasn't our idea to move but that didn't seem to matter, again we were told to move to the bar. I might be able to understand wanting to free up a table if there was a waiting line but it was not particularly crowded. I even found a parking place right in front of the restaurant which was shocking because it almost never happens. So we proceeded to walk to the podium where the manage addressed the situation with a snippy response of well no one told you to leave just to move (for the 2nd time). When I said I hadn't finished my coffee that I paid for he told me he could put it in a to go cup!!! During this whole process we never heard the words "I'm sorry or "there seems to be a mix up, please be patient and we will take care of this"! Instead the "manager" age maybe 21 or 22, just became more nasty as the minutes went on. The sad part about this is I have been an "Emil's customer for many years going back to the one in Mundelein and they really don't care if I ever go back there again! This appears to be the new age of business today "it's ok if you never come back, we'll just get somebody else to be rude to". So our little band of Dinner/Trivia players (6 of us) will have to move on to a new place. If you are smart you will avoid the conflict and try another venue, like "Lite the Lamp" down the street. We went there last Tuesday and they were delightful, never once pressuring us to move or leave and they were far busier than Emil's was tonight. read more

Middle of the road, they have beer, they have average bar food including decent pizza, the make or break depends on when you go in. Nice environment for a hawks game as long as you get there in time to be seated. Once it gets packed the service goes out the window but what can you expect. They should probably work on a better system of putting in for a table, walking around the bar calling out names just isn't the best. read more

Very good pizza with a nice light crust. Sausage on the pizza was top quality and they didn't skimp on it. Cheese was not too greasy, had nice cheesy factor to it. The fried chicken coming out of the kitchen smelled incredible even while I was eating my pizza! Dining room was a bit cramped but the service was very good. Pizza came out really fast too! I enjoyed it for a quick family dinner. read more

We made a reservation and were on time. When we arrived they had to ask another table that had not ordered yet to move so that we could be seated. Our server clearly had no idea what she was doing. We had to constantly flag her down for everything, she would not stop long enough to see if anyone needed anything. I ordered an appetizer and specifically asked for it BEFORE our main course, and it came out as our dinners arrived. The food was decent but I was appalled to be charged for a tiny bit of ranch dressing. That alone is reason enough to NEVER go back. We spent over $200 and you charged extra for that?! I work as a server and never heard of that ANYWHERE! Not one plate was cleared when we were done eating even though she came back to give us the bill and again to collect it. That is unacceptable and needs to be addressed if you want to call this a restaurant. I felt bad that we had to endure such poor service as we were all looking forward to a nice evening out with family. Get it together or be prepared to close. read more

Went there last night for my sisters birthday party. Nice sports bar in a little downtown area of Grayslake with a good variety of food and drinks. Our waitress was great and every time some one new came to join us she was asking if they needed anything within minutes of them joining us. We had beer towers and if we requested a new cup it came out nice and cold. While I didn't have the pizza it looked and smelled delicious and a ton of people were ordering it. They also sell slices of it after the kitchen closes. Plenty of tv's and they play a variety of games, they even have a giant projector screen in the front corner of the place. Clean bathrooms and a nice outdoor area as well. Parking is either on the street out front or in the many parking lots around the area. Pay attention because some places are only two hour parking read more

I have had some good meals there, some bad. Mostly good. Loud, you really have to like sports, and most things are fried or fried adjacent. I would give them more stars but there have been a few times where I left disliking my dried out burger, and I always order medium. read more

We've always had a good experience at Emil's, until tonight. We were informed by our waitress that the kitchen was back-logged about 20 minutes, which is normally fine. However, we waited an hour before eventually getting up and leaving. I felt bad for the waitress because the food issue wasn't her fault, but she was also quite dismissive & never really stopped to check in with us. It was a surprisingly unhappy experience. read more

I have been to Emils probably 15 times for lunches or dinners. Let me start by saying that the location is good and some times it is 5 star and sometimes 1 star so they are getting a 3. Last night we went and were told by the waitress that the kitchen was slow due to a fundraiser. The restaurant wasn't even full so that was surprising but whatever, we enjoyed a few beers and laughs while we waited. The two people I was with got the B sandwich and enjoyed it fine. I got a special which was a buffalo chicken salad. Now, I think salads are over priced but this one was really a rip off. It was cut romaine and one, yes ONE chicken strip cut up on the top with some blue cheese crumbles. Really? Don't go overboard. North of a $10 salad ( I don't remember exact price and don't want to guess wrong) I was disappointed to say the least. Not sure I will get over that one easy since I spend a lot of money there. They cut up the ONE chicken strip to make it look like more but guess what, Emils, I wasn't fooled. I am sure I will be back and there will be times I love my food but goodness, this was not one of them. Oh, and I wouldn't call our waitress friendly, more like annoyed she had to wait on us. read more

First of all, reviewers need to set their expectations correctly. This is a bar first and restaurant second. The bar area is large with plenty of TVs and seating, a good place to hang out with friends or watch a game. Bathrooms are clean too. As for the restaurant, our family went recently on a busy Thursday night. Our server, Kiah was very attentive and she get's 5 stars. We ordered a couple of kids burgers, I had a reuben which was very good and my wife had a salad with chicken and the portions were hearty. The price is right for drinks, $5 glasses of wine and $3.25 glasses of beer. Overall, this is a good option in the neighborhood that is clean with reasonable prices that doesn't cost a fortune to bring the family. I recommend it. read more

We go to Emil's for their pizza. I've tried other food items and have always been disappointed.

Best bartenders around! (Go Lions - haha!) Indeed, the people sitting around the bar are having fun. No, this is NOT necessarily a place for small children (at night or on Football Sundays) - tired of "everything" having to be "family friendly" it's a sports bar - get over it. If you want "family friendly" sit by the big screen and keep little ears away from the big kids ;-) in and around the bar. Better yet - or order the pizza for pick up. Great pizza, hit or miss otherwise. Great mix of people, TV's and channels. Wish during the summer months they could have an "outdoor" area. One of our fav places. read more

Love the bisque, and the portions were huge. Very friendly staff and a great neighborhood feel. Looking forward to going back with the family next time. read more

I love this place. The wings are always done nice and crispy, their pizza is fresh and tasty and service is quick. I work next door and am constantly placing lunch orders that are done super quick, which is probably my favorite thing about Emils. read more

They have a great beer selection on tap, and the service is good! If you come in the winter choose a bar spot opposite of the door since there tends to be a draft. read more

Food was nothing special. It came barely warm and mostly dry. I ordered a drink from the specials list and was charged full price and was told It wasn't a special when it was written on the board 4 feet away. read more

Extremely satisfied and impressed by our first visit last night. We were immediately seated and attended to by our server Erin. Erin was very friendly, down to earth, and honest when we asked for suggestions on the menu. Drinks were good, too strong fo me but had great flavor. Appetizers were out within what felt like seconds after ordering them. Within minutes ordering our dinner, it was already on the table for us! All staff members that came near us asked how we were doing and if we needed anything. Overall food was GREAT, cute atmosphere outside, absolutely wonderful service, awesome prices. Highly recommend you check this place out! read more

I am a proud Glake resident, and have to say everytime I goin to emils i have the best service, the best food and more importantly for the best overall price. The staff is always hospitable, happy and helpful.. I will always goto Emils!!! read more

Would be great if they had some cocktail specials. Otherwise a great place for drinks and your favorite sports.

Emil's is a perfect place for a sport's fan. Plenty of televisions broadcasting games and an awesome selection of craft beers. They even had Three Floyds on tap! I went there on a Sunday for .40 cent wings. The wings are good size and they aren't shy with the sauce. Very nice staff as well. Next time I will try their pizza. This might be a new favorite spot! read more

Fun local family place. Very crowded, food is okay at best. Very oily and heavy. The beer selection is eh, at best and some are quite expensive. The restaurant is very loud. You can tell it's a small town neighborhood restaurant. read more

This place had great pizza and the waiter was really nice I would love to come back sometime

This is a great family sports bar. The food and beer selections are better than most. The wait times can be a little long if you have small kids. read more

I ordered a dinner and got quoted a price that was different from the menu link on the yelp ap. I was quoted a 25 minutes time for food to be ready. Upon picking up the food I talked to the manager (later I was told he was not really the manager) who claimed there is small print writing on the menu that says they can change the prices at any time . Really? That's your answer . Charge me whatever the hell you want and just take the prices on the menu as being maybe correct? They said they were behind on updating their website. Furthermore the food took 52 minutes not 25. I found the staff apathetic . This place does not deserve patronage . You should spend your hard earned cash on a place that will respect you as a customer. There are plenty of places to by pizza and burgers . Go somewhere else. read more

Great service... nice craft beer tap list. Chili very good. Will definitely be following their craft beer offerings!

Some of the best pizza (Bill's pizza is tops on my list...Emil's is second) in Lake County!

I've gone to Emil's frequently and will in the future. Good food, great beer, good service and atmosphere. However, don't necessarily believe the prices for food on their website. Recently called in and picked up 2 Reuben sandwiches. Website price states $8.95. Talking to voice on other end of phone, he gave me a price $2.00 more per sandwich. I mentioned price on website and was told they hadn't had time to change price on website and they charged me the higher price. Don't seem like my problem they hadn't changed their prices yet I found out it was. read more

Food is very marginal and service is worse. Been here at least 4x and no improvement. My wife and I are South Beachers. Explicitly asked for our meals sans the bread. Both requests obviously ignored. My wife ordered the brisket. For real? Loaded with fat and and sinew. The Owner/manager came around. Did a nice recovery and tool $5 off our bill. But we won't come back. Not like Grayslake provides epicurian choice. Better off going to The Vine. At least they serve decent food. Wait staff so so. Firkin is the best in terms of reasonabe dining read more