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    Fred's Garage

    3.6 (195 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

    Fred's Garage Photos

    FRED'S GARAGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Fred's Garage

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    Excellent double cheese perfectly cooked.
    Jay K.

    Haven't been here in quite a while. They have expanded with an enclosed patio that completely opens up when the nice weather shows up. We had a friendly server and really good double cheeseburgers. Pick fries, coleslaw or mixed greens for a side. I had the slaw. I would go back just for that alone, not too creamy with a little spicy kick. Bar area with a few tv's and a few high tops. Parking can be a little tricky. There's a lot going on in this area with dining and boutique etc.

    Piece of the "freshest" salmon for food testing laboratory!
    George S.

    Worst restaurant on the Earth On my first visit this place their water put his armpit in my new food !!! Have you ever had such amazing experience in a restaurant !?!?!? Chef's dish of the day was " with waiter's armpit" for me that evening !!!!! On my second (and the last !!!l ) visit, they prepared salad with salmon for my wife from rotten fish !!!! But their manager told me that it's "fresh" and didn't agree even to taste or smell it !!!! And the owner wished me never to come back !!!!! I can't imagine that it could be in this area, so "wonderful" service and so "fresh" salmon first time in my life. BEWARE of this poor service and shady salmon salad . . . I spent 95$ for this "amazing" experience last visit . . .

    Dessert on patio
    Adam H.

    Came by to grab a drink on the patio. Great on-tap selection. Great apps, great service and high quality food.....

    Southwest Salad

    I can't believe they get away with serving this food in Winnetka.... Place was busy, maybe patrons are so boozed up they don't care about food quality? Drinks aren't great either, they can't pour a beer properly... Staff was ignorant, obviously zero supervision in kitchen and in front of house....

    Ribeye cheesesteak
    Leslie A.

    Came here for the first time on a weekday late lunch at 1pm. Luckily no reservations needed and fortunately was able to find parking directly on Green Bay Rd. and for two hours or less it is free. What really turned me on about this place is the fact that they were very relaxed no one was in a rush and they really nailed the french fries. They came out the perfect size the perfect width and very crispy and well salted. The menu overall is pretty creative bar and or pub type food. The portions are very generous considering the price and it's location in Winnetka. I will definitely come back here again for some real sustenance and solid food. Some very good choices as well with the bar and the beers.

    Michael W.

    First time in? Not entirely, tried to get in before but they were not open yet. Why is this not obvious? This time we got in, the rest of my party seemed to enjoy it, but I was not feeling it. The weather was nice so we sat outside, it is a nice outdoor space. The service in general was really spacey and scatter shot, have no idea what the contributing factors were, but I know our server alone was really spaced out. Some featured cocktails on the menu were unavailable after we ordered them. My wife's dinner was brought out after everyone else's, no explanation or reasoning, it just showed up. Our server was no where to be found when we were ready for the check. I finally flagged him down and we processed it but he never came back for it. We even let him know when we were leaving that the check was on the table with cash in it but he was not concerned in the least. For all I know it could still be sitting there ;) It was at the level that I am pretty sure our entire party could of walked out and no one would have even noticed. Speaking of which, it seemed like nobody was in charge which could be part of the problem. As for the crowd, big span, I saw everything from families with little kids running around, to date night, to the 'in place' for the teen crowd to make an appearance. As for the food, from what I saw, it was bar food at best. I ordered the salmon burger, it was meh. My take is, if you come here to watch the game, hang, drink beer, eat bar food and pay in cash, then you will probably do just fine. If you come expecting more than that, you will probably not feel it like me. I fully admit, the older I get, the more of a foodie I become, this is not foodie.

    Burger and fries

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    3 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Fred's Garage should change name to Not So Jiffy Lube! Service wasn't bad, it was non existent. Walked out with zero service.

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    3 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Drinks are awesome, but food is underwhelming. The sandwiches are sloppy and lack taste. They need a new chef.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    Cary M.

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    11 months ago

    The food was great, the service was good and the ambiance was great. Very cute themed restaurant.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Loved it. Great food. Upscale diner ambiance. Nice place. Wish it were open on Sundays.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Cold beer and good burger. Was pretty busy at the bar, too! Bartender was prompt and courteous.

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    6 years ago

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Fred's Garage

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    Frank & Betsie's Restaurant

    4.3(107 reviews)
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    Visited to celebrate our anniversary. Our server Julie was great and the staff overall was…read morewonderful. There is a small outdoor seating area which we took advantage of since we had a beautiful late-spring evening. We both got the cucumber soup which was unique and delicious. My wife got the lemon chicken and I got the crispy cod. Both were top-notch and they know how to cook fish. I had lemon cake for desert and my wife had almond pear tart. Both great. Overall, very nice experience and we'd like to try the lunch menu next time.

    We returned again to celebrate a wedding anniversary. Michael was very anxious and I was surprised…read moreto see only one server. All the table were eventually occupied so she and her sole assistant were so busy. I think they are having staffing issues. Including kitchen staff. The service was still good, but harried. The food came out more slowly than usual and the caesar salad was awful. the dressing didn't seem like a caesar dressing and I couldn't spot any cheese. The steak frites was perfectly cooks but the fries were not the usual crispy outside. I sure hope they aren't skimping on paying their staff well to retain them. If they are skimping, they won't be around long. I'd rather pay more for my experience and good food and easy going dining experience than what we got. I'll give them one more shot before I go elsewhere. I feel so bad that I had to write this review.

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    Dining room

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    Valley Lodge Tavern

    Valley Lodge Tavern

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    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.

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    The restaurant front

    Guildhall - Swordfish

    Guildhall

    3.6(346 reviews)
    2.2 mi
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    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.

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    Small private room

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    Fred's Garage - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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