Ok this has been my second time here and it will be the last! Service was great(thank you Rosa!!) but food was TTTTTERRIBLE! What is it with the NorthShore?!! We're in a dang restaurant food desert! Wings had an aftertaste like it was defrosted and definitely NOT fresh chicken wings. The fish fry was overly salted and just not good like you'd get at some Wisconsin fish fry joint. It was a tempura beer batter I guess but I've had better from the Gortons fisherman. The chicken tacos were flavorless and overstuffed with shredded lettuce and dry as the desert and for dessert ..well we just couldn't. Atmosphere was nice and lotsa kids and families which was great but the food tasted like it came from the kids menu. DNR (Do Not Return) for this one I'm afraid. Ba-bye! read more

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After hearing about this place and getting mixed reviews, I finally decided to give this place a shot and i was not disappointed. Our server was great and even the manager stopped by to see how everything was going, which was great. I had Chipotle Chicken Tacos, that came with the side of mixed greens and my daughter had the Buffalo tenders. The tacos were fresh and a 10 In my book! My daughter rated her buffalo tenders an 8 because she wasn't a big fan of the breading. Overall i would rate this place a 10/10! Costumer service was amazing and so was my food! read more

Fred's Garage - Chipotle Chicken Tacos and buffalo tenders - American Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

Gus was our bartender/server and was great!! Awesome service and he had a great personality. Very enjoyable experience

beautiful patio, cool atomsphere/design, great food, cocktails, and server Gus is one of the best I've ever had! exceptional experience today read more

We were here a while ago in 2022, and this was a wonderful place to go on a cool sunny day. Staff was great, very friendly, and the food was very tasty. Cool decor too! read more

Good food. Service a little slow because they were so busy. Very nice staff. Fred's never disappoints.

I got kicked out last night. Not sure why. When i asked why/what i did i was told "you know.what you did." I was having a good time until that. I called after just to ask again why i was.kicked out. I asked if it was a racial thing.. I told the bartender Ivon that im Native American and asked if that's why i was asked to leave. He called me "a fucking twat". i really can't believe anybody could be treated this way. Disgusting and insulting. First time going here. Deffs the last. I have a convo.recorded of.them just treating me like shit :/ read more

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This is my second visit here. My first was really good, but I like to try a place a few times before I do a review. All I'm going to say is.... Outstanding!!! One of the best I have ever had. I don't need to convince you, just come here. Service is great. read more

Place kinda sucks. It gets poppin for the live music and all the boomers eat it up. So it's cool for that. But the food and atmosphere is 6/10 at best read more

Great patio and food! The spicy mango marg is super refreshing and the chicken caesar wrap was delish. read more

Fred's Garage - Mango Marg - American Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

I am in a group of five guys who all get together about every six weeks to try a burger place. Fred's is definitely in our top three. We were all really impressed with the burger. I had a side of slaw which was awesome as well. We also got a couple sides of elote which was some of the best I've had. Looking forward to going back. Fantastic place! read more

I have only been here once and it was so uneventful for me that I can't even remember what I ordered. It's more of a bar than a restaurant. They have many beers on draft and the dining room is on the small side. They had indoor and outdoor dining but I was a bit chilled so we ate inside and it was then in July. Not sure I would venture back because I thought the prices were on the steeper side for a casual dining spot. Very well designed however. Service was also nothing to write home about. read more

Popped round for a drink and some snacks at the bar as I found myself in the northern suburbs on a miserably cold Chicago night in January. Delightful place, well layed out, bright-cheery in fact. Bartender was quite good. Johnny-on-the all while mixing up a bunch of cocktails for different guests at the bar. We ordered the artichoke dip. Delicious. Next we tried the BBQ Pork Egg Rolls (HUGE), which everyone at the bar seemed to be ordering. Surprisingly spicy and mighty tasty. Small but diverse wine-by-the-glass list. I had an Italian Tuscan blend and my date opted for a Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay. Good sized pours, reasonably priced. For our second drinks, I enjoyed a "Fresh Coast" from 3 Sheeps and my date opted for a "French" Martini made with creme de cassis. Not on the cocktail menu, but the frequency that bartender was making them for the servers, I would have believe they were giving them away. She enjoyed it tremendously. Met the "head mechanic," Cary, delightful chap. My second visit. I am quite interested in returning when the weather finally (Hopefully) warms up to test out the outdoor space, which looks marvelous. read more

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cheese stake was not cooked. Sent it back 3 times and no progress. My fries were better.

We love Fred's! Awesome food, great patio! Staff is super friendly, restaurant is clean. very nice ambiance Highly recommend! read more

Didn't expect this place to look so cool on the inside...lots of retro-vintage artsy pieces throughout. Food was decent, although my in laws said their chicken soup was the best they've had. The burger was impressive and tasted as good as it looked. read more

Great and fun place to be at for lunch or dinner. The outside patio is large and well-spaced out. The waiter was excellent with fast service, even at a crowded lunch; one of the best waiters I've had at a restaurant. I started with a delicious root beer that I could have 3 glasses of for next time. I started with the hokey poke (tuna poke) and the butternut squash soup. The tuna poke was very fresh and the marinade was sweet and delicious. The seaweed salad mixed with the tuna added a nice texture and flavor and the wonton chips were light and crispy. The butternut squash soup was perfectly seasoned and garnished. It had a light spice and delicious cornbread croutons to go along with it. I got the Griddle Burger for my entree and it was delicious. One of the best straight forward and classic burgers I've had. Perfect amount of cheese and it was juicy and well seasoned. The fries alongside were also delicious and salted nicely. I also tried a side of the coleslaw and it was tasty as well. Not overly dressed and nice and tangy. I will be back to try more and for the great service and atmosphere. read more

In town from Austin and Fred's Garage was suggested. Excellent shrimp special and a very creative shrimp-Caesar-salad wrap. Try the 'elote' (Mexican street corn). Service was excellent: friendly and efficient. Definitely will be back here again. read more

Good food can't handle big groups. When I came here I was rudely greeted by a waiter and I had friends coming with me. He then put us at the table and said I can only split the check 2 ways and we had a party of ten I asked him why he said he didn't feel like it. But when we go the food it was quite good I am not gonna lie so I rate this 3 stars. read more

Fantastic place. So good. So good. I ordered the burger, and I really really enjoyed it. The only downside was that I didn't know the pickles were sweet, and I noticed during my first bite. But the burger was still so good and filling. My friend ordered the poke and I instantly regretted getting the burger. Not that it was bad, but wow. The poke bowl was fantastic. Tasted so good. I had just a little taste, but I really wished I got the poke. The wonton chips were so crispy and so tasty. And the dressing on the poke, was so. So. Yummy. Not really sure what it was, but next time I go to Fred's Garage. I'm getting the poke bowl for sure. Btw, the table ordered cheese curds and pretzel bites for the appetizers. Definitely recommend the cheese curds more than the pretzel bites if you're with a smaller crowd. read more

Fred's Garage - Burger - American Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

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Such a fun spot! Great outdoor dinning for our times and the beautiful fall. Right now it's incredibly decorated for Halloween with a huge carriage and skeletons. I love the shrimp tacos to eat and the drink selection is good, too. If you go at the right time, you might even catch some live music. Go!! read more

Fred's Garage - Halloween decorations - American Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

What a cute place! A friend and I wanted to try somewhere new (for us) and we picked here based on Yelp reviews. I started with a can of Founders Raspberry Ale. Perfect amount of raspberry flavor. We had the fries cheese curds for an app and while they were good and a nice dipping sauce, it was a little pricey for the amount. For dinner I went with the griddle burger, of course. I got it with all the fixins including bacon and everything was cooked to my liking and the bacon was too! Tasted fresh and the bun was flavorful too. Came with fries that were tasty. My friend went with the apps Hokey Poke and Goat Cheese & Artichoke dip for her dinner. She said both needed salt in a bad way. The hokey poke could've used something other than the wontons. Seemed clunky. She said the goat cheese artichoke dip would have been so much better if maybe half the amount of goat cheese was used. She said it was all she could taste. Overall it was a good experience and we will try again. read more

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We have eaten here a couple of times. The place to be seen by other North Shorsians in Winnetka. Really nice outdoor seating. The customer base are very much into themselves. We sat next to a gentleman that evidently was the Admiral of the Coast guard. Very interesting, but highly suspect. The sauces to have really good flavor. The sauces however overpower the dishes. The underlying protein of the dish has no flavor. We had Cajun Spicy pasta, the sauce was decent, but the shrimp and sausages were just plain. We also ordered the Salmon burger which fell apart when you tried to eat it. The Southwest salad also just kind of sat there after the body of the salad was completed. Prices are a bit high for what you are being served. Great location, just not great underlying food. read more

We decided to try Fred's Garage for lunch. The outside dining is very casual and comfortable. An ideal spot for pandemic dining, outside. The food was delish. I got the chipotle chicken tacos with a side salad. The salad was so very tasty. My hubby got the cheeseburger, it was wonderful, tasty and filling. My son got the bacon grilled cheese sandwich. We will go back soon. The service was great!! Friendly waitstaff. All good!! read more

Fred's is a hit or miss experience. The food is always pretty reliable (not amazing, but never bad--a dependable burger or salad place), but the service can be iffy. Last time we were there we sat and waited for so long without anyone coming to our table that we finally just left--I don't think anyone even noticed. read more

I've been been dining, of and on, at Fred's Garage for some time. Normally, I would have rated it either a 4 or 5, but my most recent visit turned out to be less enjoyable than usual. In the past, service has been good, but this time we had a server (Flavio) who just didn't match up to the quality of other servers I've experienced there. read more

My kids: 5 stars My husband & I: 3 stars Average; 4 stars I've been eagerly anticipating Fred's Garage since I've become a big fan of it's big brother, Ten Mile House, usually frequenting it after Northwestern games. Turns out Fred isn't nearly as good as Ten Mile House (at least yet), but still cool to have a new family spot in the hood. I ordered the hamburger sans all the fun toppings and it came with 2 pretty tasty patties. And subbed the fries for greens at no extra charge. My husband ordered the bahn mi sandwich, which he probably wouldn't order again. All 3 of my kiddos ordered the mini hot dogs and fries and were very happy with their choice. And I was happy I didn't have to clean up after them on a Sunday night. Our food came out relatively quickly and the waiter didn't seen phased by the chaos of my 3 crazy children. Unfortunately, the outdoor patio is closed for the winter season, but I see that being a big draw once it's time to sport shorts in Chicago again. If I was doing a date night or girls night out I'd probably go down the street to the other new "garage" restaurant Minos, but will definitely come back here with the family and to enjoy drinks on their patio come summer. read more

We have been wanting to check out Fred's Garage for a while & now I'm kicking myself wondering why we haven't visited sooner!! This was the perfect spot for a fun family night out. We came in with a group of 9 (4 adults & 5 kids) and with the first come first serve seating we were anticipating a wait...nope we were seated right away and on the patio (it was a gorgeous night last night!) and let me tell you it made our experience that much better! We loved the causal & relaxed vibes & the lack of feeling rushed, especially with kids it was nice to be able to enjoy a meal and now worry about the table needing to be turned over asap! Plus bonus points freds garage is kid friendly...and every single kiddo ate every last bite of their meal!! Now to get to the grown up dinners...not one morsel was left! I personally got the shirml Cesar wrap & it was perfection! We also ordered tacos, 2 Phillies, and a club sandwich PLUS cheese curds (get the cheese curds) and everything was devoured!! We also had an amazing waiter & helper who checked in just enough & were on top of their game with getting our orders right!! Also kudos to the bartender who was able to create the drinks we wanted spirit free!! They were delicious & refreshing!! We cannot wait to pay Fred's Garage another visit in the future! Thanks for a wonderful night out!! read more

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Very pleasant outdoor seating, and a hearty lunch menu. Seems like a great place when you are hungry. We will come again. read more

Fred's Garage - American Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

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The food is mediocre and the service is terrible. We were there Saturday September 18. The restaurant had enough staff for the tables outside. Three servers. It was slow and rude. After we paid, I asked at least three servers to take a pic and they refused "ya in a minute" they never came back. I hadn't seen my sister and her daughter in years and hoped for a simple picture. I guess we should've asked before we paid and the server got his 25% tip. Do not recommend. read more

Wow this place is both cool and very good in quality food and service of course one can imagine you have to be to be allowed a business in Winnetka Illinois and Fred's garage hits the right on The Mark with everything and I was totally impressed by this place the place is on a busy road and I guess it's a former gas station and this is much more of a Better Business to have these days than a gas station but it it it produces the theme of this restaurant / bar Fred's garage has excellent service much beer to choose from and pricing yet unique looking food and I would highly recommend people to make the travel if you are in the north suburbs to try this excellent location and business read more

This is always our go to American food place nearby. Solid burgers and I particular love their chicken salad sandwich with dried fruit on toasted crusty bread. The service is always good. Throw in a beer and you have a nice family meal. Come for their band nights outside. Bring the friends for a nice night. read more

Finally got try Fred's. Seated right away. Service was good. I had their burger which I enjoyed very much. Husband & daughter both had greens & grains salad and they said it was really good. My husbands favorite part was they had Zombie Dust on tap! Definitely a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. Much needed I would like to update my review. Yelp only allows update but on the same review and I can't change my rating. I want to change my review and the rating. After today's lunch, I will want to change it to 2 ** Stars. Very limited menu which does not change for the seasons. They did add avocado toast to the lunch menu, but with a hard boiled egg? Nothing inventive. Few sandwiches and boring salads. I'm afraid I may not return. If you revamp your menu I might reconsider. read more

Everything seemed perfectly appropriate- but there was absolutely no hospitality and it went downhill from there. The waitstaff was indifferent at best, surly at worst. My request for a table by the window (in a nearly empty restaurant) was treated as if I'd asked the host to clean a toilet. My request for chopped onions for my chili was "you want more onions???" as if I was asking for truffles. The salad was overdressed and my meal was constantly interrupted by the next table who had their order screwed up no less than three times. At the end of the meal my check was delivered with a frisbee-like toss. Wow. All in all, an underwhelming experience. read more

Went here for a small (10 person)work party. Food was great, drinks,, were great, service was great. All in all: great! Our group includes some picky eaters, everyone loved what they got. We ordered a grilled cheese to share, based on one person's (who had been there before) suggestion. BIG MISTAKE! No one wanted to share, it is SO GOOD! Nice vide to the place, can't wait until the weather is warmer and we can sit outside. Reasonably priced, pretty serious cocktail and craft beer selections. read more

We've been here twice, & both times have been great experiences. The hostess our last time here was particularly kind and helpful. We had the same waiter both times (Chris) who was fantastic - kind & attentive, especially with our small children. All the staff were great too. Service was impressively quick. Food is not fancy but it's delicious, I recommend the cheese curds & any dish with grilled salmon. Ambience is great, they have an especially fun patio on a summer day. This place is quickly becoming a favorite! read more

First time there and it won't be my last. The speciality cocktails were delicious. The food was fresh and super yummy, looking forward to another visit soon. Hopefully it warms up soon, would like to dine alfresco in the patio area. read more

This is such a hit and miss place. I dined here a month or so ago and had a nice meal outside with my daughter and a friend. Went back this week with my husband and dined outside again and it was a hot mess. Server was terrible. I had to get up and go to the bar to get ice for two drinks. Then food came and the guy who brought us food was brain dead. We asked for silverware and napkins and he never brought anything. So back to the bar I went to get that. It was ridiculous that we couldn't get any assistance tableside. Table was sticky dirty, floor also dirty. To have an experience like this we could have gone to a quick service counter restaurant. Food is decent but service is awful. read more

I had a very good lunchtime experience here. The staff was very quick and attentive. Food came out fast. Cheesesteak sandwich was very impressive. Burrata and mango were fresh! My experience was great. read more

Fantastic and Fun My girl and I visited Fred's Garage on a Friday night. Had a reservation and seated right away. Seems like a place very popular with families. The decor is cool, retro garage (duh). Our server Rosa was always the right amount of attentive and her sunny personality made the banter throughout our experience enjoyable. Props to sever Madelyn for being a solid support - and super friendly as well. The food was very good. Try the chilli! It's listed as an ap, but can easily be a meal itself. My diet dictated the roasted chicken, and I murdered it. So good. The drinks were spot on - just zero complaints. This place makes a great canvas on which to paint a memorable evening. The HUGE patio looks crazy good and would love to get my motorcycle buddies together for a ride to Fred's. We will definitely be back. read more