I needed to use the bathroom and the hostess asked if i had a "back pack". They did not want me to use the bathroom. I had a Harley Davidson shirt on and i felt that they did NOT want me anywhere in the resturaunt. We had more then enough money to eat there. It's a shame that resturaunts juge people by the way they look. Also, the clientele also judged us and made RUDE comments about us. Unless you are an upper class "snob" this place is should dine at. read more

We really enjoyed Ivy's. Sat outside in the courtyard. The food and service were great.

Great little place! Food service all, spot-on!! Looking forward to coming back soon for dinner. read more

Great food! Awesome decor . The baked brie was incredible. Will definitely eat here again

I had the pleasure of settling at Ivy's after all the Hale street outside restaurants were full .. No wait for lunch .... The whole tabled chose the crab cake sandwich .... one word AMAZING ! ! ! ! ! real crab perfectly prepared and presented .... The owner , A gentleman came by to great us and made us fell like we cared , I have been to Ivy's many times for dinner always great a bit pricey for Items as well as drinks ,,, I figure you may not like the prices, but then you can stay home as well ,, always a good time at Ivy's I suggest pass on the burger and go for the Crab cake sandwich..... read more

If you are in the mood for steak or seafood, and in or near Wheaton, this is the place to go. I usually have a filet, ribeye or the Parmesan crusted salmon- all excellent and always cooked exactly as I asked. The service is great. I don't love sitting in the inside. It seems too formal or something, but the outside makes it one of my FAVORITE places to dine in nice weather. Also, they have live music outside quite often. All and all, very good. read more

I went to Ivy for a Christmas lunch today. My 2nd time there. The atmosphere at Christmas is wonderful, church like building, fireplace, and Christmas decorations. I had a loaded Bloody Mary and the Ivy prime burger which were both good (the burger seemed prepackaged but the sauce, onion straws and bun made up for it). My fries were lukewarm which was disappointing, however. My mother in law had the lobster Mac and cheese which she said was phenomenal. Next time I'd try the meatloaf. I saw it delivered to a nearby table and it looked good. read more

We have dined at Ivy several times over the last 5 years we have lived in Wheaton. Beautiful location & the patio is fabulous, but the menu needs some updates. read more

Dinner here as part of a visit Wheaton day. Very pretty. Food was very good. Seafood pasta and jambalaya! The acoustics are difficult, but a good experience. Outdoor dining area looks welcoming. read more

I love this restaurant anytime of the year. I love sitting outside on the patio with GF's for lunch or cocktails (or both!) when the weather is warm. The patio is also cozy and decked out great for Autumn days and evenings. During the cold months, I enjoy dining inside. The building is beautiful and unique. Service is always perfect. Waitstaff never hover but they always seem to know when we need something. "Why yes I would love another glass of wine." The food is great. I like their calamari with hot peppers. The gorgonzola ravioli is decadent. They are also great with chops, as in in pork chop. The dessert sampler is a perfect sweet ending to the meal. Wheaton is lucky to have this gem of a restaurant! Wine list is decent for downtown Wheaton. read more

Love love love the ivy. I had been here several times prior and always had a good experience so I decided to choose this restaurant for my birthday date night with my boyfriend. We started with the pepper shrimp as an appetizer that Casey (who by the way was an amazing server) suggested. My boyfriend who is not a huge shrimp person even enjoyed it. The sauce was great and the dumpling on top of dish was super tasty as well. As soon as I walked in I knew what entree I wanted. The butternut squash ravioli! It is seriously one of the best meals I've ever had. The sauce, Gorgonzola cheese and raviolis are perfect if you haven't tried it you should! As a cocktail I had a delicious manderine martini that was poured at the table. My boyfriend got the bow tie pasta with sausage and peas and loved it as well. We told Casey it was my birthday and he was so nice to bring out a delicious cream brûlée for me he really helped make the night a fun time sharing some of the spooky ghost stories the ivy has! Can't wait to come back soon! read more

A return visit to the Ivy not only met but exceeded my expectations from my previous visit, which I thought would have been impossible. The atmosphere of this restaurant in unparalleled. We dined on the patio, as a live band played, which makes you forget you are merely in Wheaton. There is definitely a west coast vibe to this restaurant. Eating here is an event so we savored the ability to sit and enjoy our evening without being rushed. I had the pleasure of having Dale for my waiter, again. He had wonderful recommendations. We had the blackened shrimp ap, shrimp and lobster pasta and the dessert sampler (my favorite is still the creme bruele with key lime as a close second). Dale checked in on us often, making sure that we were well taken care of. His customer service and attention to detail make him by far the BEST waiter I have ever had in any restaurant I have been to. He helped just makes me love the Ivy all the more. The owner, a very down to earth, personable man, stopped in to check on our table. He has an obvious passion for providing a quality product. It completed our enjoyable experience to feel like the owner wanted us to have the best evening he could provide. The Ivy does not disappoint. read more

What a charming, fun and historic place. Was so surprised by the atmosphere.. an old church! Beautiful stained glass windows and wrap around balcony made me think of days long ago when folks filled the church with worship. But you are then brought right back to our modern world with the menus, which light up (that was so cool!) I had a Moscato to start, and ordered the salmon. It was flavorful, succulent and delicious. My date ordered the prime rib.. it was juicy and thick and the accompanying sauce was spot on. We had a wonderful time and the servers were extremely attentive. Can't wait to go back and try something else! read more

Typically my family enjoys this place. We come here, get good service, and have a good dinner. YESTERDAY was enough to make us never go back again and it was all to do with customer service. The older lady with blonde hair and a big red bump on her face was the hostess. Either she was having a bad day or just always has attitude but when I asked her if it was "really windy outside" she replied with "you should know, you were just outside". WOW...is that how to start an impression with your business? She then gave my whole family attitude when sitting us down and we were so appalled we just got up and left. As we were walking out the door she didn't try to accommodate us, instead she made sarcastic comments like "what's wrong" and "you didn't like that table?" We walked down the street to our other favorite little restaurant and had GREAT service. So long Ivy. If I was a restaurant owner I would re-think who I put as the face of my business. read more

Nice patio. Mediocre service. We were seated right away, but had a long wait for our first visit from our waitress, a long wait for our round of drinks to arrive, and another long wait for our order to be taken. It didn't seem too busy. This was a Monday night. We had several visits from perplexed food runners asking if we had ordered this or that. (we hadn't). Seems like a table-numbering system would take care of that problem. The food was decent enough. I had the burger. My wife had the crab cakes. No complaints but nothing to rave about either. Expensive beer though. $7.50 for a pint of Bell's Oberon? read more

After 2 visits, once with 6 people and once with 8, I'm review-ready. In nice weather (so rare in Illinois this spring), the patio's flowering plants and wrought iron tables can almost make you think you're off in a romantic garden somewhere. A wide selection of fish, entree sized salads, and steaks will give you plenty of tempting choices. Salmon was cooked properly, diver scallops were plump and tasty, and the tomato bruschetta was the right balance of acid and sweet. Yesterday's graduation party tried lunch, and the BBQ chicken salad, topped with strips of tortilla and bits of roasted corn, was a good counterpoint to a breezy spring day. Bread came promptly along with butter that tasted like it had a smidge of honey mixed in. The owners, Dick and Carol O'Gorman, have converted a 1928 chapel into a restaurant that celebrates seasonal ingredients and has a wide selection for lunch and dinner. On one wall inside the large stained glass window still glows with color, and here and there old lanterns and other historic memorabilia surprise you in out of the way corners. Parking is available in a nearby free lot, service was prompt and friendly. Those who had creme brulee gave it a thumbs up. read more

This place is a treat in the summer. The outdoor dining area is lovely and welcoming. On a cool night, it's a wonderful place to be! If it weren't for the lackluster service, (maybe it was a bad night) where 7 of us were the last to leave dinner on a Thursday night because we couldn't find our server to settle our bill, this place would be a full 5 stars and then some. Just like almost everyone says in their review, the menu is unique, inventive and the options are so delicious. Every time I go, I try something new. The salmon dishes, steak, chicken are all so fresh, as are the vegetables and side salad and entree salad. The desserts are decadent and sweet and fresh and just a perfect accompaniment to a great meal. Martinis are good, too! read more

My wife and I went here for lunch, since we had a Groupon and a weekend afternoon to burn. Also, in case we don't like a restaurant, we don't spend as much. Fortunately, we did like Ivy! The meal started with a cappuccino, fresh-squeezed lemonade and a baguette which smelled wonderfully of yeast and was served warm, with slightly sweetened butter. This bread, and the bread served with my wife's sandwich, was what bread should be. To start the meal off, we ordered Almond Encrusted Brie, which was served with sliced toasted baguette rounds. The brie wasn't really spreadable, but that was fine - again, the bread tasted great, the cheese had a great crispy shell of crushed almonds, and paired great with fresh blackberries and strawberries. I wanted something light for lunch, so I went with the Maryland Crab Cake. We all know what bad (or at least, mediocre) crab cakes taste like - usually bland and gummy or dense. Ivy's crab cakes weren't anything like this; they had nice, chunks of real crab, excellent texture, the proper amount of spices and most surprising of all, were light in texture. Living 1,000 miles from Baltimore, it was a risk getting these, but I definitely felt I was rewarded. There was also some veggies and roasted potatoes that came on the side. It was good, but the crab cake was definitely the star of the meal. My wife got a Black Forest Ham sandwich that came with fries. Nothing special here; just great ham, very good cheese, an awesome pretzel bread and good tasting fries. Service was excellent and friendly; they don't hesitate to answer questions about the various dishes, and know their menu and the building quite well. The fact that the restaurant is located inside an old church just tops off the whole experience... I'm a fan of stained glass windows, and there are a couple at the front and back of the building. The restaurant was also still decorated for Christmas, and I'm glad that the food lived up to the setting. read more

My partner and I arrived at 8pm with a reservation on Valentine's Day and were seated immediately. Our server, whose name I wish I had paid attention to because he should be complimented by name, was great. He was prompt and professional, enthusiastic and personable, and even cracked a good joke here and there. As a couple of guys out on Valentine's day in Wheaton... well, you can imagine some of the questioning looks we got. Our server, however, didn't hesitate one bit. From the first drink order to "Happy Valentine's Day" on the way out, he treated us like any other couple, and provided a great dining experience along the way. The building used to be a church, as far as I can discern, so the décor follows that theme. Not particularly my aesthetics, but even I can appreciate the huge vaulted ceilings and central fireplace. Food wise, we were both extremely satisfied. I had the surf and turf and my partner had just a filet. Somebody on Yelp recently mentioned that the steaks are choice and not prime. Certainly fooled me, as both of our steaks were cooked perfectly, seasoned well (and I HATE bland steaks), and exceptionally tender. My lobster tail was deliciously rich and delicate--not in the least bit tough or rubbery. I will say that the asparagus had a strange, kind of smoky, taste. I'm not entirely sure how they cooked those, but it didn't deter from anything, as I like a little char on my veggies anyways. Drinks were appropriately strong, refilled before they were even empty, and arrived at the table quickly. Overall, it was a great meal, and we will definitely be back. 5 stars for being exactly what I expected from reading previous reviews, and a little bit more... read more

Such a cool spot and great, historic building. I visited the Ivy when it was Ocean something-or-other, and the Ivy, I must say, is a huge improvement. Oh good Lord, but you MUST try the roasted pepper and mozzarella bruschetta! Also tremendous are the crab cakes, citrus glazed salmon and crab encrusted tilapia, respectively. ALL to die for. The drinks here are very good as well; the bar area is cozy and attracts a nice happy hour crowd. Fun place generally with excellent food, staff and drinks. Do go! read more

I came to Ivy's in the afternoon, ordered an 8 ounce ribeye ($18), got charged for a dinner bone-in ribeye ($40+), and the waitress suggested I complain on Yelp about how confusing the menu is. Thus, I will never go there again. I have lived in Wheaten for over 25 years and have been to Ivy's on over 20+ occasions. Never again. read more

To celebrate my brother's birthday my husband and I wanted to take him out to a nice dinner. We came upon Ivy because of some of its great reviews. The atmosphere is absolutely adorable! It kind of has a Maggiano's feel to it but much more homey and intimate. The women checking us in weren't the friendliest and didn't seem happy about being there, but our waitress was wonderful! We started with the Fried Calamari which was great because it was served with cherry peppers and had a mustard sauce. We also tried to Crab Cakes which were so tiny! Four about the size of a quarter each, so small. I would probably suggest foregoing those since you don't really get much to actually "try." I also tried a wedge salad without the bacon, it was huge, and was able to split it with my husband. Nothing different of unique about that though. We ordered: Lobster Mac & Cheese - My brother loved this. Looked cheesey but not too much, and just the right amount of lobster chunks. Ribs - My husband ordered a full slab which looked very tender. They come with fries which were really tasty, as well as a side of coleslaw which he said he really didn't care for. Mahi Mahi Special - I tried their daily seafood special which was a pan-seared mahi mahi filet on bok choy in a coconut lime broth. Very tasty. Maybe too much broth but it was very very good! For dessert then, to celebrate the birthday, we ordered the Turtle Brownie, and wow, if only I could get away with eating one of those a day. SO chocolatey and just so good! Would definitely suggest those looking to celebrate a birthday/anniversary/graduation to check this place out. It also looked like they had a banquet sized room and some private space. read more

We just recently enjoyed dinner out on the patio and had a great experience. We showed up a little early for our reservation and expected to grab a drink at the bar while we waited but we were sat right away. The patio is great and we were happy to enjoy the nice weather. However, the inside is so pretty that I look forward to coming again to sit there! Started with the calamari and it was fantastic. I'm not a huge fan of cherry peppers but my husband insisted that I try one and I'm so glad I did. My husband enjoyed the ribeye and I had the crab stuffed tilapia. Both were great. I can see us coming back and trying more options from their menu. read more

Very lovely place. We came in for lunch for a VERY special occasion. Quality of food is outstanding and well executed. You cannot beat the unique venue (old church); it was a quiet day after NY that we had lunch and sat next to the fireplace. Easy to make this place a favorite for lunch with the ladies or a romantic dinner with your date/husband. Try the brie, the peach chicken, and my DH always goes for crab encrusted tilapia. I wish I had room for dessert but they always do such a good job I eat too much of my meal. One of the places worth returning to in Downtown Wheaton. read more

The restaurant is beautiful. Interior is worthy of a beautiful wedding reception. We dined outside by the ivy wall which was incredible. I had the Honey Glazed Chicken and my boyfriend had the Crab Cakes. Both were absolutely delicious! I just wish the service was a tad bit attentive. Our server only checked up on us once which was disappointing. Lunch menu pricing is incredibly on par with food quality. Definitely coming back! read more

One of the more classy places in Wheaton. Good atmosphere, good food and great wines. Classy but not overly expensive

The food was good. The service not so much. We had to ask for more bread. We had to ask for the ice to be replaced in our water after it all melted. After finishing my entree my empty plate sat in front of me for ten minutes. Finally I put it on an empty adjacent table. Then it got bused. The waiter disappeared for long periods even though the restaurant was not very busy. read more

Not a good experience. Food took long time to be serve and when it was lukewarm at best Restrooms were filthy read more

Went here for Valentines Day. We started off with the Almond Encrusted Brie, then I had the Cioppino, and my wife had the Herb Crusted Salmon, and we split the Baked Alaska. Food was superb, wait staff were friendly, interesting wine and beer list, and the place is staged in old church with the all the original stained glass in place. Great dining experience, and will definitely return to celebrate a special occasion, etc. read more

I give The Ivy 4 stars! There were a few disappointments, but overall my party and I had a great experience. Goodies: * the calamari-- very tasty and flavorful. Would be better with marinara, but thats my personal preference. * Cream of mushroom soup * Inside and outside of the restaurant are very beautiful * Tournedos of beef--- very tender and the parmesan tomatoes were very good too. * Shrimp and lobster pasta * Blue cheese olives for martinis. This pleases me to no end. * Service---our server was very accomadating Baddies: * No Grey Goose. Really? Baby needs her vodka!!! Thought that was weird. * Butternut squash ravioli and Risotto were just okay, say my friends *Bathroom on top level. Found this to be mildly inconvenient. Overall, Had a great time and would recommend to a friend! read more

We came to celebrate out anniversary! We initially made reservation for later in the evening, but we showed up an hour early and were seated immediately in the presidents room! Lovely summer nights with the patio doors open and a cool breeze coming in :) Chelsea was our waitress and was amazing! She was prompt and on the ball! Seemed to love her job! We started with the almond crusted Brie, delicious! My fiancé had the ribeye and I had the beef torneudoes! Both absolutely Devine! Finished we the pound cake and a mini cheesecake! Cannot wait to go back again!!! read more

We REALLY wanted to love this place. When I first moved in the area I was excited because they had live music. Unfortunately, the food was not good. I only recommend if you sit outside in their lovely patio. The ambiance is perfect for a date... but don't have high expectations with the food. read more

Had Sunday breakfast buffet. Fresh omelets made to order, bacon, sausages, meat carvings, fresh waffles, fruit, juices and more. Absolutely delicious! Hosted 40-50 people from out of town and everyone loved it. Excellent service and accommodations. read more

My wife and I had a recent visit to Ivy. We had a reservation, which was probably good because the restaurant seemed to fill up on a Saturday night. The decor was very nice with the stained glass window above the fireplace. Unfortunately, that was probably what my wife and I enjoyed most from the whole evening. The service was fine (not great but definitely not bad either). Although, I wished that she had brought out some bread sooner but that's no big deal. We had the pepper shrimp for an appetizer. The sauce had nice flavor and the shrimp was cooked well. However, the sauce was pretty salty. I tend to like things salty, so I didn't mind too much but I would think that others may be put off. For an entree, my wife had the tilapia with crab. The tilapia itself was fine. I don't find that tilapia itself has a lot of flavor but what my wife had was cooked well and tasted nice with the crab and the sauce. I should note that it would have been better if there was more crab and especially more sauce. For my entree, I had the meatloaf. I don't know why I ordered it because I tend to not be a meatloaf guy. I guess, I was expecting a more upscale version of meatloaf and I thought I would like a more refined approach to meatloaf. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. It was two slices of meatloaf on some brioche (toast) topped with mashed potatoes and some crispy onions. I think it also came with some green beans and some potatoes on the side. The Ivy version used a barbeque-type sauce instead of the traditional ketchup coating. It didn't really work for me. Overall, I didn't think the meatloaf itself was anything I couldn't make at home. For dessert, we split the cheesecake and the turtle brownie. The cheesecake was only $3 and was quite small. However, it is definitely enough if all you want is just a little something sweet to finish off a meal. This, also, was nothing better than what I could make at home. The turtle brownie with salted caramel gelato sounded fantastic but it came out looking like something you would expect from any chain restaurant and kind of tasted like it too. Overall, I would give this place three stars based on the food itself. It certainly wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to rave about. However, I feel I need to take away one star because the prices didn't justify the quality. So, if you are in downtown Wheaton and you are just looking for a nice place to go then you might want to give Ivy a try as long as you don't mind spending a lot of money. The decor was quite nice but, unfortunately, that is really all this place had going for it. read more

I usually dont give reviews, but after eating at the ivy i just had to give them a great review! The restaurant has so much character, it was a church, funeral home, and now a restaurant. It has very beautiful stainglass art and a a very open layout. The food was perfect, i had a steak it was cooked exactly how i wanted it and they recommend a good wine to go with it. My parents come into town twice a year and they always have dinner there. I highly recommend this to anyone that wants to enjoy a great meal and environment. read more

I recommend this place all the time, its very unique and the food is good. Recently brought in law's here (have turned them into fans). The last time I was there I asked if we could sit near the fireplace (it was only 5:15pm), and only 3 tables were occupied, I was told I'm sorry but they are all reserved, we left at 6:30pm and the three tables closest to fireplace still empty, please listen to the request of your patrons it was just rude, for $200.00 for four people I've been treated better. read more

This is a nice venue right in the heart of downtown Wheaton. Lovely setting. Just normal American food cooked without any exciting distinction, but good meals nicely presented. I try to stay away from the bland adjective "nice," but that's all Ivy evokes. And yes, I would return here with guests. read more

I just had lunch here, so this is a lunch time review. This restaurant is in a really unique building, so there's lots to look at while you are dining, like the stained glass window and the high archways. There's also a big fireplace with tables near it. I had a cup of clam chowder ($1) and the Mahi Mahi special ($13) and hubby had some calamari ($8) and a Croque Monsieur (ham & cheese sandwich on pretzel bread for $8). According to him, the calamari was just ok. The sandwich was BIG and came with fries. My fish was great with roasted potatoes and broccolini. I'm not a broccoli fan, but I still ate all of my broccolini! One thing I noticed about the menu is that there are no side salads! They have 3 entree salads which are $12-$13, but no side salads. I couldn't figure that one out. Our server Rachel, who I nicknamed Peppy Polly, was always right there taking care of us. I enjoyed this since usually I am the one doing that in my house! This was a nice experience so I asked for the dinner menu on my way out. The dinner entrees had a wide price range. Prices started around $11 for a burger and the other options were $14 for pasta, $22 for a Sirloin steak, $39 for a Porterhouse steak and $59 for surf and turf. They also have 3 fish selections - salmon, tilapia and seasonal fish. So they have a little bit of everything here along with a nice atmosphere, but I want my side salad! read more

My Wife, and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary with our Son at the Ivy Restaruant for lunch. There are not enough stars to rate this restaurant. The food magnificent, excellent. The service, the best. Without a doubt our Family will be back. Thank you for a FINE dining experience and restaurant. read more

Food and service are top notch (when they get it right). The patio is a relaxing, nice place to dine in summer. Great ambiance! A bit on the upscale side, pricewise, so occasionally you kind of wince at the service or dish quality. But they have many return customers, including myself, so they do have something going for them. It'd be 5 stars from me if my experiences there were more consistent. I've had supremely excellent meals there, and a few I've sent back. If they didn't have their prime location and ambiance, I think they'd have to be a lot more consistent with service and plating. read more