Maxwells Beef

delicious bar food in downers grove! This place had great service and definitely was worth the…read moresmall wait we had. Will be stopping here again on my way to Chicago!

The service is always nice and friendly the 4 times I've gone. The atmosphere if cozy. I will say…read morethe prices are so high. I paid $18 for a brisket grilled cheese and coleslaw side. That's a lot for what it is. Also, unfortunately, there was so much fat on the brisket, that I was disgusted pulling fat out of my mouth in nearly every bite and there was a large pile of fat on my plate. I wish the brisket had less fat. For a family of 5 (3 kids on the kids menu)- expect to pay $100

The wall of books in their smaller dining room on the back side of the bar.

Brisket sandwich

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Bikini Bottom Drink

Cadence Kitchen

4.2(270 reviews)

2.0 mi

Cadence is the perfect spot for a date night, a girls night out, happy hour with friends, or a…read moreprivate party - they truly do it all. Outdoors, there is a massive patio - perfect for those warm summer days that you want to bring your dog to dinner with you. Their menu is quite varied, and has something for everyone's taste. Service is friendly and honestly quite superb. Looking forward to my next night out at Cadence!

We loved our experience at Cadence Kitchen! I think the food we had fell a little short, but the…read moreservice and experience made up for it. We ordered the Mushroom Arancinis, which was phenomenal, definitely ordering that again. For the mains, we had the Walleye Puttanesca and the NY Bodega Wagyu Chopped Cheese. I think the dishes were good, but nothing over the top. The drinks to pair were also great we had a cocktail (I think it was Girls On Fire) and a beer! Now, what I thought was awesome was that they have a dog menu. they freeze the dog food on a frisbee and its a great enrichment tool and food for our pup. We enjoyed the ambience outside and loved sitting on the patio!

Casual, but upscaled sports Bar-ish feel.

Braised Short Rib

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Entourage

4.6(131 reviews)

2.0 mi

•$$$

Family-owned & operated

Full bar

We went back a second time with the family, and once again, it was excellent!…read more The deviled eggs were fantastic, and the spring rolls and tuna appetizer were all spot on. For dinner, the Kansas strip, ribeye, and stroganoff were all outstanding. The salmon Caesar and vodka pasta with chicken were also excellent. Everything was consistently great, which is why we came back. Definitely a place we'll be returning to!

Our Server Ana was FANTASTIC. She was always smiling and very knowledgeable…read more Started with the Whiskey Flight which was a great way to taste liquors. Each shot is 1oz. It would help if there was a little write-up about each one because I had to "google" it myself. French Onion soup was an outstanding knockout We ordered a large wedge salad and said we would share it and Ana brought it to the table already portioned! Now that's a great server. I ordered the Long Island steak and said I wanted it NAKED. Well, it came to the table with what I believe was lumpy butter on the top and as it cooled, it made the meat very greasy. Seating in the wraparound arrangement is kinda cool but since the view is the commuter and freight trains, it didn't add much to the ambience

Prime Long Island

Espresso Martini

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Classic French Onion

Bryan's American Grille

4.5(373 reviews)

2.5 mi

Good food, nice people, clean surroundings, fair prices…read more... A good all around place to eat!

I stopped by Bryan's American Grille on a Tuesday afternoon for a late lunch. I ordered the BBQ…read moreChicken Sliders, which came with Fries. The sliders were loaded with flavor, and the fries appeared to be freshly cut, and were also flavorful, though maybe a touch saltier than needed. My waitress was friendly and efficient. The atmosphere is that of your basic bar and grill with sports games on a half dozen or so TVs.

Super cazszs place. Leave your Louboutin heels at home, throw on your Jean jacket and slip into your converse or work boots.

Loaded Chili

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Inviting.

Whiskey Hill Brewery & Kitchen

3.6(48 reviews)

3.3 mi

Been here a few times and food is always good. They were having an open mic night once, pretty…read moredecent. Staff is friendly.

We weren't in a dinner mood, but we saw that they had a great selection of cocktails and beer, plus…read morelive music. We did order the Brisket Rangoon which were crisp and cheesy like you would expect from a Rangoon. The Rye Old Fashioned was great and the Signature Old Fashioned was very enjoyable. The atmosphere was warm for a brewery and the music was enjoyable as well. Overall it was a good way to wind down St. Valentine's Day.

Best Burgers in town! Whiskey Hill Brewery & Kitchen-Westmont

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WHBK-Wesmont

The Foxtail

4.5(292 reviews)

1.8 mi

Cute restaurant with great service and a broad variety of food on the menu. They gave us the…read moreoption of sitting inside or outside. The outdoor patio was cute and shielded from traffic with high wall dividers. Food wasn't the highlight, but I would come back to try other dishes. White Chocolate Pistachio Martini $14 - Not too sweet, nor too strong, good flavors. Grilled Octopus $20 - Small portion, tender octopus. Chicken Wings $17 - 8 meaty wings, naked, skin was slightly crispy and caramelized. Salmon Poke Bowl $19 - Simple and straight forward salmon poke bowl. The fries were crispy and delicious. For our birthday celebration, they gave us a yummy brownie and ice cream with a little candle. Reservations can be made on Resy. .|\---/| | @_@ | ..\_^_/..2026

Another great dinner at Foxtail!…read more We had to come back to try more of the menu, and this time we ordered: * Pork belly bruschetta: 5/10. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. The pork belly, ciabatta, and balsamic were all good individually, but together the flavors just didn't work. It felt mismatched... * Colorado lamb kebab: 10/10. This is one of the more $$ entrées on the menu, but it's absolutely worth it. The portion was generous, the lamb was high quality, and the artichoke pesto paired really well with the rich, gamey flavor. The roasted pearl onions were a great addition too. I would definitely recommend this dish. * Foxtail paella: 8/10 flavorful orzo paella loaded with seafood. Definitely a sharing type of entree! Always a great time at Foxtail with great food and great service!

The extensive bar area of the restaurant and the vibe of the indoor seating space.

Muhammara

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Chicken Wings

Emmett's Brewing

3.3(325 reviews)

1.8 mi

My lovely wife and I decided to visit Downers Grove on a recent Saturday, as we were on our way to…read morea birthday party in another 'burb. After an early dinner at a nearby establishment, we decide to visit Emmett's Brewing for a drink to cleanse the palate prior to the festivities later in the evening. We did not expect downtown DG places to be so busy on a Saturday evening, so we were pleased to get two seats at the bar. We decided to split a Sampler Paddle, which is a flight of five different beers for a mere nine bucks. While none of the five beers really knocked us over, I did like the Cow Tipper milk stout the best.

A solid just "ok" of a place. Downtown downers is usually hopping on the weekends. I attempted to…read morevisit another business in the area and was told no room. At the same time, I decided to take a chance on Emmett's. The lights were dark, and the place was dead. There were only a few other customers at my time of visit. I tried 2 of their ipas, one was decent. My friend had the hefeweizen and enjoyed it. Pretzels were good. Potato skins only ok. Service was slow. Overall, just an ok place. Nothing stands out, but if you want a few beers and apps, this is an ok place.

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Eagle Restaurant

4.1(105 reviews)

2.6 mi

I've been eating at this restaurant over the past several years. Every time I've come back the food…read moreis just as good if not even better. The owner and manager of the restaurant is absolutely wonderful. The staff have been very nice and the quality of the food has only improved over the years. If you're into American style food such as burgers fries hot dogs Gyros and many others, this is definitely a place worth eating at. Also their shakes are great. It may be a small little place but it's definitely worth the visit over and over again.

Typical hot dog / hamburger / pita place. I wanted to love it, but I didn't. I got the gyro…read moresandwich and while I liked the meat - there was barely (and I mean barely) any sauce on it and the pita was a tad stale / hard. My husband got the chicken kabob sandwich and loved it. The sauce was coming out of his sandwich - very unlike mine.

Dining area

Chicken Kabob Platter

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Order here...

Johnny's Blitz Bar and Grill

4.3(109 reviews)

3.4 mi

Lively & clean atmosphere! More than pleasant staff who take the time to learn your random drink…read morerequests, even on the busiest nights! Extremely reasonable portions. Lots of happenings on a weekly basis - open mic nights, scheduled performances, trivia, etc. Come early in order to snag a seat, or expect to be dancing! Also very involved + supporting of the local outings such as Cruisin' Nights/ Pub Crawls!

We decided to try something different and were in the mood for wings. A Facebook search and quick…read moreyelp read brought us here. The wings were the worst, I'm not sure how they were so bad, but frozen Tyson wings are better, and those are terrible. The burger was okay, but nothing special. There was live music, which was enjoyable, but the food would not bring us back. I think the food is secondary to the music, which is fine if you're there for the music, but I had gone specifically for the wings.

Bar

Burger was okay

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TVs

That Burger Joint

3.3(29 reviews)

3.6 mi

I don't know if ever eat here again we ordered two double cheeseburger fries tried to eat they…read morewere terrible over cook like hockey . We called and had no managers or assistant manager . We have eaten here couple times before we're good !!

We're here at BJ and it's popping off on a Saturday lunch shift. My boy is in the back working…read moresolo, taking orders, making food, all while keeping total calm and composure as a couple dozen children run a muck in his establishment. Whatever this kid is being paid, BJ better double his hourly and promote him to district manager ASAP. The food is good too.

Things to do in Downers Grove

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11 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Andres D.

Elite 12

721

319

3613

15 years ago

Finally went outside my normal ordering habits. I dove into a Maxwell Melt. Its a hamburger patty served with grilled onions, cheese and mustard on a sour dough bread. Delicious! The melted blend of meat and cheese is what screams "Welcome to Chicago". By the way Maxwell's makes their own homemade BBQ sauce. When you order Chicken Nuggets it comes with it. Ask for a second sauce because it goes great with frozen pizza. Plan ahead is what I am saying :) If you enjoy lazy Sundays like me their Beef by the pound special is only $12.99. 1 pound beef, 1 fresh loaf of bread, and 1 quart italian ice. read more

Skyler T.

438

7 years ago

For dinner tonight had Maxwells in Downers Grove. The food was fantastic, I got the Double Redhot and a large cheese fry, and my boyfriend got the gyros. The hotdog was good and filling and THE FRIES ARE SO GOOD! He liked the gyros as well which is awesome because he's Greek! The guys working were super nice and accommodating. Pleasantly surprised to find such good fries right by my house! (I'm a Portillo's lover and this is better my opinion. Definitely 10/10 recommend, and who doesn't enjoy supporting local businesses I'll be back. :) read more

Dan H.

10 years ago

The only reason why I'm giving this one star is I had no other choice. They're hot dogs were the worst I've ever had. I couldn't even see it on the bun. They should be ashamed on serving such a tiny little itty bitty piece of hot dog. I remember when they used to be really good never going back even for their good fries. They lost a good customer. read more

Steve R.

13 years ago

Too expensive!!!!! Food was bland!!!Waste of time and Money!! Bill reminds me of thug gang member.never again!!

Joe A.

23 days ago

I had a great great experience with the food service and price. Thank you very much. Will be there.

Joe V.

158

2 years ago

Great Beef! Great Fries!!! Just Great!!!! Been there many times and they never disappoint! read more

William H.

10 years ago

Had an Italian Beef. Was just Ok and overpriced. Won't be back.

Paul A.

12 years ago

Not bad food for fast food place. Chili is pretty good.

Don N.

9 years ago

Maxwell's is out of business. I was a fan.

Martha W.

9 years ago

Good food. I recommend the cheeseburger.

Asher M.

17 years ago

Great spot to get a quick bite...

Maxwells Beef - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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My family and I stopped for lunch here. Parking was easy. Ordering was even easier. They give all…read morethe food in to go containers but you can sit down and eat it inside while watching some sports. We had the hot dogs, fries, burgers, grilled chicken Cesar salad and Italian sausage with fountain drinks (refillable) With the exception of the Italian sausage, the food was a 5/5. The grilled chicken Cesar is amazing! Would drive back there just for it. The burgers were juicy and well put together. Their hot dogs traditionally served with crinkled hot fries with a cup of cheese.

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Tried Centro Burgers and honestlyyyy it was so good. We got both the beef burger and the chicken…read moreburger, and both were super fresh, juicy, and flavorful. You can tell the food was made fresh and not just thrown together. The beef burger was really solid, juicy, well-seasoned, and had that good smashed/grilled flavor. The chicken burger was also surprisingly really good too, crispy, flavorful, and not dry at all. Sometimes one item is way better than the other at burger spots, but both actually held up. The fries were a good side and hit the spot, but the real sleeper hit for me was the mango shake because omg... SO good. Definitely one of those drinks you keep thinking about after. The place itself is pretty simple inside and gives more of a grab-your-food-and-go vibe, but the food was the main thing here and it delivered. If you want a casual burger spot with juicy burgers and a really good shake, this is worth trying. Would definitely come back.

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