I've been there twice for lunch. Both times food was delicious and the service great.

Excellent food and service! The atmosphere is really nice too. Took my parents for their 70th. They loved the food!

Nat's used to be one of our favorite restaurants in the area. Staff have always been very friendly and helpful! Now, however, their food seems consistently overly salted! Loaded potato appetizer, beef sandwich, and even salmon salad were all WAY too salty - we ended up throwing food away. I was willing to pay their higher prices in the past because the food was so good, I felt they deserved it. Not any more. We're quite disappointed. read more

Always good food! Great atmosphere for talking. Friendly staff and good service. Lots of memories there.

We held our wedding rehearsal dinner here. Our wedding party was not large enough to justify reserving the entire front room (we only needed half the space), but they still let us make a reservation for 20 and set us off to the side. It was not 100% private, but we knew that going in, and it was still very nice. They did an excellent tasting early in the wedding planning process and when we decided to just have the rehearsal dinner there, they were still very helpful (despite us not going with them for the full wedding dinner). I appreciated their friendliness, response time, and willingness to print up custom menus for our guests. On top of all of that, the food was very good! In the wedding planning process, I found that logistical responsiveness floated to the top of my "must have" list, and Nat's on Maple nailed it. My friends and family mainly selected the fillet, but those that chose other dishes such as the salmon were also very happy with the food. read more

Came here for Valentine's Day dinner. We were here once before and it was decent which is why I'm rating 2 stars instead of the 1 this dinner deserves. We had reservations yet waited FOREVER for our meal...which was finally brought out incorrect. Paid over $50 for a lobster tail, overcooked steak, undercooked asparagus, and dry mashed potatoes. Seriously. Waitress never offered to refill drinks, bring any bread, NOTHING. Huge disappointment for our one date night in months. Won't be coming back. read more

Delicious food! Fresh, flavorful cuisine! Service was fantastic and the quality of the food was so yummy!

Based on 1 visit for 2... Ehhh ok first experience. We were there at 1:30 on a Tuesday and may have been the only diners. Our overall impression -- this is a nice place, clean, tidy austere design, cozy, warm feel, but actually a bit cold inside - choppy rooms - casually elegant. The draw was the Menu - 'comfort food' -- I'm there at comfort food. Actual food experience: we asked to split entree and salad and were told "the manager doesn't like sharing" but they brought an extra plate so that we could share ourselves (whatever), The black and blue salad was not huge but was ok. The steak was very seasoned with a spicy hot seasoning - a little too much of a good thing. I did like it but the steak was almost well cooked when I asked for medium. We ordered an split a bison burger. Again, I asked for medium and it was done medium well. Asked for sweet potato fries and got regular fries. The burger was a frozen patty (I THINK) instead of fresh ground bison. At $13 for a burger I expect fresh ground not frozen. Plus, no mustard on the table - none brought - none on the burger. To me a burger needs mustard. Bacon on the burger was a thick cut that was fatty and not well done - unappetizing. The burger is stacked with a set of ingredients that include a slice of cheese and the bacon -- but was overall dry. Not at all the best bison burger - especially for the price. I would come again but at ta time when the restaurant is more filled with patrons and would try other dishes.... read more

Nice food and atmosphere...a relaxing place for lunch or dinner. The menu, while small, is still varied enough to find something interesting in. Be sure to take care of the staff-Jessica is FAB!! read more

We brought our large family party here to be able to. Object. We were seated in the wine room which was perfect for talking and laughing. Our party sampled the menu and enjoyed each entree. We had a gluten free member in our party and she enjoyed the selection. My duck confit salad was delicious. And a lovely wine selection! read more

Great dining experience every time we go in here. Food is amazing and worth the slightly more expensive prices. Considering this is Sycamore, where a lot of food is fried or in the fast food category paying a few dollars more for good food is not a issue. Last time I was in there I just went for drinks. I got a dirty martini and it was made very well. Nice and strong and came with bleu cheese olives (the best). I think the drink menu could use a small revamp but what they have is mixed well at least. I would highly recommend. read more

The Shepard's Pie is super good. Everyone enjoyed all the food and the great wine selection. read more

Nat's On Maple - American Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

Everything I could want. Great food, service and atmosphere. The waitress was superb

Excellent dinner. The seafood was delicious - perfectly cooked. We really liked the Italian specialty and appetizer - arancini (rice balls) were the perfect way to start off our meal. The service and atmosphere made for a wonderful evening. read more

Great food excellent Lemon Drop Martini from the new bartender. This is the place to go!

Great bar atmosphere and good service. Busy place. I ordered scallop risotto....tomato soup with rice. It was so far away from actual risotto I knew that to say anything would be lost upon the audience. My husband had the beef stroganoff...it had not been made that day, it had an overheated, over salted taste of yesterday's leftovers. Maybe we ordered the wrong things. read more

Nat's on Maple was the first 'Nice Date' place I took my now wife Michelle and we both fell in love with not only each other but also Nat's too. It was the place where I eventually proposed to her, but enough of our yucky mushy love story stuff. We have since eaten at Nat's numerous times and have made it a favorite of Michelle's dad and mom. The bread is warm and scrumptious, which is a favorite thing for me when eating out. Seldom do I find much that my fussy taste buds like on the appetizers portion of the menu but at Nat's I found and ENJOYED the Santa Fe egg rolls and me being anti veggie that should say a lot. They got a spicy flavor I like. I also enjoyed the Chicken Poblano soup and Caesar salad, again a rarity for me the fussy and finicky bear that I am I am a steak lover as Michelle's dad so we have not strayed from eating the several offered on the menu; blacken top sirloin, New York strip and Mesquite ribeye. Neither of us has had a steak we didn't fully enjoy. Michelle and her mom usually order from either the pasta or seafood and have always been happy. The portions are good; the atmosphere is quiet and the staff ahs always been very friendly. They were very accommodating the day I proposed to Michelle by playing a small role in how I proposed to her. Nat's on Maple is a top favorite for fine dining and plan to visit many times. read more

I am a Sycamore native. With that said, knowing the area and the choices available, I think Nat's is a pretty special place. There really isn't anything like it in the area and it fills a restaurant gap that exists in between Portillos and the non-existent extremely fine dining experience. One can always critique a restaurant and I would agree that they have some dishes that are just Ok and maybe even bad, but they also have some dishes that are spot on hits and that is what keeps you coming back. Especially with such a large menu, so what if one dish is not your favorite? I can promise you that you'll find another dish on the menu that you'll love. The appetizers have some real winners! The bruschetta is phenomenal! My husband and I try bruschetta at almost all restaurants that serve it, and Nat's is easily in our top 3. The fried pickle chips and the bang bang shrimp also also quite tasty and worth a try. For the entrees, I'd recommend the pot roast first! It's such a great comfort food--hearty and filled with love like mom used to make! Delicious. I've also always liked the chicken madeira and others have commented on the cedar plank salmon and various steak dishes. read more

I dined here last Saturday with a large group. The restaurant had been highly praised by a member in my group, so I was looking forward to something upscale and unique. The dining space is outdated and cramped. It inhabits a store front in the downtown region of Sycamore. I did appreciate the large windows that peered onto the street, but I did not like the compartmentalized small rooms - I felt as though I was in somebody's house. The menu had a nice combination of upscale Italian, steak and "comfort foods". - Ordered the Fried Calamari, Stuffed Mushrooms, and Bruschetta for appetizers. I can only speak on the Bruschetta, which presented an overwhelming taste of garlic and balsamic vinegar. I would not recommend this dish. - I very much enjoyed the Chicken Poblano soup, as did everyone else in the party. It was a mixture of light and dark meat chicken with a slightly spicy broth and tortilla strips. It had too much cheese on it, however, and the soupy, stringy bits were difficult to eat. In the future, I would order this without the additional topping of cheese. - The Tuscan salad was a disappointment. Again, too much vinegar and the artichoke was poorly prepared. - My dad did not enjoy his cut of steak. Ordered it medium, and it was cooked very rare. There seemed to be a large amount of fat compared to the portion of meat. In retrospect, we should have sent the steak back, but my dad is the type of person who doesn't like to make a fuss. - The wine list was not overly adventurous, but it was appropriate for this restaurant. I enjoyed the small descriptions with each wine. Ordered the house pinot noir (cannot remember the name - perhaps Stone Creek?) and LOVED it - as did everyone else in my party - so we ordered the bottle! - Great service. We brought a 2002 wine with us and it had been poorly stored with a dried out cork. They decanted it for us. Our server was very attentive without being overbearing. I was very impressed with this aspect of the restaurant. Overall, I think that this restaurant serves the community very well. Giiven that the other options in the community are slim (Johnny's Charhouse, for example), I think Nat's will be a popular local spot for a long time. read more

I'm gonna just say it. This is my FAVORITE restaurant. I went NIU for 4 years and stuck around 2 more after graduating. I only discovered this place around year 4. That makes me sad... I have some in-laws in the area so I'm up in here on an almost monthly basis. I'm always looking for an excuse to go to Nats! The service here is always good. Never had an issue. What shines here the most is the food. I've had several different things on the menu. The prices as well as so reasonable, especially when you compare it with the quality. It feel like you're almost stealing from them, almost! The chicken poblano soup is simply amazing. The 4 cheese pasta and the tomato basil pasta both were awesome as well. The portions are so big I can't finish them, which is saying a lot cause I'm a big dude. The crab cakes and meatloaf are both good as well. Every once in a while they'll have a seafood fondue thing, which I love. The only issue is to be sure to make a reservation because it does fill up and you might have to wait a bit, which is always a good sign. No doubt about it, it's a... must try. read more

What a great little restaurant. Warm friendly staff and food that melts in your mouth! So many choices it is sad I don't live closer since the Short Ribs were great but everyone else's looked fantastic as well. Their house specialty soup, a variation on Tortilla Soup, is a great way to start a meal, and next time I am doing the meatloaf!! A gem in Sycamore that is worth the drive if you are nearby. read more

First of all, little upset with the price rating here on yelp, it is definitely on the more expensive side for the average joe. The cheapest entree on the menu was 20 bucks. That being said the food is DEFINITELY not worth the price. I got the four cheese pasta and it cost 7 extra dollars to add chicken and 9 to add shrimp. Which is ludicrous, especially when I'm paying 22 dollars for a mediocre pasta dish in the first place. Food was very bland, there was nothing that really surprised me or even tasted like I could see why it was so expensive. The restaurant was very small and upon walking in I was greeted with an "how can I help you" I just responded with the amount of people in my party. Ridiculous right off the bat. The tables were all scratched up and there was visible water damage in the ceiling. Our waitress was polite and the service from her was great. However, we showed up around 5 pm when there were not many other people in the restaurant and the hostess sat a party of 4 right next to our table and at that point, my boyfriend and I had had it and left. You would be better off going elsewhere than here where the prices are the same but the food and the ambiance is actually worth it, like ellwood. read more

Honestly the best restaurant in the Dekalb/ Sycamore area. Phenomenal customer service, delicious food, great presentation, and strong cocktails. Great atmosphere for a date night. read more

So my friends, my wife, and I went to Nat's based on several people's recommendation. Since moving to the area in 2004 I had never heard of the place, and had never seen it. Some might say its a locals secret and after putting in about 6 years in the area I have eared the title of "local" and was granted access. Ehhh you can take it back frankly. The place wreaked of OLD, not smells, it DOES NOT smell like old people, but the the overall vibe of the place says "old place". Sadly, not like "old fantastic place that everyone must try and you will never want to eat anywhere else again" more like "old people like my cozy DARK dining area, and the same old food over and over again". Our waitress was great, albeit a little lost when it came to questions like, "is the Mahi Mahi fresh or frozen?" . She seemed to be in her early 20's but had her hair up like Flo from Alice (the TV show). Jenny was her name, and she was quite attentive. Never did we have to wait for drink refills, and she checked on us frequently. Shortly after we were seated, Jenny said her hello's, took our drink order and then told us that there were 24 new items on the menu. 24 new items! People, lets call it a new menu, not 24 new items. The menu is extensive in my opinion, and does not lend itself to fresh food, except maybe the salad, but that looked quite wilted to me. ***BRIGHT SPOT*** The fried pickles are great, and were freshly fried! The rest of the food was "ehh". I don't know how to quantify "ehh", but it isn't great, and it isn't bad. Well that is if you like frozen Mahi Mahi, that you are told is fresh after the waitress "checked with the chef" (always a great sign), over cooked and quite fishy, but not unbearably so. Or if your friend sends back the Shepard's Pie that was rife with fatty, chewy, and otherwise inedible bits of beef. So in replacement to the Shepard's Pie, he had the Pot Roast, which looked pretty tasty, and he did like it. My wife had the crab cakes, and found them to be quite strong. She and her girlfriend did enjoy the shrimp though. Desert choices are limited. None seem to be prepared there, but rather frozen and brought in. I don't know... maybe we didn't pick the right thing to eat, maybe the bread they serve the table is supposed to be dry, hard, and partly burnt. According to Jenny, we all made great entree choices. Maybe the place is going downhill since it was last reviewed in 2009 , who knows. I'm sure I'll give it another try, just for the sake of argument, and if its better than this time I'll be sure to let you know. In the mean time don't get the seafood, or the Shepard's Pie... ick. read more

Nat's On Maple - American Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

I was pleasantly surprised that they could take our group of ten on a half hour's notice (a pretty tall order that had already been rebuffed by half a dozen establishments) on a Saturday night! When we arrived, the table was ready, and our server was very attentive during the entire meal. She also had no problem dividing up the checks, and even asked when we ordered so we didn't have the dreaded "Who had what?" discussion at the end of the meal. Not being very hungry, a friend and I chose to split the scallops entree, and I was shocked that the kitchen sent it out on separate plates, nicely presented. And it was very tasty! My only complaint is that the asparagus needed some butter or salt, or both. Prices were reasonable, with two entrees, two desserts, and a couple of drinks coming out to about $120. However...be VERY careful walking through the lobby! I slipped on the floor on my way out and completely wiped out on the tile floor (in front of dozens of people waiting for a table). My shoes were partly to blame, but yikes, that floor was slippery. Overall, it was an excellent meal, and if I'm ever back in the area, I would happily eat here again. read more

Nat's is a real treat. Last night we went for dinner with two other couples. While the wait was going to be long, we sat in the bar for a drink before being seated. We were seated in the private Wine Room with a long table in the middle. It was great! Our waiter quickly took our drink order. We had a bottle of Shoefly wine. It was delicious! Its a mix of four different wines with a hit of peach. I had never had it before , but it was great. For appetizers, we had salads (I had Caesar), Bruschetta, and calamari. All were delicious, and the marinara was especially yummy! For dinner, my fiance had chicken saltimbocca, which was delicious and I had a pork chop, which is my usual here, and it definitely did not disappoint. Nat's has a great atmosphere for a small town and I will definitely be back. The staff is also very friendly. read more

This is some of the best food I've ever had. EVER. I always get the pot roast which is melt-in-your-mouth good. The sauce they serve it with and the fact that it is served over mashed potatoes... oh my it's delicious. I have also tried the meatloaf which is very very good. My friends and I love to come here for a treat and relaxing, enjoyable atmosphere. read more

Had the salmon, broccolini, and a baked potato. HUGE portions and SOOOOO delicious. Everything was done perfectly. Staff was so nice. Stole bites of the desserts of the ladies I was with- all amazing as well. Brought home an apple crisp dessert for my hubby and he said it was awesome, even after sitting in my car a half hour. read more

What did you say? Oh, was it yum...because this place is delicious. The ambiance provides a great place for a date and it is right off the main road in Sycamore. As a person who is in constant search of a nice place to have dinner, this is refreshing change from the usual bar/restaurant options in the DeKalb/Sycamore area. Please and thank you for making your menu for delicious. The loaded potato egg rolls on the appetizer menu are so crisp and delicious. It is a nice twist on the usual appetizer. Love. The sandwiches are delicious, specially the italian club and the grilled chicken sandwich. They are simple, delicious. There is nothing "new" or inventive about this place. However, I am always a proponent for quality, simple food. I have had the opportunity to try their catering as well. Nat's catering has the same high quality food as their regular restaurant menu. They will work within your price point while providing high quality food. read more

I can't say enough about this place. Nat's is truly a gem in the Sycamore area and my husband and I eat here ALL THE TIME. Nat's is described as trendy comfort food, and that's exactly what it is, but it still has that traditional "home cooked" feel. First of all, the service is great. We often have the same great servers who work there for years, and they are always courteous, professional, and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is swanky/classy for the Sycamore area with low lighting and modern decor, but you can still dress casually. As for the food, it's delectable. I would NEVER order meatloaf or pot roast in a restaurant, but these are actually two of my favorite dishes at Nats. I have no idea what they do to that meat loaf, but it is magical. I would also recommend the cedar plank salmon, and the mesquit ribeye. Actually, I've had almost all the meals, and nothing has disappointed me. These are just our favorite go-tos. Nat's also features a full bar with an array of specialty cocktails and they're delicious. The bartender is also extremely friendly and knowledgeable. In addition to cocktails, we often order a full bottle of wine with our meal. While Nat's is pricier than many of the restaurants in the area, it is absolutely worth it. They purchase quality ingredients and go the extra mile. If you haven't eaten here yet, you're truly missing out. read more

We have made this place a regular. Nice menu, every thing I have tried had been good to very good. The place gets very busy, and they dont take reservations unless you are in a group. We have ate in the bar a couple of time, and had a nice evening. Service is good, although the normal bar tender is a bit annoying. He spends a lot of time whinning about making the martini flights. Which are great, fun, and a must try. All and all, the best dinner option in Dekalb/Sycamore. read more

My husband and I look forward to dining here every time we go. The food is divine. The menu offers something for every palette. The ambiance and decor is warm and inviting. My absolute favorites are the chicken poblano soup and the pot roast. Upscale and delicious comfort food makes for a wonderful dining experience. read more

Went there for a relaxing dinner with our student to get away from dorm food. The doors open at 4 pm and no reservations for small parties. We arrived at 5:20 and there was already a 35 minute wait. Not to be deterred we decided to stick it out. The wait time was realistic and once we were sat food came out relatively quickly. We started with the sweet chili lime shrimp- tender and tasty but not amazing. I had the salmon salad that WAS amazing as was my son's ribeye. My husband had the petite filet that was a nice piece of meat but bland. Service was outstanding - restaurant is quaint- we'd definitely go back but get there even earlier! read more

Nat's On Maple catered my wedding and words can't describe how happy I was with them. I have to start with the fact that my husband went to culinary school, so we had a challenge of finding high quality food within our budget. My husband and I planned the entire wedding ourselves and Natalie was there every step of the way. She answered any questions promptly, offered her expertise, was flexible to changes, and helped us have an amazing family style dinner within our budget. Our wedding was in August and our guests still talk about how great the food was and how wonderful the the entire staff was. If you guys are getting married, give them a call! I promise you will happy. ps: We couldn't get enough pot roast at our wedding so we drove to Sycamore from Chicago a week later to eat dinner there :). read more

I feel people have very low standards in this town when evaluating restaurants. My wife and I moved out to Sycamore years ago after living in Chicago for over 10 years. Compared to the typical restaurant in the city, Nat's receives 1 star. Compared to the typical restaurant in Sycamore/DeKalb, Nat's receives 4 stars. I honestly don't have a lot to say about the food. It was good but didn't knock my socks off. I will admit our meals were filling and prepared well though I would have enjoyed a more creative selection. The atmosphere is decent and our waitress was extremely accommodating. My biggest complaint was how rudely we were treated by the hostess. We called ahead of time to make a reservation and were informed they do not take reservations (ok- no problem). The woman over the phone told us no worries, they only had a few tables full and no groups scheduled for the evening (ok- no problem). We came in an hour later and the hostess asked if we had reservations (ok- what?). We explained to her our phone conversation one hour prior to our arrival. She rudely told us, "no, you are wrong- we never said that." She then proceeded to roll her eyes at us and sigh (not ok). She also told us that there was a large group occupying the entire large room (ok- really?). I'll spare the remainder of the details but know our experience did not become tolerable until we were seated and the nice waitress took over (she slightly redeemed this place). When it's all said and done, we will not be returning. If you live in Sycamore and want Italian then this place may be worth stopping in. (or you could drive 30 minutes and hit up something worthwhile in the St. Charles/Geneva area) read more

Favorite dinner place in Sycamore. I've been here a lot, and I've never had a complaint. I always bring people from out of town to eat here, and they're surprised such a small city has such a nice restaurant with such good food. The food is excellent, the staff is attentive and friendly, and the bar area is always fun. Great place! read more

Perfect dinner out. The New York Strip was like butter. The Gouda Chicken was absurdly delicious. The cocktails were generous and expertly prepared. The service is really good. I could find no flaws. read more

Came here for a graduation celebration. We had the front room for guests to come. They offered us a limited menu for our party. When we asked if we were able to order something off of the regular menu (for the kids we had with us) they were rude, and seemed like it was a huge hassle to make that happen (even though there were other guests being served in the other rooms, off the regular menu at that time). Our waitress was rude, didn't bring us water for a while, then never gave us any refills, and scoffed whenever we asked a question. The food was also terrible. The salad was soggy and wilted, the "mozzarella sticks" were some disgusting wrap made of egg roll filo dough (it wasnt your typcal breaded mozz stick). Pretty sure the "marinara" sauce was tartar sauce. Extremely disappointed. We felt unwelcome. Thankfully, I don't live near this place to even consider going back. read more

When we first moved to town, restaurants seemed plentiful and this one went unnoticed for almost a year as it is a little off the beaten track. As time went by, we realized that the selection narrowed and there really was a limited choice. Someone told us about Nats on Maple, however they were a previous employee so we thought it was biased however gave it a try. OMG! Comfort food, relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff all are exhibited here. While probably not a work clothes type place (although I do not think it is discouraged) jeans are almost as appropriate as coats and dresses. Hard to explain however you will get the idea after going. Music playing when we got there was among my favorites, Dean Martin (I am a Rat Pack fan) so they had a leg up as we sat down. Prices are inline with what you would expect from a place like this, since everything seems to be made fresh and from scratch, and the selection a variety is outstanding. They tend toward Italian cuisine, however that is not their main thrust. For instance, one of their better dishes is the pot roast. I like a good pot roast, however a friend of mine rates restaurants on how good their pot roast is and swears it is as close to something he had growing up as possible. I do tend to concur. I like a good wine and while this is not the largest selection I have ever seen, which I tend to view as a plus since many restaurants carry some very pedestrian type wines to simply fill out a menu, it is very good and should cater to most if not all tastes. Not sure this is someplace I would take the kiddies, not because it would be inappropriate for them however they would most likely be bored by the very quiet yet casual atmosphere. They have a room off the back with a long table capable of seating about 12 or so in a room by itself which would be perfect for a party or meeting. A small bar toward the front would make a nice meeting place for drinks after work. Overall a great little gem that has that Manhattan feel with the Petticoat Junction friendliness. read more

This was fun. Nice staff, great food. I had the pecan crusted whitefis. Such great portions, I couldn't finish! read more

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