First time at Americanos. Not crowded for a Thursday…read moreafternoon at five. Greeted by two of the staff. Friendly and polite. We talked long with the bartender and a young man that worked there. Order a few drinks and talked with these two guys for fifteen minutes or so off and on before we even ordered anything. Just felt right, small conversation great atmosphere. We each ordered the three taco plate. I had one fish taco, one elote taco and one Arrachera taco. My wife hard three pork belly tacos. Hard to say which was out favorite because they were all equally as delicious and bursting with flavor from the fresh ingredients. We will be returning soon the March to try their corned beef and leprechaun margaritas before it's over. A must try restaurant in Norwood park.

Just had an amazing time at Americanos! The GM and bartender were both so nice! We had reservations…read moreand were greeted by the door by the GM. The vibe was very comfy, not too upscale- think "chillaxed" vibes. I came with 2 girlfriends and we each had a different type of margarita. I got a pitcher of the cucumber margaritas and it was my first time having a cucumber margarita, and it DID NOT disappoint! Very might recommend! The bartender, Sean/Shawn was amazing! I also got to try their seasonal blood orange margarita, which was also delicious! We had the flautas appetizer and for my entree, I ordered the chorizo taco and the pork belly taco. I didn't even make it to the pork belly taco because I was full off the flauta and chorizo taco lol. The hot sauces that they bring to your table in the squirt bottles were bomb dot com!! Spicy enough for some "flava" but not burn your bottle hole spicy. Overall, I highly recommend this establishment for the vibes (I requested they play Bad Bunny and they obliged- zero questions asked and no pushback) and the food! If you're ever having group get together or small party, this place would be great! They also have brunch on the weekends which I will bring some moms back for, for some "Momosa" Dates! Americanos- you may as well give me a special discount code or something, at this point.. you'll never get rid of me!

I stopped at Elia Cafe after my workout at the gym next door during my trip to the Chicago area…read more The space has lots of natural lighting, and even though I went without a reservation, I was able to be seated quickly. Alondra my server was friendly and attentive, and gave great recommendations on my dishes. Since I just had had an intensive workout, I was craving protein. They have a very delicious wagyu (medium well) and egg dish with fruits & fresh greens I really enjoyed, and powered me thru my post-workout as well as my afternoon flight back from O'Hare. The complementary sourdough toast that came with the wagyu. The date french toast I ordered dessert - yummy and filling, served with fresh berries, was a much enjoyed sweet tooth plus I had enough to go.

I've been curious about the new hot spot in Park Ridge, and today the stars lined up for us to…read morevisit. The place is hopping for sure. It is an incredibly inviting space; very clean, very bright, and I love all the plants decorating the place to give it a bath of warmth when it could otherwise be cold and sterile. It was just me and my kiddo and we ordered a lot. She is a huge fan of pancakes so that's what she got, and I got the fig frittata. We also got the havarti hash, because it sounded really good, and it didn't disappoint. I'm not sure if I've had a frittata or omelet that is like this, with such a strong sweet profile with the savory. It was interesting. I added sausage too and it was pretty good. The hot chocolate was tasty, and they have quite a few beverage options from mimosas to juices to lattes as you might expect. I'd thought this maybe was just a juice bar with some pastries but I was mistaken. They have a full, albeit small, menu, with impressive dishes and beautiful presentation. They also have had several fundraisers in the short time they've been open. Parking is good. The parking lot *beneath* the surface lot is actually public parking, not just for the condos as I once thought. There's also public parking across the street by the library and street parking along the Northwest Highway side of the restaurant.

Let me be clear I have known Kenny for 20+ years. I have had at least a dozen family parties at…read moreHSI. Baptisms, 1st Communions. All that matters is that Kenny has always treated me like family. Our parties in the event space could be 200 people. No matter what everyone felt like family. I cannot thank Kenny for hiring an amazing staff of servers. Amazing Staff of cooks to always make it a great experience. This is the most unasuming guy that runs one of the best places in Chicago

I had a fun and hearty lunch there yesterday with two of my sisters and my brother,…read more1st- the portions are HUGE. 2nd- delicious. Started out with cheese curds for the table and they were golden and hot and gooey. Really recommend. Next I had the Italian beef sandwich w melted mozz and sweet peppers. They also offer a variety of sides that come with it like all sorts of potatoes and one of those that took me by surprise was potato salad! It tasted like your mom made it. It was that good! The other entrees were a huge turkey burger with a bit of a kick, a huge juicy prime burger and a "small " Cobb salad that was as large enough to take home for dinner! We will def back

The Log Cabin is quirky gem of a find in Northwestern Chicago. From its straightforward,…read moreorder-at-the-bar menu with homemade Polish specialties as well as standard fare, to its nooks and crannies that make for intimate seating for groups of any size, it is an affordable place to relax amongst of an eclectic collection of farm implements, vintage signage and more than a little of the macabre. You and your fellow guests will have much to talk about as you wander around its sprawling outdoor spaces. Stop by for a music night or even just a slow hang and you'll want to share your experience, including its lack of cannabis smell. Staff are polite, friendly and are more than willing to share its little nuances. Located just east of the 294 tollway, off of Dempster St. or Golf Rd. exits.

Stopped at a Route 66 diner in Pontiac, IL for lunch, The Log Cabin. It was established in 1926…read moreand they are celebrating their 100th anniversary in May 2026. The Yelp reviews were mostly five stars, and it was touted to be a locals' favorite, so we decided to give it a try. We both chose the patty melt with a cup of vegetable soup. The soup sounded like an excellent choice on this cold cloudy day. The food, the service and the ambience were all wonderful. We finished off the meal sharing a slice of hot peach pie with vanilla bean ice cream. It was all fantastic.

It's called a grill but has a diner feel: either way Kappy's hits the spot!…read more While in the area we dropped into Kappy's by chance for a quick bite: Sunday brunch. The menu has all the usual suspects and my go-to could not be denied: Eggs Benedict. I had the traditional one and it came out as a large portion and tasted great. As a pre-game we had the Bacon Sampler and it was tasty! The portions are sizable and everything tasted great! Not to mention our friendly waitress. The only thing that left me disappointed was the wall of caricatures... are they famous people? friends? "Whoooooo?!" (in the words of Dark Helmet) Uncertain as to when we'll be back around those parts, Kappy's will be top of mind if we do!

very disappointed. It used to be the place to go. It took the almost 15 minutes to see us when…read morethere was open tables and no one in front of us. The woman ignored us and kept doing her paperwork while we stood by the register. We sat down and waited at least another 15 minutes before someone came to give us water. We were asked if we wanted anything else we had set a Diet Coke. The Diet Coke never came until we ordered it a second time. The food was just OK. I think they have altered their prices to accommodate inflation and the portions were actually small. I'll be about a dollar to two dollars cheaper than the places where they charge more and actually give you a real size entrée. We ordered a kids meal and obviously the kid who was sitting there wasn't actually quiet. They never put the order in. We finished our meal and we just got the kids meal. The manager, you kindly refunded the $6.50 for the kids meal. However, now we had a toddler who was ready for bed, but did not have any food in her stomach. All in all, it is not the same Cappy's girl that it used to be. It was very disappointing and even though it used to be a go to for me in the past, it will not happen again.

My husband and I recently visited for the first time with his parents, and we absolutely loved it…read more My in-laws come here often since they live nearby, so when we were in the area, we decided to finally give it a try. (Sorry, no pictures this time! I was enjoying my food so much that I completely forgot.) The ambiance is welcoming, bright, and modern, and the restaurant is much larger than I expected. Everything was clean, and our waitress was friendly and attentive throughout our visit. I ordered the Lox Plate, and it was outstanding. The salmon had the perfect texture and seasoning, the cucumbers and bagel were fresh, and all of the flavors paired together beautifully. I love seeing lox on a menu, but many restaurants either don't do it well or serve portions that are too small. Here, everything was spot on, and the portion was generous enough that I left completely satisfied. Everyone in our group enjoyed their meal, and my husband and I have already said we'll be back very soon. This restaurant is a fantastic addition to the neighborhood, especially since there aren't many local breakfast spots nearby that aren't part of a chain. Highly recommend!

My friend and I are always looking for brunch places that are midway between us and stumbled upon…read more5800 N. The website doesn't really do the menu justice, it's kind of hard to read. That said, there are so many options, particularly for this vegetarian and egg hater. Pro tip: Make a reservation! The place had a solid wait from the time we arrived until we left. Service was ok, spotty at bits, but I also attribute it to the place being busy. We had to ask a second time for some missing items. To eat, I got the berry crepes and a side of hash browns with cheese. My friend got the eggs Benedict with a side of pancakes. The crepes were very good, but I preferred the bites without the berry mascarpone filling. The side of pancakes my friend got was huge, this would be plenty as a main. They are very good at accommodating larger parties, but do wait to seat you until your party is all there.

The service was impeccable! My family's server was so great with my kiddos and the wedge salad is…read moreunbeatable. Would absolutely recommend!

Always a treat to stop in…read more Have you been ? We'll get there Stopped in and had the chicken Caesar wrap. Fresh and tasty Service was excellent and price was good. The dining area was nice and cozy. Will be back

While stopping through the area for another errand, we decided to make a stop at Charcoal Flame…read moreGrill for lunch. It's a standalone building with it's own parking lot. We didn't notice until our way out but they also have a drive-thru, and signs that say they offer delivery/are on DoorDash, so with multiple options, Charcoal Flame is convenient. This building looks like it possibly used to be an old 90s/00s KFC or Pizza Hut or something, but it's cozy and clean and we love an easy access parking lot. The menus are expansive and you order at the counter when you walk in. There are plenty of tables for dining in, and a few were taken while we were there. There was a steady stream of phone orders coming in for pick up, and the restaurant was busy overall. We were helped right away and the staff at the counter were so friendly. I ordered a Maxwell street sausage as a meal ($5 additional for a drink and fries) and my partner ordered the American Gyro sandwich and also as a meal. We grabbed a table and our drinks from the fountain machine and only waited a few minutes for the number on our receipt to be called with our order. The food here is so fresh and delicious. This is one of the best Maxwell street sausages I've had around, the bread was perfect and soft inside and crispy on the outside with the sausage split and grilled and perfectly sweet caramelized onions. The fries looked like they came in frozen/pre-cut but were fried up perfect and a generous portion. The Gyro came stacked with meat, it wasn't dry, and had great flavor. Because the food was so delicious I decided to grab a piece of baklava to go, which I was assured was homemade and delicious - and they were right. So sweet, fresh, textured, rich, luxurious. Don't skip the baklava when you stop by! This is definitely a spot that will be added to our regular rotation of lunch/dinner spots around town. Thank you so much Charcoal Flame Grill for a wonderful experience with super friendly staff! Can't wait to see you soon and try more menu items!

Was excited to try out this place that I kept passing by in the past, not knowing what kind of…read morecuisine they served. I assumed that with their name, that they might serve barbecues? Than I read something on instagram that they serve the best gyros, I just had to swing by. I ordered their Gyros Dinner Plate and their Pork Chops Dnner Plate. I also got their Kefte Dinner Plate for my son Alex. Alex said his kefte plate was good. I, on the other hand, found my touted Gyros plate, kinda "meh". The meat was kinda bland, although those humongous greek potato wedges were awesome! I bought the pork chops for din-din with my wife later that night. Unfortunately, the chops were tough and chewy! I know it's tough to cook pork chops, but, they're a restaurant. You'd think they'd know how to cook pork chops the right way. So, in conclusion, it was a big letdown for me on this new find. I'd have to say that their servings are quite abundant, but It terribly lacks in taste and texture, and I don't think quantity equals quality here.