This restaurant is in an older looking house, which I finally stopped in to get a bite to eat. The interior is a typical bar attached to a restaurant. I was really glad I visited this restaurant. The first thing I noticed is that the staff was friendly and accommodating. When I asked what fish was recommended in their fish fry, the waitress said why don't you try both the perch and walleye? I tried them and they were both delicious. Fish fry's are every Wednesday and Friday. The portions were large and the price was right. Will definitely revisit this place again. read more

Rita's - Fish Fry - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Great family worked local bar.Great service and food available friendly staff. Love the home feeling bar/grill style. read more

Rita's - Great family worked bar - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Stopped here after a visit at the Harley dealer. Like eating at grandmas. Food was fantastic Service was excellent And the atmosphere was great. A must stop if you're in the area. But make sure you look closely. Because it looks like a normal house if you drive by to fast. read more

The server bartender was excellent and the food was pretty good. I the fish was probably frozen, but it was still good regardless we enjoy going there. It's a pretty place and it's fun. read more

I was told about this place from a friend. Being it is my late mom's name, they already have a leg up and you KNOW it's gotta be good!! My friend knows I'm a perch fanatic, so here we go. Walking in, it is quaint and a friendly atmosphere. Our bartender, Shannon, was quite friendly and engaging. She was very helpful in helping us chose our lunches, and she even gave us a free sample of the delicious potato salad. We both ordered half perch and half cod fish fry plates. I had clam chowder and the wife had a salad for starters. Both good. The fish and fries were delicious. The perch was actually perch and not zander fish that some try to pass off as "lake perch." This is Yellow Perch. A midwestern staple. Loved the throw back vibe of the place, the decor, and if I'm back in the area, we will most surely come back again. read more

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The Fish fry at Rita's is awesome. We all had the same: Fresh Perch. You get a salad or soup, Perch, and we ordered fries for the side. Rita's has the feel of a supper club, in a home-like establishment. The bar is lively, the video games up front are ringing, and the dining area was busy and bustling. The waitstaff are friendly and attentive. Overall, a great dinner in a cozy and quaint dining room. I've been to Rita's a few times. I'll keep coming back as it's a casual, laid back place with great grub. What's not to like? read more

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Highest rating in every respect. Top recommendation. Plenty of parking. Friendly crew.

Canned soup, fish is ok. Menu needs updates add more things please. service is ok. Would like to see a rib eye sandwich

Good food best potato salad in the world nice bartenders calm peaceful environment. One of the oldest bars in lake county.

Haven't been here in some time. The last time, for fish was GREA. This time not good. The bartender was not tentative at all. More concerned talking with the repairman for the jukebox instead of refilling our drinks. There were customers at the bar that came in after us, ordered his food (burger), paid for, and out the door. We asked what was taking so long for a burger, grilled cheese, and grilled cheese & ham. She argued with us about who was there first. Not good. Food came. Burger cooked perfectly. One grilled cheese wasn't grilled much and was butter saturated. The grilled cheese and ham was to be on rye. Wasn't and like the other cheese was saturated with butter. When we asked for the bill, she brought it to us and said "I paid for the beers so we wouldn't be mad at her. Funny thing, she didn't pay for them, the owner didn't know, but he bought our beer. Very disappointing. Don't know if I'll ever go back. read more

I am stingy with five stars, but Rita's deserves it, from the fresh ingredients, depth of menu, perfect kitchen execution and a delightful, informed server. This place is way out of my neck of the woods, but we were going to a historical site nearby, so I searched out lunch options, and there were quite a few. But Rita's won my vote when I noted they had fish fry multiple days of the week, and on the fry menu are my favorites, walleye, bluegill, and lake perch. Seldom seen together, and they told me I could mix and match if I chose. But honestly, I see bluegill on so few menus I had to go for it, and the tiny filets were perfectly battered and fried, fries were thin and crispy, slaw and tartar sauce were a 10. Soup or salad is also included with the entrees, and while I'm not big on either, I went with the salad, and it was crisp and fresh, blue cheese dressing was my choice and it came in two ramekins, one a creamy dressing, the other blue cheese chunks. Nice touch. Plump cherry tomatoes and house-baked croutons rounded off the bowl. The server told me they make all their salads in-house, and they have a lot of choices. They have a lengthy menu, and a different special each day. I will return. You should go as soon as you can. Not a large space, so getting there early seems like a plan to me. read more

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I have been dining here for over 15 years. I believe the ownership has recently changed. I dined here on May 25th. We always come on Saturday and order the Prime Rib. We had a reservation for 7:30 and I believe this affected the quality of our Prime Rib. My brother & I both had the Prime Rib. We always order our Prime Rib medium rare, the pieces were more well done. We love the salads with the house dressing and I absolutely love the sweet potato's. I don't know if they receive their beef from a different supplier or if we honestly just didn't receive a good piece. Carly is the best example of what Rita's is all about. She runs the entire show up front, from seating your patrons, taking orders, and serving both the drinks and food. She has a wonderful sense of humor for being a one Woman show. I will return to try the fish fry next time. read more

Amazing little (dare I say) "hole in the wall"! Never disappoints. Fish fry is A-MAY-ZING, burgers delish, country fried steak is the best comfort food, their fried chicken....out of this world. Dont skip the homemade potato salad. Great little spot. Service is always nice too. Oh and drinks are always good! read more

Local hidden gem! Looked like they have a lot of regulars. Packed house and they said this was a slow night coz it's usually line out the door. Friendly staff, yummy and very reasonable priced food :) read more

Rita's - a plate of food on a table - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Even though it's a 40 minute drive or a little more, I keep going there because the staff is so friendly. I have lots of good conversations with people there. Their clam chowder is great. I just drink lemonade, but I'm very fond of a few of the waitresses. Amanda was the last one who served me and I've had a good time talking to her. She actually taught at many of the schools in my neighborhood in Illinois that I attended. Many of the people who I've met there come on a regular basis and it gets to be kind of like a family. I usually only go to a bar & restaurant when they have karaoke, but I've had lots of fun at Rita's without the singing. One night Shannon, a great entertainer, led a group game about guessing a particular word with clues from a person.. Carly,another friendly bartender, has been there a number of years and always gives me a warm greeting by name. I'm living in Wisconsin currently although originally from Illinois and it's really worth the drive to have such a good experience at Rita's every time. read more

You have to stop in for their fish fry! I love this little dive bar restaurant the food is always good and the beer is cold! The staff is friendly even when it's packed! read more

Excellent food and friendly service in a quaint throw back to saloons. Get in there in time for the fish fry!.

Fish fry is very good. I've tried both the perch & walleye. Service was pretty good when I've been there & they were busy. Rita's is in an old house type bar/ pub. Reminds me of old time WI or MI type pubs with food. Not at all fancy, but good ! read more

Ate here on 3/28/24, arriving at 5:45 PM. We ordered the 4 piece Chicken Dinners. Salads were crispy and served on chilled salad plates- nice touch. Potato Salad was delicious and service was prompt and friendly. The skin on the Chicken was extra crispy and delicious but the meat was disappointingly dry. A couple of minutes less cooking time would have made the meat much more moist. The ambiance was old school and our beers were served in chilled glasses and very reasonable in price. Will return again on a Saturday to try their famous Prime Rib. read more

Thought we'd try Rita's for dinner. we both ordered Prime Rib. The salad was nice and cold and dressing was good. The Prime Rib was tough, there was a lot of gristle and fat plus it had no flavor what so ever. Definetly not worth $35.00+ each. Cocktails were pretty weak. Waitress was in a big hurry. There were only two other couples so don't know why she pushed us. Don't think we'll be going back here. read more

Local spot that's small but so great for Friday night fish fry. We talked to strangers sitting around us at their table and it became such a fun night meeting new people. Everyone was so nice and friendly. Small but mighty. Support your local establishments. read more

If it's good old fashioned home cooking you want, then Rita has it! Been going here for years, and now my kids love it too... read more

Rita's - Specials are always great! - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Getting a carry out order for movie night tonight and decided to give Rita's prime rib a try. The gentleman that answered the phone was knowledgeable and upbeat, with all the right answers. It was a 15min drive and the food was just finishing up in the kitchen. The customers in the restaurant and bar were all wearing masks when the bartender came by to check on them as was the server. The bar looked like a place where regulars hung around for beverages after having dinner. Once I picked up the bags/dinner at the bar, I was off for the brief drive home...the food smelled so good and was hot to the touch. Once home, the prime rib and accompanying sides, salad and baked potatoes, were excellent. This is a little gem...hidden away. Go and sit outside at their tables for a cocktail, or get carry out...both are done very well! Keep it going, locals and new visitors, alike. read more

Small spot. Cool atmosphere. Nice staff. The fried chicken is great. The clam chowder is "home embelished". Staff os very welcoming.

Don't let the location or exterior influence your decision. Just do it. Perch is awesome and can't wait to try the Walleye, Bluegill and Prime Rib. Going back soon and often. read more

What a trip! Hubby and I thought we would try something a little different the day before new year's eve. So we first went to North Shore Distillery (NSD) (see my review on their site) to have a cocktail, then stopped here afterwards for dinner. I had checked yelp earlier in the day to find a place close to NSD that we haven't tried before. Like some others, we have passed by this place and it has always intrigued me. It looks like a small town place from the 50s. I called to make a reservation and asked if we could sit at the bar. The gentleman was so friendly on the phone... Very accommodating. We arrived a bit early and found two seats at the bar. We told them we were the reservation that called. They said "good... We wanted to make sure we saved two seats for you". How sweet! Hubby ordered the perch and I ordered fried chicken...which I haven't eaten in ages... But it just seemed like this was the type of place that would have fried chicken to die for. My hunch was correct! I received a plateful of half a juicy, crispy, fried chicken (see photo). It was the type of meal that you can't help saying "mmm-mmmm" after every bite. I was in heaven. Hubby had the perch (see photo). He said it was good, but I obviously had the better meal. We both had fries. They are thin and kinda like McDonalds fries. The cole slaw was just ok. It tasted like it was made a few days ago. We started our meals with a cup of lobster bisque and a draft beer. (see photo) I added some Tabasco and crackers to the soup which made it delish! Without the additions, it was a bit thin and creamy for my taste. Hubby and I planned on sharing this special dessert they have. Six bucks for a cheesecake wrapped in something and topped with cinnamon and caramel. We were too full, so we will just have to come back again! Then we got the bill... $35!!!!! I can't remember the last time we ate this good for that little! We struck up a conversation with a couple of "regulars". They said the place also has great burgers. It was a great old fashioned place with friendly staff and great home style food. We will be back often... Especially after visiting NSD... read more

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Support locals! It feels well worn but warm, comfortable, friendly, and inviting. Menu is basic bar food with a couple of specials. I happened to come in on a Thurs so no fish. I ordered the 1/2 LB MUSHROOM BURGER WITH FRIES AND A DINNER SALAD. The sweet bartender Debbie bustled between the bar and the 20 seat dining taking orders and delivering drinks while saying "hey mom" followed by questions. When I asked if they had fish, the bartender offered to ask her brother in the kitchen if they had any fish but I passed. Debbie kept checking in on me which made me feel cared for. The burger was rightly cooked medium and covered in swiss cheese with a big ole slice of tomato. The fries were typical thin fries. A great deal at $9. The dinner salad was a good upgrade for $2.50. This place gets my recommendation. They're local, make food with pride, and high on charm. A very authentic and unpretentious dining experience. There's little reason to go to the chain restaurants down the street when you have this great place nearby! read more

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Loved the old school charm. We ate at the bar and had great service. Very small dining area so the bar worked for us. Great thin burgers and the folks sitting next to us highly recommened the fried chicken and the fish fry. Good value. Older crowd. Definitely a local joint and I love joints. Friendly. Like dining in your living room. read more

The perch has always the best fish to get here. Not a lot of batter on fish. Have been going here for years. Good service for as busy as they are. read more

Wonderful service, great food, and home town atmosphere. Crispy Chicken Sand which, patty melt, and western burger rocked!

pleasant surprise. Stumbled upon this place by chance. it is old school goodness. burger was great, potato salad was the real deal. If you are sick of corporate owned crap - this is a great look back at family owned real deal. someone at our table had the tortilla dessert and it was awesome. The next table saw it and ordered one too. Highly recommend- especially if you want to experience an authentic spot. read more

So thankful for this staff today. We had a very large party with a to go order and they made it work while being very short staff. i appreciate Claira, the managers, and all the cooks. read more

My friend and I were treated to great service and hospitality, courtesy of Rita and her son. For starters, we both had Rita's tasty homemade, wholesome beef and vegetable soup. A cupful was hearty, warming and delicious. We ordered hamburgers (on special that day) which, from texture and taste, we identified as homemade. Offered chips, fries or homemade potato salad as our side dish, we chose homemade potato salad. (It reminded me of mom's special yard party recipe.) If you seek a smart, trendy place to lunch, please steer clear of Rita's for a meal elsewhere. However, if you want to lunch at a place that embraces you as you arrive, makes you feel welcome with personable, attentive service, and treats you to a homemade lunch for two for about $20, you have found your place at Rita's! Book mark Rita's to treat yourself and a friend to a great casual lunch or dinner, and get there early or call ahead, because table seating (versus bar) is limited to about 25-30. read more

Rita's doesn't look like much from the outside. This restaurant is a great surprise, menu included. The food is from the heart and soul of terrific people who work and live (around) there. You can find almost anything you are craving. read more

Great local bar. Good food specials and hometown local charm and feel. A true joint of joints.

Walking into Rita's is like walking into your grandparents' house in the country. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and they have plenty of tasty domestic beers on tap. The fish fry is legendary, and the burgers are great as well; however, what makes this place so great is the fact that from the first visit I've been treated like family. Definitely a spot I'll visit weekly! read more

I live right down the street from Rita's and never had gone in until today. I suppose what was keeping me away was the actual look of the restaurant (it's really in a run-down old house) and the severe lack of parking (it's right on the edge of the busy road after all). Looking at the reviews it seems like people either love it or hate it. I'm leaning towards not liking it. Stopped here for lunch with a coworker and was greeted by Rita. The dining area was cramped and the little bar area didn't seem real stocked. I ordered a crispy chicken sandwich with lettuce and cheese. She brought back crispy chicken on a burnt bun with no cheese and a piece of lettuce on the side; not to mention some very salty fries too. I'm not picky by any means but this is not what I would call quality food. Looking at all the other food options it just looks like food that you would cook at home... which is exactly the case. Many people love Rita's because they like the "homestyle" atmosphere. I will not pay good money for food that tastes worse than my own cooked food. I will not be dining again at this so called restaurant. read more

I saw this place from the road as I drove by the other day and told my son "I bet that place has a great Friday night fish fry" to which he rolled his eyes at me. That was Tuesday and today is Friday and we just came back from our fish fry dinner happy and full. Rita's doesn't look like much from the street as you go zipping by on the 176, but inside it's like a long lost memory from my childhood (and my husband's as well) It's tight, crowded and you can smell the good food outside before you even walk through the door. There's barely room to stand between the bar and the seating area, but it's friendly and warm with everyone smiling at each other. The boys (our three are 12, 11 and 5) were allowed to sit in the porch area playing their iPods on a bench while we waited at the bar, sipping our Budweisers, watching the Blackhawks on the overhead TV. Pure bliss for all of us! The perch was sublime and the service is friendly, patient and warm. Our boys were thrilled to be there - and on the way home they asked when we could go back! Our middle son ordered a bacon cheeseburger and was so impressed that he entertained the idea of ordering a second burger (we talked him out of it, of course) And our oldest had an extra serving of perch and almost forgot to ask if we wanted to share it! Rita's may not be fancy or full of the bells and whistles of the other places, but it's the closest thing you'll get to a homestyle fish fry on a Friday night in these parts. We'll be back. read more

Had the half pound burgers tonight fries were wonderful service great. Great local place. read more

Rita's - Dinner! - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Great Friday night Fish Fry! The perch is the best choice but we enjoy the combo option. House salad dressing is vidalia onion - scrumptious!! Also you may want to go with the potato salad for your side - yes, even in the winter it's the best choice! The tables are on high demand & there is usually a wait so don't plan to rush thru dinner here. Enjoy the memorabilia on the walls while you wait... We will keep this one on our short list! read more