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    Great Escape Restaurant

    3.5 (314 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    GREAT ESCAPE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Great Escape Restaurant

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    Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce add sausage
    Gray S.

    We came here on Valentine's Day before going to the haunted house nearby & they were very accommodating for a last minute table for four on a busy holiday. Our waiter was great, very kind & personable. It's my understanding that this is an italian restaurant ? I may be incorrect but I was a little disappointed that they had a specialty menu or something for the holiday that had only one pasta dish, which I did get, but I was surprised by that. The pasta was okay, something about the sauce didn't seem traditional to vodka sauce, can't place what it is but I don't think I'd get it again, it was not bad though and probably good if you don't like the spiciness that usually comes with a vodka pasta. My aunt got the eggplant casserole & said she really enjoyed it. Overall I think the vibe here is really cool and historic (can't forget spooky as well) but I'd have to return to see again about the food. Also, there was a dog in the office next to the bathrooms. She was very sweet but a heads up if you have any feelings about that in a restaurant.

    Chicken pot pie that was perfect
    Bob C.

    I have driven by here hundreds of times over the years and never stopped I. Until today for a holiday get together. What a treat , I immediately spotted the owner and introduced myself to him. We sat and Nicole was our server. I had chicken pot pie and French onion soup and it was made to perfection. The atmosphere was fantastic. Everything was perfect. Even had the pleasure of meeting a woman and her family as she celebrated her 95th birthday and clicked some pics for them. What a great escape (lol) we had We will return. Thanks to everyone who made this visit a memorable one

    Amazing French onion soup.

    What took us so long to find this delightful restaurant! Well l'm just glad that we did. The menu is chock full of delights, so it was a bit hard to decide which delight we would choose for our first time here. We selected fried calamari appetizer, chicken pot pie, and pork tenderloin. All of the dishes were wonderful and not like they fell off the Cisco truck. They tasted homemade. The wait staff were so nice. And the place is clean, nicely decorated with an absolutely stunning back bar in the bar area, and a cozy feeling to the dining area.

    French Onion soup cup
    Julie O.

    Delightful old school dining in a neighborhood near O'Hare. The Great Escape is far enough from O'Hare that you avoid tourists and trendiness and the up charges that brings, close enough to grab a 10 minute Uber and enjoy a nice meal in a classic atmosphere. Service is on par, helpful and pleasant. Food is tasty, ample portions. The French onion soup is cheesy! Specials change regularly . There's a dining room, bar seating and they do banquets and luncheons. Plenty of parking in back.

    Rib dinner
    Bob K.

    Family dinner- I always love these tripe's of restaurants that give bread and butter and soup and salad - free . Ribs are good staff is good !

    The pork shank special.
    Doug M.

    What a wonderful dining experience! This place is just what I hoped it would be. Great food, good service and nice ambiance. I had one of the specials, which was roast pork shank with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The pork was tender, moist and falling off the bone. Potatoes and veggies were done just right. My companions had a salad, chicken Parm and another one had the pork tenderloin. All generous portions and tasteful. Service was good. The bar is great. We had a drink while waiting for our companions to arrive. A big plus for Guinness on tap! All in all, a great place to dine.

    Salted caramel brownie
    Mark Y.

    I picked this place for my birthday lunch. It has a nice interior and a great atmosphere. The antique bar is beautiful. They spaced the customers with a table in between when possible, that's a nice touch. Our waiter, Jake, was awesome. She had their chicken pot pie. It was like a fresh pot pie in a freshly baked bread bowl and she loved it. I had the Dijon bass and it was excellent despite my initial misgivings. The flavors and textures were perfectly balanced. Their rice is well seasoned and delicious too. Their vegetables were fresh but a bit cold. My French onion soup was rich and tasty with a huge chunk of mozzarella,. Her salted caramel brownie was pretty amazing. I got spumoni mostly for nostalgic reasons and it was really good. Great place with decent prices and wonderful food.

    Timothy M.

    Good food and better service... the crowd was very nice and very upscale... the locals are exactly what you expect. This is a place where you get a good meal and have good conversations. I definitely recommend this place... I had the special which was prime rib.. it was amazing!!!

    Christopher G.

    Wonderful, amazing service and great atmosphere. I had the navy bean soup and the spinach, walnut and cranberry salad with grilled chicken and balsamic dressing and my colleague had the chicken pot pie, both were amazing!

    Chicken Pot Pie
    Ira M.

    Came here with friends for dinner. A really hopping place with h excellent food. #iraeats #iraeats1

    Shrimp and fillet

    Wait staff was very kind and attentive. The soup was ok. The shrimp and filet was very good. The chicken pot pie they're suppose to be known for was mid at best. Chicken parm was good. The grilled cheese was grease city. Now to the chicken special holy lemon can't even eat more than 2 bites. Now to the fried chicken it was wet and red! Now to the French dip the meat was fatty and hard. Service was good tho but food needs work.

    Mustered and herb crusted bass.

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    3 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Went for special occasion with 100 people , food was. Very good, warm, cold salads, good drinks, highly recommend

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    8 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Great food and wonderful service. The atmosphere is so cozy and friendly. You feel welcome!! Love it!

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Not a fan of this place. Dated and very dark inside. Didn't feel at ease. Not returning.

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    2 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Great Escape Restaurant

    Does the psychic still come to this restaurant? Details please if so, thanks :)

    Yes, on Wednesday. Call the day before to book a slot

    I heard there's a psychic or tarot card reader on Wednesday's. Anyone know more information about this?

    Yes. Every Wednesday. She's very good.

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    Ozzie's Italian Deli

    Ozzie's Italian Deli

    3.8
    (86 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $

    Since my favorite deli in Franklin Park IL closed after 60 years, not really but it was sold and…read morethe new owners are going in a different direction so with empty meat cases the subs must be gone. So I had to find a new Italian deli in the area and this place had an authentic Italian sub on the menu with prosciutto, Genoa salami, capicola, provolone cheese, Italian dressing, lettuce and tomato that I added raw onions, hot giardiniera and mayo. It's a deli/mini mart/gambling machine/cafe with friendly service. The meats were skimpy was my first thought, see my pictures. My first thought after taking the first bite was WOW this Italian hoagie bread was perfect/fresh with that great chew/pull. Even with the skimpy meat the whole combination with me tweaking the sandwich was so fu#king delicious I got a second one to take back to WI for dinner. The area probably has a better Italian deli the residents will tell you but I'm in town once a year so next year I will try another Italian deli until I find one to start a new tradition like my old friend for many years that is no more. My final thought is that the price point is similar to the chain sub restaurants with a high quality sub sandwich and why anyone in the area that goes to a chain with this gem is beyond me because they do an authentic Italian sub very well.

    This is an interesting place. It's a restaurant, liquor store, gaming, and grocery store all in…read moreone. The beef wasn't that great, the peppers tasted like they had been soaking in tomato sauce all day. Meat lacked flavor. BUT the beef isn't the reason for the trip. The breaded chicken sandwich is a banger! Seasoned to perfection. I've had it many times but this was the first time I had it fresh at the store and not delivered.

    Photos
    Ozzie's Italian Deli
    6" Small Mary Ann's Hot Reuben Special
    6" Small Mary Ann's Hot Reuben Special
    Few tables out front

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    Few tables out front
    The Original Nottoli & Son

    The Original Nottoli & Son

    4.7
    (228 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $

    This is an absolute 5 star place for me. I have been here probably 20-30 times before, yet have not…read morereviewed it. Maybe because it already receives so much positive attention, it hardly needs my two cents. But after this latest visit, I decided to "pile on" with my love for this place. First, I must alert you to pay attention to their hours, because they are closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I kicked myself at least once, when I made the 40 minutes drive from home, just to find that I forgot that they were closed that day. This store is a double threat - offering a great take home Italian deli with a plethora of fresh and frozen items for you to prepare at home. This is also a great spot for lunch, with legendary sub sandwiches, and an array of hot dishes to choose from. I often do both. On this visit, from the deli, I picked up some of their marvelous, thinly sliced breaded eggplant, which I always get when I'm there. I bring some to my ex-wife and daughter who love it as well. Just give it a quick cook in the oven, and it's delicious. I also got some of their marvelous breaded potato salad, which is old-fashioned homemade style. From the hot bar, I got a couple of Italian sausage and some meatballs. I buy these ready to eat, but take them home to use for dinners later. That way I don't have to cook them. Obviously, they offer both meatballs and Italian sausage in fresh or frozen as well, which I get when I'm preparing my mom's spaghetti recipe. This time, I decided to try a quart of their frozen Nottoli homemade marinara, which I hadn't tried before. So delicious! I had pasta and spaghetti with sausage that night, and pasta and meatballs the next. On my various trips here, besides the Italian sausage that they are famous for, as well as the meatballs, I like their olives and other salad items, the sandwiches, brocciole, and many other hot Italian dishes for lunch. The rigatoni w/vodka sauce is a killer. Finally, the people have always been wonderful , which is very important to me. Despite being busy, it is well organized and you're in and out of there in no time (or you can sit at the table inside if you want to eat in). The prices are extremely reasonable, and I'm always pleased about the value I get for such a good price. I apologize for no pictures on this review. I always just seem to be focused on my own mouth watering choices, as opposed to a Yelp review when I come here.

    The food is delicious, all home cooked at its best. Their beef sandwich is very delicious and…read moreplentiful. They make their own sausage, which is so delicious and what are my favorites with the pot roast sandwich, so tasty and unique where you really can't find this item in many places. Their subs are good. Their salads are good two thumbs up.

    Photos
    The Original Nottoli & Son
    The Original Nottoli & Son
    The Original Nottoli & Son

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    Tony's Italian Deli & Subs

    Tony's Italian Deli & Subs

    4.6
    (373 reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $
    47 years in business
    Family-owned & operated

    We love Tony's! You quickly get transported into old time Chicago. We only heard about it when we…read moremoved to the neighborhood a few years ago via our neighbors. It came as a great recommendation! We didn't have it for a while since we live the low-carb life but were thrilled to learn they do a "sub in a tub". I love their tuna salad/sub. Their bread is soft, back when I could eat it. They don't overfill it with mayo either and add some mild peppers or hot on request. I like that they don't have onions at the deli so it doesn't overpower everything else. My husband typically loves the club. They rolled a generous amount into a container and I used scissors to quickly and easily cut it. It was a perfect lunch and I have enough for another tomorrow! For $8, or $11 for a generous tuna scoop, you can't beat it. Staff is also quick and friendly at the deli, as well as checkout. You can find all kinds of things for the house or to gift someone whether it's food, a cookie jar, something imported from Italy, or a homemade meal. You'll find something for everyone.

    It's hard to drive by this Deli and not stop in. The people are super nice and the food behind the…read morecounter is wonderful. The selection of shelved goods, many many many imported, is delightful and I really love shopping there. We've used them for premade trays of pasta dishes and more that have graced our entertainment table. Always Delish!! When it's lunchtime I tend to pick up one of their ready to go subs which never disappoint. If you've not been to Tony's,,, put it on your bucket list!

    Photos
    Just one of the many shirts we sell.
    Just one of the many shirts we sell.
    Tony's Italian Deli & Subs
    PEPPER AND EGG SUB, 
 AVAILABLE ONLY DURING LENT  WED. & FRI.

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    PEPPER AND EGG SUB, AVAILABLE ONLY DURING LENT WED. & FRI.
    Johnnie's Beef

    Johnnie's Beef

    4.4
    (2k reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $

    Oh, how I miss that one big guy that used to say, "gimmie a beef, drag it, and a bag to travel"…read more Or, "gimme an ice, cap it, next!" Johnnie's is an icon, just based on the experience of listening to that guy talk. Ah, but he's long gone, and new ownership abounds. But the beef is still great. One of the best beef sandwiches around, combos that are seasoned just right, and Italian ice That hits the spot on a hot summer day. I think the hot dogs are just a throw in, and the fries are decent. But it's the beef that keeps bringing you back. Not much ambiance, unless you want to stand and watch the cars roll by on North Avenue, but the smell of the sausage cooking is intoxicating. The price of the beef has gone up, and I swear it's a tad smaller, but if you're in the neighborhood, nothing hits the spot quite like a Johnnie's beef sandwich. I can still hear the big guy...."Whaddah need, gimmie a beef, wet, sweet and hot, That'l be nine fiffy two, bag it, next!" I miss him...

    We stopped by Johnnie's Beef and tried both the Italian Beef and the Italian Sausage. The Italian…read moreBeef was outstanding. We ordered it dipped, and the beef was tender, flavorful, and packed with rich gravy without becoming soggy. It lived up to the reputation that so many Chicago locals talk about. The Italian Sausage was also excellent, with great flavor and a nice balance of seasoning. Both sandwiches tasted fresh and authentic. The service was fast, the atmosphere was classic Chicago, and it was easy to see why this place has such a loyal following. If you're looking for a true Chicago Italian beef experience, Johnnie's is absolutely worth the trip.

    Photos
    Happy customers at the front of the long line.
    Happy customers at the front of the long line.
    Italian lemonade
    Italian lemonade
    Italian beef extra dipped with extra hot peppers

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    Italian beef extra dipped with extra hot peppers

    Great Escape Restaurant - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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