I am a sucker for nostalgia and this place has the perfect balance of honoring the past but embracing the present. Everything I've had there has been great and they made a great choice with their ice cream brand. The staff is friendly and patient. The prices must be reasonable because we keep coming back. I love that they have old movies on all the time and have a pinball and claw machine option. This place is a classic! read more

Been a childhood favorite for over 30 years. Almost the same as what it used to be. Very nostalgic. Great prices and the teenage workers are fantastic. read more

The Highland Queen - Hot fudge Soft Serve Sundae - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

I have been coming here since I was a kid! Loved it then, and love it now! Banana splits and hot fudge sundaes are great, but my go to is the soft serve medium size twinkle cone! There is something about their soft serve ice cream that bests all the others! Can't wait til April 10th when they open for the season! read more

They always have the nicest, kindest people working here, and the owner is just as warm and welcoming. I love the No Sugar Added Moose Tracks ice cream. This is also my favorite spot in Lagrange highlands for a Chicago style dog. Their cheese fries, buffalo chicken sandwich, and port tenderloin sandwich are all excellent. Of particular note are the very fresh buns they use for the sandwiches and hot dog. read more

The Highland Queen - A beautiful summer night at Highland Queen - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

Another old school original. They work hard. Its worth the test. Original owners passed and the legend was not allowed to die. A few menu additions. read more

Just took me to Hawaii! Absolutely delicious pineapple dole whip. I've always wanted to try this & it is amazing! Love the decor & it's a cute little stop. Such an amazing taste read more

The Highland Queen - dole whip!! - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

Just delicious ice cream & friendly service! Been coming here for years with our sons and now my granddaughters are coming here

Wait: No wait. You can walk up and order outside or inside (if you are wearing a mask). Atmosphere: Old school hamburger / hot dog stand feel. Cleanliness: The inside was clean but old... but that's what gives it its atmosphere. Service: The workers behind the counter were polite and fast. Food: I had a double cheeseburger with ketchup, mustard and pickles. It was a really good burger. Not sure, but I think the ketchup and mustard was premixed together. That seemed to be a difference maker on the taste of the cheeseburger. The onion rings were huge! They only come in one size... huge. And they were great! Loved the full onion in the breading vs the minced onions at other places. Also getting that classic RC was a nice way to finish off the meal. Overall: Pretty cool little place. Old school look and feel with great tasting food. They also have shakes, malts and ice cream cones by "Hershey's". I didn't try that on this go"round. I'll try that during my next visit. read more

The Highland Queen - Double Cheeseburger, Onion Rings, RC Cola - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

So happy to learn this place has dole whip! After coming home from Hawaii, it's all we craved. Now we have it just 10 minutes away! The store is clean, the staff is friendly, and there's plenty of seating indoors and out. Will be back for more! read more

The Highland Queen - Pineapple dole whip - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

My husband and I were out and about today and he got hungry for lunch. We spotted this place and decided to give it a try. We ordered at the window and ate outside at the ample seating in their parking lot. My husband got a breaded buffalo chicken sandwich and I got a fish sandwich. He also got a German Chocolate malt. The girls were quick and the sandwiches were huge and hot! I wasn't expecting much for a $4 sandwich but it was really great! The malt has real pieces of coconut in it. It may not look like much but it's definitely worth a shot and way better than a fast food lunch. They also have tons of ice cream and Hawaiian shave ice options - which I love. I hope we will get a chance to try out some other treats there soon! read more

The Highland Queen - Fish Sandwich - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

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Classic drive up that does burgers, fries, and shakes in the usual way. Great comfort food and a fun ambiance.

Always a great place to go for ice cream and shakes! Been a local favorite for many years. read more

My wife wanted to come here since she used to as a child. We drove out from the city and wow was it worth the drive! They have a walk up window so it's quite safe during the pandemic. They even have a bottle of purell for you and the workers at the window. On the topic of the pandemic, their dole whip was the perfect escape from all that's going on right now. We have had the original dole whip at the dole plantation in Oahu and highland queens version is dead on. I can't give this place enough glowing recommendations if you want a little family get away! read more

The Highland Queen - Dole Whip! - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

This is one of my favorite places for a quick, but tasty sandwich. The hot dogs, Italian beef, plain or combo, breaded pork tenderloin, chicken, are all good. But the Brute burger, even better as a cheese burger, with the works, is the BEST burger you will find. The fries are nice and meaty, but the onion rings are amazing! They are huge, battered, not breaded and whole onions, not diced and pressed. They are known as an ice cream place, and theHershey brand ice cream is good and there is a pretty big selection. BUT, the Dole whips are everything! The pineapple stays constant, with other flavors rotating through. Try any paired with vanilla soft serve. oIf none of that satisfies your sweet tooth, try the Hawaiian shave ice! You can order ice cream through a window and enjoy it at one of the tables set up around the parking lot. Or, you can order inside and have a seat at a booth or table. You can also order to-go. The place is neat and clean. it is also old, by design. It has been a neighborhood staple for a lot of years, and the decision to keep that nostalgic feel is what most of us love. The staff are mainly young people from the local High School. That, too is as it has always been. Lot's of first jobs here, then and now. This is truly a neighborhood treasure! read more

This makes me sad to do but I'm so angry that I can't help but leave this negative review on a local mainstay. We got to HQ At 9:50 pm. A full ten minutes before they closed. All the lights were on INCLUDING the OPEN signs. All we wanted was ice cream; not a 12 course meal. Ice cream. The girl who was mopping, looked my daughter straight in the eye and shut off all the light. Didn't say a word. Nothing. Just shut the lights off turned away from her and walked away. The apparent boss even came out, looked up at the clock and walked away. I PREFER TO GIVE MY BUSINESS TO A LOCAL MOM AND POP store WHENEVER POSSIBLE and have fond memories of HQ but NOT if they are going to treat us like that! I would have accepted even an apology and begging out of serving us because they had shut the machines off (although why before close) but nothing. read more

if you've ever been to disney world & had dole whip or the hei hei cone, AND u live in this area, this is a must place to come to if you miss having it from when you went to disney! the pineapple dole whip was absolutely amazing and i give it a 10/10 . and the raspberry dole whip was absolutely amazing as well!! 10/10 . read more

The Highland Queen - raspberry & pineapple dole whip - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

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Excited to see someplace local with Dole Whip! They had both pineapple and strawberry and you could get both combined if you wanted. The best part of our visit were the vending machine toys. My four year olds went crazy getting these rubber cookie/treat things for $.50 each. Luckily I had like $4 in quarters on me! read more

Extremely reliable place to eat at always a great eat and the ice cream is FABULOUS.

The Highland Queen is a small ice cream and fast food joint located off of 55th Street just West of Willow Springs Road in LaGrange Highlands. The building itself is clearly left over from the 1940s or 1950s and still has tables, chairs and other decor seemingly from that time period. In visiting the Highland Queen I decided to try a hot dog, and a frozen carbonated beverage. The hot dog I received came on a soft non-poppy seed bun all of the condiments and ingredients were tightly packed onto the bun so that there was no sloppy eating or re-assembly of toppings required to get the taste of everything in one bite. The pickle used was a thin pickle spear, the tomato's were chopped up and served like salsa on the dog. The onions were on top of the pickle which is fairly unusual. The application of mustard and relish was fine and I didn't notice any celery salt. The sausage on this hot dog was of the skinless variety but was well heated. Overall I'd say this was an average hot dog. I also purchased a frozen carbonated beverage. No, not an ICEE, a Slush Puppie, a Slurpee or any such brand name, the machine they have here actually says "Frozen Carbonated Beverage: FCB". While the flavor was fine, the syrup and the ice separate from one another fairly easily leaving you with a cup of ice and all the carbonated beverage having fallen to the bottom. Based on that I don't like it as much as an ICEE. One final note, the service was a bit slow here. I'd imagine it took around 8-10 minutes to get my hot dog. If they were exceptionally busy it would be understandable but they weren't. Overall the Highland Queen is fairly average and I award it three stars. read more

The Highland Queen - hot dog - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

The Queen, a longtime fixture in the Western Suburbs, is alive and well! Happy to see the new owners (since June 2018) have managed to keep the Queen's nostalgia while upgrading the food and service. Perfect spot to take the family out for ice cream or grab a quick bite. They have a large selection of ice cream and other soft serve deserts. My kids and in-laws were all happy with their ice cream selections and the staff is very friendly. There are also games for the kids to play. Will definitely bring my soccer/baseball team back here when we're back in season. read more

It's not gourmet, but then again, nobody who comes here expects that. We expected hot & salty waffle fries, a melty, gooey cheeseburger, onion rings that crunch instead of sag, and sweet, smooth, creamy ice cream. That's what we got. And on an unseasonably warm, sunny, fall day in the Chicago burbs, it hit the spot. We'll be back... read more

Excellent food and ice cream. Only reason for 4 stars is that they do not have sugar-free ice cream options. For us diabetics, don't forget your insulin when you go here, you'll need it! read more

Great service. However, you can get a better burger at speedway. No joke. I heard him using a microwave. ... .. read more

We arrived, there was no line, and yet it took several minutes for the staff to prepare a sundae. And their idea of a sundae is soft serve with syrup on top (call me crazy, but I thought there was some whipped cream, a cherry, and perhaps some other ingredients to a sundae). The only other people in here were accompanied by small children who were absolutely gaga over a kiddie ride in the back of the seating area. The ride was loud, but a great distraction for kids; it seems to be the only reason to come here. read more

The Highland Queen - Highland Queen sign - American Near Me - La Grange Highlands, Illinois

This is the place to go for milkshakes if you love variety. They even have seasonal milkshakes that cannot be found elsewhere! The food is good, too! read more

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Best Place Ever To Get Ice Cream. They have amazing Soft Serve and the best Chocolate Ice Cream ever. Great for the family. They serve Hamburgers and hotdogs and all sorts of amazing foods. read more

Highland Queen use to be a good place to go. Now you have sarcastic employees who berate custoners. I called the young boy on it when i overheard his sarcastic remark about an elderly. He called her an old hag and she should be in a nursing hone. The young boy just said too bad she cant hear anywsys. I am sure I was talked about too. The food, I had a conr, my wife a hotdog, was tastles. The restaurant ares was dirty. wont ho back.I read more

Walking into here is like walking into my childhood. From the fixtures to the tables to the fake plants, everything in this restaurant is the same. It appears that some new little league sponsor plaques have appeared, but that seems to be about it. Fortunately the prices have stayed fairly similar. I took my son here for the first time and it seems he enjoyed it as much as I always have. We ordered a cheeseburger, cheese fries and a small flurry and the total was 8$. Flurries are the best here. Soft serve ice cream mixed with cookie dough or whatever else you want, and not over mixed! Some places blend it too much and you end up with what is basically a milkshake. Yuck. Sure this places isn't the classiest and the decor is older than me, but I still love it. Coming here reminds me of the days when I could walk here from my house without worrying about adult stuff like car insurance and bills. The good old days. read more

Absolutely love this place! Has the old school feel but most importantly their beef sandwich with giardiniera and melted cheese is phenomenal. Friendly staff and great place for kids. Don't leave without their delicious ice cream! read more

WARNING: This following review reports on an old school drive-in that's not a chain. You heard me.. OLD SCHOOL that's not a CHAIN (I'm meaning places like Sonic and Dairy Queen). Anyways, I saw this place one day when I was driving somewhere. I said to myself "Hmm., this looks like a decent place. I'll check it out" and I did! A twenty minute drive doesn't affect anything. I walked in, and it probably didn't change that much for a while, but I'm here for the food. It had a short line which was about 3 minutes. It was hard to decide what I wanted. I was only here for ice cream during my experience here. There is seating inside the drive-in. The service was okay. Some of the staff were teenagers, but the employees were nice and friendly. The employee that made the ice cream had to ask what the toppings of a turtle sundae were. You're supposed to know what everything on the menu is and how to make it before you get hired, but the order was made correctly. I haven't had the chance to get a dip-top (soft serve with chocolate) in a LONG time. It was ever since the drive-in near my house didn't do dip-tops anymore. I brought someone with me, and she got the turtle sundae. The chocolate hiding the soft serve had a great crunch, and the ice cream had a great flavor and it was rich ice cream. I thought the dip-top was great! The turtle sundae was pretty good too! All in all, the service needs to be a little better, but I think the food is great! I'll be coming back sometime soon! ANOTHER WARNING: I'm going back to the OLD SCHOOL drive-in that's not a CHAIN! read more

This is a friend's childhood haunt so we stopped in for old times sake. The decor is vintage 1970s and not really in a nice way. He says it has not changed in the last 40 years. I don't object to the old decor but the place felt none too clean either. The meat in our burgers had been pounded thin and contained gristly bits. Yikes. Nostalgia only goes so far. IF we return we will stick to the ice cream! read more

Old fashioned (well, 1960s ish) ice cream place. Great ice cream, shakes and sundaes. Good food. Support places like this before everything turns into a chain! read more

I stopped in for lunch yesterday, after years of "I have to try that place someday". The employees were pleasant and pretty quick about getting through orders. The food was good, about what you would expect from this kind of place. The crinkle-cut fries were very good and hot, not like you find at so many chains these days. I'll be returning! read more

Two of each had a brute burger,fries and onion rings. The burger was very good--tasty and fresh. It is a quarter pound and was well prepared. The fries were crinkle cut and crispy. The onion rings crispy and excellent. The menu has a lot of items, but a hamburger is the thing to get. We did not get any ice cream but others there seemed to enjoy it. The service was fast and efficient. Good prices. We ate in the restaurant, but although it is clean, it is not appealing. Next time we go we will carry out. read more

The highland queen is a nostalgic and tasty paradise. The food itself isn't amazing, but it's great for the price your getting it at. The real star of the show is the ice cream. There are so many flavors and variations of ice cream that it boggles the mind! The vibe of this place in general is nice and nostalgic. Come for the food, stay for the ice cream. A must go if your looking for a good burger or a cone with your family read more

Aw yeah. This is like an old school ice cream shop, but in all honesty I go there for the burgers. Want a bigger cheeseburger? Up the ante and get a "Cheese Brute." I do not know the origin of this name. They have all sorts of ice cream, burgers, gyros, and so on. They have an old baseball arcade game in the back that appears to be from the early 50's. I've promised myself that next time I go I'm going to find out if it is in working condition. I probably wouldn't make any special arrangements to get to this place, but it's on my way home from work and sometimes I just get so hungry...you know what I'm saying? This place has saved me from starvation more than once. The inside is tacky with the old scooped out wooden booths (painted yellow) but I get my stuff to go normally. And also, when the weather is nice, they have tables outside in the front. You can watch the traffic on 55th street, and the old lushes going into the liquor store after work. read more

There aren't too many places around here that feel like home the moment you walk through the door. Once you walk inside the Highland Queen, you instantly get that rush of familiarity that reminds you of your childhood trips to the ice cream shop. The milkshakes and ice cream are top notch. I'll stop here for a sundae at least once a week. I can't comment on the food, but from what I've observed from the flow of customers, it can't be half bad. I'll give this place five stars with gratitude to the night supervisor that works here. He is incredibly professional, charming, and conversational. He really wants to ensure that you'll be a returning customer, which I most definitely will be. read more

I came upon this hidden gem of deliciousness. I am becoming a "frequent shopper". Everything is cooked to order. So happy I stopped there because I was starving. Prices are reasonable, staff is extremely friendly and everything I have tried has been fabulous. Ice cream and sandwiches. Go and explore for yourself. read more

Love this place my daughters and I always get the Marshmallow Milk Shake, so glad that someone kept the place open

Very poor quality of food. McDonalds might have better quality. Atleast McDonalds is hot when served and not so dry. I had a brat and it was dry and unenjoyable all together. My coworker had a burger that looked like a BK $1 menu burger. The Shaved Ice didnt have much flavor. They likely use cheap syrup. I guess syrup is bad anyway, so shouldnt have expected much. It seems like the building itself and the menu has potential, but they need better quality and care. The customer service is barely par. At 1pm there were 3 tables occupied. It was dead. It is probably a great place to take a baseball team after a game, but might as hit up portillos or save money at McDz read more

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