We love coming here! The food is always delicious, interior is unique, and you can always find something special on the list that fits your taste. it's definitely one of the most undervalued restaurants in the area, and it should be listed on the top spot among other premium places to go to. read more

Went out to Vault 232 with my wife an a couple of friends. This place never disappoints! FYI - This is one of the few places in the area that uses InKind App, so check it out and if you would like to more, DM me. That said, one of our friends is a foodie like me and loved the menu with plenty of seafood options and he found it challenging to select something as it all looked so good. We started with appetizers of Fire Shrimp, Octopus and Jumbo Crab Cake. We all shared and was absolutely amazing! My wife ordered the Lobster and Shrimp Pasta which she had the week before. Last time it came with a little heat, but this time was a little bland for her but was still very flavorful (so somewhat confusing). FYI the lobster comes in two halved pieces w/ shell (a miniature lobster, not meal sized one) For me, the apps were not enough. I ordered Rice Élan Style w/ 4 Sea Scallops (Arborio rice, butter, sun-dried tomato, spinach, citrus blend, parmigiano reggiano). This was really good and the scallops were so flavorful. I also ordered the Lobster Mac & Cheese. Yes, I was hungry. It was a generous portion and includes chunks of lobster, not like other places where we are searching for where the lobster is hiding. Service was amazing as usual. I expect nothing less. Since it was my foodie friend's first time, they gave him a gift card for a free bruschetta app next time he comes in. It is dimly lit. It not dark as every table has small touch lights. So, apologies for the pics as they may be a little dark. Certainly looking forward to next time! read more

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Me and my buddy came here after a long day of fishing and it really hit the spot! Our server Kevin was very attentive and knew we liked it spicy and got us a lot of peppers to appease our delicate palates! read more

Vault 232 - Fire shrimp with extra peppers - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

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Had a very disappointing meal last night. My husband had salmon and it was overcooked and needed a little of some sort of sauce. I had grouper and it was ok. The main issue was presentation and vegetables. Vegetables were just cut vegetables that were steamed and tossed on plate. No seasoning, no flavor, nothing attractive about the plate. Other problem was server. Only had 4 tables but after waiting 20 minutes for check I went to bartender to settle up. For $125 I expect more. read more

I've been to Vault 232 a couple times now. Both times did not disappoint! This place is seafood centered if you like seafood but they also offer a various dishes. The first time I went was for happy hour and they offer an assortment of appetizers, tacos and a few cocktails at a reasonable price. This time I went after happy hour. The ambience is very nice, spotless and rustic. My waiter Marc R was very attentive and personable. My French martini was very good and the lobster and shrimp and pasta dish that Mark suggested was fantastic and plenty for two people! There was a generous amount of shrimp in that dish too. I just asked for the spicy sauce on the side. This is a must dish when you come here! I will definitely be back to this restaurant! I give them 4.5 stars. read more

Vault 232 - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

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If you are looking for the freshest fish this is your place to go. We have not yet dined in but we always get the fish from Fish Market and the owner Frank is the most wonderful guy. Always friendly and helpful. Highly recommend this place. read more

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This place was wonderful! From the service to the atmosphere. And the food, great flavors. Everything was fresh, especially the seafood and fish. We had oysters, fish and short ribs-everything was exceptional read more

Terrible dinner experience. Waitress is absent, drinks were very mediocre. food was awful for the price. Calamari came out extreme chewy could not even eat it. Oysters Rockefeller were very poorly prepared. Fish and chips the fish was dripping with grease the meat was mush. Appetizers came out with soggy old lettuce. It's amazing to me that you can ask for this process tag and have such poorly executed food. I was told the fish is very fresh and high quality but that doesn't matter if the kitchen is inexperienced or doesn't care and your fish is super dry and overcooked. Definitely going to spread the word and not come back. Don't get ripped off and gouged because a place wants to pretend they are high end and serve you high priced poorly prepared food. read more

We visited for a family dinner and had a great experience overall. This restaurant seems ahead of its time in the revitalization process of downtown Lake Zurich. The restaurant is beautiful and inviting. The history of the restaurant is reflected in the decor. The staff was welcoming and friendly. We had a table right next to the vault which the kids loved. Our server quickly got a round of drinks ordered and started us on a round of appetizers. Those who ordered oysters were thrilled with the presentation and taste. We had quite the range of entrees ordered. Some left us wanting, others had us drooling. There was also some confusion about the modifications needed for allergies. We were told that the chef was new so I'm guessing that is the reason for most of the issues. The lobster Mac was the best bite of the day. The Mac and cheese was so creamy, rich and flavorful. The char grilled ribeye was cooked perfectly and flavorful. The surf n turf left us wanting. We were surprised by what a small plate it was based on the price. The steak was over cooked and we didn't get our slaw. We were grateful to have been able to eat some of the others leftovers to satiate our remaining hunger. The drinks were strong and inconsistent. The first old fashioned was perfect, the second was overly strong and contained a cheap maraschino cherry. Our dessert spread was excellent. The three desserts shared between 6 of us was the perfect amount. Overall, this was a great experience and we'd be happy to go back and try again. read more

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We came here on Easter. We've been here before for my birthday. This is a beautiful restaurant decorated very well. When you walk into the restaurant, you see doors to a "vault "the bar is large and expensive. The dining area has plenty of room. There's a beautiful wall of water that divides the dining room in half. I looks like a modern restaurant but also with some touches of maybe the app prohibition? The drink menu definitely reflects prohibition time crafted cocktails. Whenever I have been here, the crafted cocktails are on point. Everyone at the table had different entrées. One of my sons had the state Diane recommendation from the bartender. We all tried a piece and it was excellent! I would provide a note of caution. Previously, we had had the crabcakes that were on the appetizer menu. And they were your usual larger size crabcakes. Now they have decreased the size to four small balls for the crabcakes. For me I would pass on the smaller crabcakes. On other person, our table had their massive burgers. Which are always exceptional. My other son and myself had the scallops Arborio. There were a generous portion of scallops that were cooked perfectly. And the Arborio was excellent and also add some spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. With just enough taste of lemon and the dish. We always start with the shrimp appetizer. It has some spicy chili sauce on the side. The shrimp is deep fried, but not with a heavy batter. This is a hidden gem in downtown Lake Zürich. Even though it looks like there is construction on the street, you are allowed to get into the restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

Vault 232 - Scallops Arborio. Fabulous. With my old-fashioned in the background. Drinks are always on point at The Vault. - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

Our first visit to Vault 232 was enjoyable in every way. The interior was stylish and refined, with soft lighting and a beautiful water wall separating the dining room into two sections. The combination of brick and wood in design is always an appealing combination, especially in such a historic setting. My husband and I were very impressed by the menu. Everything we ordered was exceptional, with multiple preparation options for the fresh catch section. Our server Katie was helpful, professional and well-informed on the menu. The beautiful music provided by the violist during the evening greatly enhanced our experience. read more

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I hate to keep picking on this restaurant but I want to love it so desperately but I just can't. First two pictures shows what they called shucked clams. What I paid extra for them to do. Third picture shows what they look like after my husband, and I shucked them. All we received were clams that were cracked and broken. We had to clean them up. Frustrating and a total ripoff! Third year in a row that we were disappointed. LESSON LEARNED! read more

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The food at Vault 232 is reliably good. The service can be spotty. I'd love to see a better trained staff, but I know it's hard enough just to get people to show up for work these days. If you sit near the bar, it's pretty loud but it's quieter on the dining area. This is a regular stop on our dining out list. read more

Came here on two occasions a few weeks apart while visiting friends in the area and sadly both times the experience wasn't the best. I'll start by saying the the staff was very friendly and the place has a really nice aesthetic. But that's where it stopped. Both times we sat at the bar, they seemed to be out of many things for their drinks. Same bartender both times who told us he was the bar manager. Drinks were very weird tasting and didn't seem correct. One cocktail it tasted like the juice was expired and the other I got was a sazerac and it tasted nothing like one. The following time we played it safe and just had beer and wine. For food the "jumbo" crab cake was tiny and burnt on the bottom, not sure if they know what I normal size crab cake is but this is not it. the walleye piccata tasted like the sauce was just pure lemon juice, super sour. Steak and potatoes had a nice sauce but the potatoes were also burned and really hard to eat. Both times it seemed to be similar issues. Seems this place is one of those spots where they invest into the aesthetic but not the quality of the food or drink. at least have people with the experience the justify the price tag, there are places similarity priced not too far away that are much more worth it. . read more

In town for our grandson's 16th Birthday and went there for dinner and was very impressed ! Everything we ordered from the appetizers to the entrees and desserts were delicious!! We all had a different fish entree and between the presentation and the quality, freshness and the care they took cooking the fish it was excellent!! The owner came over to make sure everything was perfect and he surprised us with a grilled Octopus appetizer he was trying which was incredible! Desserts were all homemade and so flavorful! Will definitely return next time we're looking to celebrate or have a special dinner as it was a gem!! read more

Cauliflower app was GREAT, Foccacia app was great. My entree salad (beet & burrata) with grilled chicken was AWEFUL. The chicken was undercooked (gross!). The beets were bland, the lettuce was old/wilted, wrong nuts were used. The dressing was sour, sizzled on my tongue, like, sour- EXPIRED! My husbands dish, the El'an was "just" a bowl of rice with a couple of pieces of broccoli. Our friends enjoyed their Poke bowls. Service was below average. It's a Saturday night and there *might* be a dozen tables occupied. I hope this isn't the beginning of the end. read more

We had a reservation, but I don't think one was needed. I really like being able to build my own fish combination/dish and select the ounces. The chef recommendations were helpful as a starting point. The entire dish was delicious. We also started our meal with mocktails and the bruschetta platter. My only complaint was that the smoke smell in the restaurant (probably from a wood burning oven) was so overpowering it irritated my asthma and I was unable to breath for sometime. I was eventually able to settle my lungs, but it did take 5-10ish minutes. Something to be mindful of if you have allergies or asthma. Otherwise would certainly recommend Vault 232 as a great sea food location. read more

Went for my daughters birthday. The food was awful and overpriced. The calamari was so skimpy. Everyone sent their meals back. Experience was not positive read more

Great atmosphere service and food to match. This restaurant also has live music frequently read more

Went here for the first time last night. Food was good. The fish is definitely fresh. We had the poke bowl and the sea bass. Loved that the lobster bisque had a half lobster tail on it. The vibe of the restaurant is neat. The biggest issue with the place is the price. Everything is very expensive. I get it for the fish, but everything else, the drinks, deserts, non-fish options are pricey. Will definitely go back for the fresh fish, but probably not frequently given the price. read more

This was an unexpected treat! We walked in from a lackluster attempt at a dinner experience at a place up the street (looking at you Consume), and this was a balm on our weary, hungry souls. The ambiance was great - the wandering jazz sax was an added amusement. The food defied all expectations - I truly cannot overstate the quality of the seafood. The oysters were phenomenal, the shrimp GIGANTIC. I had the Lobster and Shrimp Pasta and it was divine. Atmosphere was relaxing and intimate, even with Halloween decor :) Service was prompt, proactive, and polite. The chef stopped by the table and asked about our evening, and subsequently served us an amuse bouche of fresh tuna sushi. Five stars! Drinks were the only (minor) drawback, but can very much be overlooked for the service, ambiance, and food quality. We'll be back! read more

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Perfect date night spot! The cocktails are creative and delicious, the food is absolutely amazing, and the vibe strikes that perfect balance of lively yet intimate. Everything felt thoughtful and special -- we'll definitely be back. read more

Vault 232 - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

Why have I not gone here before. Stopped in for an impromptu lunch, awesome bar and cool space. Freaking grouper sandwich was amazing! No lie. Great service and friendly staff. Plan on coming back for date night. They also have a fresh seafood market I might check out. read more

Vault 232 - Blackened Grouper Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

This is the 3rd time I've been here and we don't come during dinner service this time. We came around 230pm on a Sunday and it was dead in there. There was another table and us. They finished and we were the only ones. We thought being a holiday weekend more people would be out. Food was ok I remember the fig pear flat bread being less like pizza and more like flatbread the last time I ordered it. It had a lot more fig jam on it and not a lot of balsamic glaze. The calamari was fine nothing wrong there. I remember the cauliflower being more crispy last time we had it as well. I don't know if they changed some of their recipes, but those didn't taste like they used to. It's still a nice place but the food was inconsistent with what we ordered before our last two times we came there. read more

Oversauced and underwhelmed. We had a reservation for a party of 6 of us on a Saturday evening. When we arrived, we were told they couldn't seat us right away unless we wanted to sit at the high tables near the bar. We opted to wait until a table opened in the dining room. We ordered drinks at the bar from a woefully disenfranchised wannabe hipster who literally turned away without a word to start making drinks (2 of one and 3 of another) before I had finished ordering. The drinks were just ok. When we moved to a table, our hipster bartender friend came over and told us we had to close out at the bar. Apparently, they can't transfer checks or maybe he just wanted his tip to go directly to him. Who knows? We were seated "temporarily" at a four top and told they would pull another table over when one opened up. The table was TERRIBLE. Anytime any of us leaned on it, it would tip because of the style of table it was with only a center support. Meanwhile, a 6-top table directly behind us opened up, so we moved there. Hooray! We're finally sitting comfortably. Now to the food. It was...eh. The rib tip appetizer had way too much BBQ sauce on it. The crab cakes were typical boring Midwest crab cakes and the calamari was chewy. For our mains: the seafood risotto was made with plain white rice and had no flavor. We were told by a guy (who I can only assume is their "fixer" who helps explain why their food is not as good as you expect) that the risotto was not dairy or cheese based because the chef doesn't want to pair seafood with that. So it's a citrus base. He also claimed it was made with Arborio rice (normally used for risotto) which it for sure was not. I ordered the Steak Sinatra, supposedly one of their specialties. It was drowning in sauce and sauce was so strongly flavored that I couldn't taste anything else. I forget what everyone else at the table ordered, but none of us were blown away by any of it. The only redeeming factor were the two lovely female wait staff who took care of us. They were wonderful and we tipped them accordingly. All in all, we will not go back. read more

Wow! What a find! We came out from Chicago for the day and searched for patios around the area. The food was phenomenal, and I hope we get the chance to visit again soon! The wine and oysters paired great, but the highlight was the lobster fries! That along with the grouper sandwich and ahi tuna with crisps made me do the happy dance the entire time we were there. The place was quiet at 3pm on a Saturday which was a very welcomed sight as well! If I lived out this way, we'd be here once a month during the summer! Great service made this an all around exceptional visit! read more

Vault 232 - Lobster fries - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

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Mark was an amazing server the food was outstanding and can't get enough of it! The ambiance was flawless! read more

Vault 232 - Grouper Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

The service was slow and unfriendly; food was mediocre and overpriced for the quality.

We had high hopes for this when it first came to LZ, which needs good new establishments and we're not happy with our first dinner try here!! We thought they would do more with the bank vault theme to make the atmosphere different and wxciting. The food was not worth the prices charged. There are better places to dine in LZ!!!! read more

Lovely place for dinner! The ribs appetizer and scallops entree were so good. I really loved how much pride the staff took in the restaurant and the food. We were treated so well and I can't wait to go back and try some other dishes. The strawberry cheesecake dessert was to die for! read more

The worst service ever, plus they were out of half their wines and beers. They also were inconsistent on prices between their menu and the bill. And they did nothing to rectify the situation except offer us 50% off the bill. Why not try to start over with us instead of letting us walk out the door? The entire experience was incredibly disappointing - we will never go back. read more

Vault 232 - Why the difference??? - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

I would definitely give this place a 3.5 stars. The atmosphere is quite nice, it's also best to reserve online, too. They seem to be popular. The bar is large and looks like fun, and there is a space that is in a vault area that, I personally think, could be utilized better, but it's a private bar area. It's a seafood house with plenty of meat options as well. I chose one of the seafood specials, grilled red snapper and a side of cous cous. The cous cous was good, but I think it could've been done with out the veggies on top. Maybe because I grew up with this "side", the veggies should've been mixed in and cooked in, not treated like a salad. However, it was still very good. I feel that the red snapper could've been cooked just a tad more. It was very moist, and delicious. They do offer some sauces on it, or crusts, on the fish. They have an extensive drink menu. If you're looking for a bank robber theme of drinks, you'll find it at Vault 232. The drinks were wonderfully made as well. We went over on a holiday week, so it was busy on a day they most likely would not have been. The service could've been better, but I'll blame that on the amateurs that go out to eat and run the servers around during the holidays. My husband and I will try this place again, and see what else they offer. read more

Vault 232 - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

Good fresh seafood large portions with lovely decor. Our server was attentive but not too in your face. Will definitely return

I highly recommend Vault for an evening out. The food is amazing and the dessert was delicious! The service was excellent! Great ambiance as well. read more

Vault 232 - Chocolate chip cheesecake - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

Took a few months off. Service and food were off for a while. NOT ANY MORE. Great service couldn't do enough for us. Shrimp tacos were so fresh and my wife's sandwich was perfect. Drinks were reasonably priced. We like the bar area. It was active. We will be regulars again. read more

I'm so glad that we finally decided to try this place! We went initially just for the happy hour specials, but ended up ordering off of the regular menu as well. I got a lobster roll and it was SO good. There was a ton of meat & no weird filler added like some other places do with lobster rolls. Our server was super nice and very attentive. Our drinks never went too long without us getting a refill. When we got there around 4:30 we were one of only a few tables in there, so we were a little worried, but after about an hour or so, the volume of people really picked up. I would 100% recommend making a reservation. I didn't know what to expect with the overall vibe, but it wasn't super fancy. Definitely a place that I want to keep coming back to. read more

The night started bad with hostess trying to seat us in the bar at a high top. Asked hostess for regular table and was told no even though there were many tables available and we had reservation. As hostess just walked away from me I was left wondering if we were going to get a different table. So I called Lago looking to see if they had a place. While on hold with Lago, I asked second host what was happening and he sat us in the dinning room at a regular table. Order wine, one glass came with clearly lot of cork floating on top of glass. Pointed out to host and was delivered new glass. Food was good, beet salad and clam chowder. Partner order fish dish and was served wrong dish. So, one dish hot and ready to eat while other was not there. After a few minutes new dish showed up and it was good. After dinner drinks only hot drink available was regular coffee not decaf, no hot tea available. Ordered coffee, it arrived hot and good, in a old chipped and pealing mug. Bottom line food is good not excellent service it below par. If you are an upscale diner, you need to have some attention to detail. read more

Steak Fajitas were very bad. Steak over cooked and of poor quality. Condiments were sparse and not flavorful. Taco shells were soggy and ripped or cut. read more

I've been here several times since Frank opened up the Vault and at the beginning everything thing was wonderful. I gave up about a 6 months ago because almost every time they were out of 2or 3 fresh fish entrees, twice out of bread and slow service. Well we decided to give it another try on Friday Sept 5 at 6:30 and the place was about half full. Again out of grouper and halibut which was disappointing, so we decided to have a few appetizers. We ask for shrimp cocktail and our server came back to inform us they were out of shrimp. At that point I ask for the check for the 2 cocktails we had and left. This place is beautiful and has so much potential , but I tried again and now I'm finished. Very sad and i still wish Frank the best. read more

By far one of our favorite restaurants in the area! Great atmosphere and great food! We look forward to our next night out! read more

Vault 232 - Seafood Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois