We were a group of 7 adults and 4 kids under five years old. George and the rest of the wait staff were wonderful - patient, friendly, helpful. Cleared the messy table at regular intervals, brought out sippy cups for the little ones, split the appetizers among the adults, were flexible with our chaotic ordering. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. The food was delicious as well. read more

EJ's is an awesome steakhouse near Old Orchard Mall. The food, service, and atmosphere were great. The grilled calamari and shrimp DeJonghe were very tasty appetizers. The portions of each were large and easy to share. The sauce with the grilled calamari was incredible. Moreover, all of the steaks were cooked to perfection and very tender. I enjoyed the interior and vibe of the dining area as well. My experience at the restaurant was wonderful, and I am looking forward to coming back. read more

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Disclaimer: I'm a New Yorker who's moved to Chicagoland so maybe I'm a bit snooty but the regular Yelpers in the Midwest should always be viewed with a star and a 1/2 less than what is expected normally. Typical steakhouse, similar to The River Palm Terrace in Jersey but the service was meh. We actually had to ask a server walking by for menus. What restaurant seats you without giving you a menu? Drinks came out after the apps and the main course was off pace after our salads and soups; felt like we were sitting there waiting for an hour. The steaks were under seasoned and couldn't help feeling like the dishes had been sitting in the kitchen for a bit...maybe the server forgot. Sautéed spinach was too salty. The quality of meat and prep and the service doesn't qualify for a $600+ dinner. Probably would have had a better time at Longhorn, unfortunately. read more

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I came here for a group event and everything I tasted was phenomenal! The service was also amazing. The little pop bottles were very cute. My favorites were the fried calamari, steak, ravioli, and fried potatoes. You know it's good when even the broccoli and spinach are delicious. This is a good choice for a nicer meal option to celebrate a special occasion. read more

E J's Place - Steakhouses Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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Dined here for the first time with a group from work. I ordered the petite filet mignon with a side of sautéed mushrooms. The rest of the table went with the marinated prime skirt steak, chicken, Parmesan, or New York strip 20 ounce. My meal is great, not amazing. I did sample strip steak and the skirt steak and both were very good. The portions here are very large but I think that goes hand-in-hand with the price point you are paying. Service was excellent. Older decor apparently they've been there for 29 years. I would definitely recommend. read more

One of my favorite steak houses. I go here every year for my birthday dinner. Sausage and peppers is so good. I really enjoy the NY strip. read more

E J's Place - Perfect medium rare - Steakhouses Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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Back again to have steak and pie for my husband's birthday. The Italian sausage and peppers are a MUST try. We got it as an appetizer but there was so much we took it home and it was amazing the next day too! I got the Chilean sea bass with garlic mashed potatoes. They gave us a complimentary banana cream pie for my husband's birthday. read more

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Such an unique gem. This place is like being transported into a winter cabin in the mountains. Wood beams everywhere and beautiful christmas decorations during the holidays. The staff is unbelievably attentive and kind. Their steak is amazing, but you can never miss with their chicken parm. However, the real showstopper is the EJ's slaw...I dream about this salad. It is so so fabulous! If you are visiting the Chicago suburbs, this is a must...especially for a celebration. read more

If you're looking for a solid meal, lovely atmosphere and a lot of food you can't go wrong with EJ's. I dined here this past weekend for the first time in a long time and wondered why I stayed away for so long. There's a lot on this menu that appeals to me (mostly fish entrees), but i was in a grilled calamari mood so got that appetizer and paired it with a smaller version of their garbage salad. The salad was awesome and wish I went with that as my entree. I always say it's hard for me to find a grilled calamari that i don't like, but this one was pretty close. While the calamari was cooked just right the sauce they put it on with extremely salty and I'm still thirsty after eating it 3 days later! Others on my table enjoyed cesar salad, fish entrees and homemade potato chips ( so good). Everyone seemed happy with their meals and agreed it was a lot of food. My drink of choice these days is a vodka gimlet and this one was made to perfection. My husband seemed pleased with his old fashioned as well. While it had been a few years since i stepped foot in EJs, I plan to come back again soon although will go with something different than the calamari next time. read more

best skirt steak anywhere. best of everything. service excellent. ambiance excellent................................................................................ read more

My one opportunity to experience EJ's Place was as a guest at a rehearsal dinner. Drinks and hors d'ouevres were served first in the tented patio space. Service was friendly, well presented, and appeared seamless. Guests were invited to a semi-private room for dinner. Tbh, this was 3-4 years ago, so I don't recall the menu; just that it was really good and reminded me of a classic supper club. If money weren't a limiting factor, I could see this being a cozy, regular spot for date nights & family celebrations. read more

My review is still basically TRUE but I felt bad. The owners seemed to really care. Service in itself is top notch. Food of high quality. Still believe the prices are astronomical. But..... read more

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The bill adds up quickly, but you know this in advance. I've been going to EJ's Place for years, but maybe only once or twice a year because it is pricey. You are guaranteed a great steak with a professional wait staff. read more

Old school, white tablecloth, italian steakhouse. Fully priced to be sure, but a GREAT meal in a GREAT setting with GREAT service. Suburban Gene & Georgetti's. Special occasions only...but worth it. PS -- terrific bar for cocktail hour, too. Old school! read more

Went with a group of 9. One in electric wheelchair and they were very accommodating. More to come... read more

E J's Place - Appetizer: Grilled calamari. We ordered fried too, but due to my allergies i did not eat. But my table said 2 thumbs way up - Steakhouses Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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We love EJ's! This is an old school steak house. The chicken and fish also rock but get a prime steak or the Dover Sole (when available). The service is stellar and despite some thinking it's expensive we disagree. You get a salad and a side with your entree. This isn't the norm at a Chicago steak house. Enjoy, I know you will! read more

Place is a little on the expensive side but the ambience is loud, busy, bustling steak house with a nice long bar. Steaks, fish, chops are all can't misses and same with the sides. The only reason I give them a 4 is because this place is very popular and not many of these types of places in the city and I think they take a little savage of that. The service is usually rushed and doesn't have that typical steak house service. Also think they have lushes process to the edge. However, in the end, you get a hot spot, with great food, great bar and a downtown- Ish feel. read more

My favorite restaurant. The BEST steaks I have ever eaten. Great salad, great creamed spinach, great cottage fries, great key lime pie. Try the skirt steak or the sea bass. My favorite steak: the Bone-In Rib-eye. UNBELEIVABLE! Great service. read more

Been coming here for 20 years and it never disapppoints. The food, atmosphere, and service all make it our favorite steak place on the North Shore, and honestly there's no reason to go downtown as long as EJ's is here. Our steaks were redolent of beefy flavor and the fried calamari was delicious. Our waiter has been working here since 1998 and treated us great. Only things that could've been better were the cottage fries, which seemed a bit hard, and the bread basket, which was just OK. Otherwise, the salads and key lime pie were excellent. read more

We had the most incredible experience at EJ's! I've been wanting to try this place for a long time and we booked it for our anniversary. I clicked the "anniversary" box on open table, not really expecting anything, but everyone went above and beyond to treat us so well. The food, service, and ambiance were impeccable. Can't wait to return! read more

This joint is underrated. It deserves at least 4.5 stars. The portions are humongous. Seriously humongous. Love this place.

We've had many dinners at EJ's the food is always delicious and service is always superb

EJ's is an outstanding Chicago style steakhouse with a wonderful Italian heritage. The service has been consistently wonderful. At first look, the menu items appear to be quite expensive. However, the portions are enormous and easily shareable. My favorites are: whitefish or salmon vesuvio style and the chicken or pork chop with peppers, and pasta dishes. Dinners include choice of salads and potatoes. read more

Rustic and clubby, E J's has been packing 'em in since 1997 when owner E. J. Lenzi brought the DNA of Chicago's legendary Italian steakhouse, Gene & Georgetti's, to Skokie. The main dining room and bar, little changed from their days as Great Godfrey Daniels, are starting to look timeworn. An elegant tent set up during the pandemic continues to bustle as an al fresco dining room. I could bleat about excessive menu prices ($6.00 to add anchovies to a salad? C'mon!), but everything that emerged from the kitchen tasted freshly prepared and portion sizes were somewhere between colossal and mind-boggling. Entrées include a generous house salad with a choice of house-made dressings and a choice of potato (bread plates were provided, but there was no bread service). I had the Linguini Seafood. OMG. Loaded with fresh shellfish, tender calamari and chunks of salmon, there was seafood in every bite. My Missus had the Chopped Steak [stuffed] with Peppers and Onions. Resembling a full-size regulation football, this mass must've weighed more than a pound. We bagged up more than half of our entrées to enjoy for another meal or two. Coffee from Alchemy of Wilmette provided the perfect finish. We expected service levels to be commensurate with the lofty River North prices. Alas, not so. Our server was polite but more perfunctory than attentive, and the pacing of our meal was uneven. Our salads arrived after an interminable wait but my Missus' salad was not what she ordered. This was corrected promptly, but our entrées arrived before we had consumed half of our salads. Our neighborhood diner, where the most expensive menu item is under $20, provides far better service. read more

E J's Place - Chopped Steak stuffed with peppers and onion - Steakhouses Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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Everything in that place needs improvement. It is dirty, ( no visible improvement since they opened years ago) This place is the loudest restaurant that I have been to. The noise level prevented us from having a conversation. You had to shout to be heard.! The food was average and overpriced. I found a hair in my food while eating the veal chop and when I showed it to the waiter ( Boz) his reaction was " that is not hair , it is the cheese string". I held it up and he saw it closely he told me that he "will give us a free dessert" which we did not want. He handled it poorly and had an attitude. Also, the lettuce in the salad was brown , did not taste fresh and did not feel clean. If I could give it a zero star, I would have. I will not go back! read more

I've been here a bunch of times and intend to keep coming back. Ignore the bad reviews. This is a very good steakhouse. It is NOT overpriced, although it's also not cheap. $70ish bucks for a huge (and delicious) filet mignon that comes with salad and potato is a deal. That's what a filet goes for a la carte in most places. The service is well-paced and attentive. Some of the staff are very personable and others are simply professional, but they all do a good job. If you are like Mancow and think that this place is trying to copy a dive bar a few miles away just because they both have old-school decor, you're going to be confused and disappointed. If you have the brain cells to determine that a steakhouse and a bar are two completely different entities and understand that a meal for two here will work out to be around 200 bucks, you will enjoy yourself. read more

Been here a handful of times over the years and the staff has always treated us like family. I also always feel confident eating being GF, because they know exactly what goes into their food. I LOVE their seafood in particular, a must try; always fresh and flavorful. read more

E J's Place - Shrimp are massive - Steakhouses Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Old school classic steakhouse seems older than it even is straight from the '30s. Waiters in white tux jackets, superb steaks, prime rib, which you can never find anywhere. All washed down by a massive ice cold martini. Last of its kind. read more

I've only been to EJ's only once, and what a pleasant experience it was. I ordered the filet mignon - done perfectly! Service was quite pleasant and not intrusive. As for the ambiance...old charm, everyone wears black and whites, and well lit. By the way the bar service was over the top. read more

Just too expensive. I'm sad because I loved the ambiance and the porters were magnificent. My salad was skimpy and wet. ( they didn't spin after the rinse) Bread basket skimpy as well. (If you are cutting corners cut your price please) My filet was tasty cooked perfect. Sautéed mushrooms were under sautéed I took them home and re sautéed them they were perfect then. (Probably should have sent them back but wanted them with my steak) My Partner Pat ordered the Key Lime pie for dessert and the slice was so small, life dessert buffet on a cruise ship small. I understand times are tough and corners need to be cut, but cut your prices then. Thank you for letting me vent. read more

A delightful meal. My daughter and I enjoyed a wonderful Napa Valley Cab, the fresh salad and delicious steaks. Perfectly medium rare and juicy. Johnny, our server was very attentive, had great suggestions for sides, and was patient and kind to my daughter who has a cognitive disability. We are perhaps not the typical clientele at this bustling north shore steak house, but we were warmly greeted, well treated and enjoyed our evening very much. Thank you "Johnny '98". read more

Here's What you need to know: loved our first ever visit to EJ's on a perfect August summer evening for some al fresco dining (terrific, elegant setup outside for COVID). AMAZING food and service. HUGE portions but everything made to order (even the salad dressing). Perfect! While it was only 2 adults for dinner, we ordered 3 entrees, 1 appetizer, and 2 desserts because everything on the menu sounded so appetizing. Starters: The grilled calamari: had the most delicious sauce. Finger licking good Bread basket: had 4 terrific options with pats of butter. That baguette. Yum House salad (comes with entree): I can't say enough about how terrific that made to order dressing was... we ate every morsel on the plate. Lettuce and cherry tomatoes were chilled/fresh Minestrone soup: packed with herbaceous flavor and seasoned perfectly. Delish! Mains: Seafood Linguine: Huge portion and insanely flavorful tomato based sauce. Just wow! Bone in veal parmesan: best version of this dish I've had and it was incredibly well prepared. It's a complex dish but done so right - perfectly cooked tender veal, amazing crispy breaded batter, and a delicious marinara sauce. Comes with a side of spaghetti and marinara sauce. We got it sliced for easy sharing. Filet mignon: huge portion. Cooked just right - medium rare. We got it sliced for easy sharing Potato sides: Baked potato with sour cream and chives. Classic and Delish Housemade chips: thick cut and perfectly fried Mash potatoes: garlicky and buttery Desserts: Key lime pie: our favorite dessert. Housemade. Just the right amount of sweet and tart. Amazingly crumbly delicious graham cracker crust. Cooling whipped cream on top. Tiramisu: housemade. Cinnamon on top We did a birthday celebration for me and it was a terrific one :) our two little ones came with us too and enjoyed the filet, chips, baguette, and spaghetti. Total bill was $300 without drinks. read more

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Supper club atmosphere. A steak place that isn't shy about their pricing. Food is typically very good and portions are large. Salads are cold and crisp. Try the veal parmigiana, you'll have another meal tomorrow. Excellent service read more

I visited EJS the other day expecting to sit with David the waiter, who, by far delivered the best service I ever received, He's no longer there . The service was good, of course not like David and the food is always spectacular read more

A friend and I enjoyed a girl's night dinner on a chilly rainy evening. There is a huge tented outdoor dining area but we opted for inside seating. It was not busy inside and we felt very comfortable. I want to start by saying EJ's is not afraid to charge it up. Prices are elevated but reflect large portions of quality cuisine. Each entree comes with a salad and a potato option. We had so much in our doggie bag, the server gave it it's own chair! We started with two appetizers of Shrimp Cocktail and Grilled Calamari. The shrimp were nice and fresh as expected. The calamari had a rich and interesting sauce. It was very good. The Chilean Sea Bass and Whitefish were super tasty. The sides of garlic mashed potatoes, home fries and peas & onions were spot on. We tried the Tiramisu and ice cream were a great way to finish off our meal. Our cocktails and wine were very nice. Our server was great. He was friendly, helpful and remained attentive our entire meal. He took great care of us. I loved the vintage, cottage, supper club vibe. It was warm and comfortable with a kitschy edge. You must check out the pay phone! I will definitely return the next time I'm in the area. read more

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I have been here twice now. Most recently I had dinner with family and we got a table in their side room for about 10 of us. The service is really good, but the vibe is pretty dated. For dinner, I ordered the chicken parmesan, and I am glad that I did! This chicken parmesan was massive! And not only was it massive but it tasted amazing too! The melted cheese and sauce was so good on the crispy chicken! Very good. read more

E J's Place - Steakhouses Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Such a cool space - service is impeccable- even to just go for a martini love this place!!

I hadn't been here since it was Great Godfrey Daniels; in the mid 80's when we lived in Wilmette they had a burger in an oriental sauce with pepper Jack cheese and sautéed onions served in a pita pocket. So good. E J 's is nothing like that. The least expensive menu items are chicken dishes at $33, served with a nice salad or (on the night we went) a poor cream of broccoli soup. Steaks for two do not appeal to me, but one of the couples we were with enjoyed it. Very pricey though. The place has a loyal clientele judging by the crown on Wednesday night; given my experience it's puzzling. read more

I've lived right by this place for years and never walked in and I was so pleasantly surprised when I did it's such a vibe very cozy and busy. The food was delicious I especially liked the Caesar salad and the bartenders pour great drinks. The staff was all very friendly. They also have valet parking. I'm definitely going to be a regular here. read more

I live nearby and I'm always surprised that it can remain busy in here. It is known for its steaks and I believe it is related to the business down in the loop, Gene & Georgetti's. They both make great homemade potato chips. I've attended dinner events here in the past, but not recently and I believe it's their pricing. Last night I dined with my husband and the few times I've enjoyed their house salads. They make homemade dressings and the blue cheese was really good. My husband enjoyed his ranch and said it was homemade as well. The price of his skirt steak was $62 and it was cooked to his liking but I didn't know it was grilled with a Worcestershire sauce and I hate that taste. If we had known I would have asked for it plain because just a like salt is perfect. Now go down the block to Jameson's chop house and the steak is less than $30. Both restaurants offer the soup or salad and a side of starch so how can they charge $62. We both didn't have big appetites so I ordered the spaghetti with Chilean sea bass and it was okay. I am sure the regular Chilean sea bass dinner would have been better but double the price and I couldn't eat that much so didn't make it worth the cost. Dessert was shared and the banana crème pie was delicious and baked in house fresh. You could taste the freshness of the bananas, crust, and crème. Great coffee and fantastic and attentive service. So why the 3 star rating? Only the rich can afford to continually come here and when you look in the parking lot I saw mainly high end Mercedes and convertibles. We walked. Lol! read more