It was our first time at 501 Local today -- we took my mother-in-law there to celebrate her…read morebirthday. I made a special request during the reservation, which usually gets overlooked, so I was genuinely pleasantly surprised when they made it happen. My mother-in-law absolutely didn't expect it, and it made her feel really special. Patch greeted us warmly (I hope I got the name right!) and took great care of us throughout the evening, making sure we had everything we needed. He even personally acknowledged my mother-in-law's birthday, which was such a thoughtful touch. She was so happily surprised! The Hugo Spritz cocktails were refreshing and delicious. I ordered the scallops both as an appetizer and as my main course, and I truly enjoyed them. The strawberry chocolate cake we shared was absolutely delicious -- it practically melted in my mouth! I will definitely come back just to have it again Next time, I also want to try the burgers. The place itself is very welcoming and has this really nice coastal summer vibe. You can truly relax there, and the patio looks amazing.

We were out and about and stopped in for a quick lunch on the outside patio at 501…read more Our waitress was Brooke and she was both very pleasant and attentive. We split the Angus burger and the Ceasar side salad. The burger came with an ample amount of nicely seasoned fries so it was a near perfect lunch split for two. The patio is noteworthy - it's lovely and has plenty of greenery and space. All in all a great lunch option in downtown Winnetka.

What a gem in Chicago's suburbs. Spirit Elephant provides a unique sanctuary for you to dine in at…read more Very homey vibe with plants all over, a bar, indoor seating, outdoor seating and occasional special events. I did get to try their lasagna, chicken Parmesan, southwest egg rolls spicy broccoli, crème brûlée, strawberry cake, and their skillet cookie, all of which were great! The chicken Parmesan and crème brûlée are a must! If you are lucky enough and can get there by Aug 2026 you can try the danky special menu collaboration with Chef Priyanka. All of that collaboration was top notch and a must try for any foodie in Chicago. Oh and their service is so attentive and friendly. Happy Munchies, @JaeGreens

Big space inside and outside. Patio space is fenced, large, heating and fan. Patio allowed behaved…read moredogs. No espresso based drink. Service was good. For early morning brunch no reservation needed. Our server was very attentive and open to our feedback. Crab appetizer- 4.5- great taste and flavor can take some seasoning Calamari fritter-3 - lacks seasoning and bottom ones were little soggy. The pickled were great touch Fried chicken sandwich- 4.5 - good size, bun was good. Would like little.more aioli. Was on little dry side. Fries is good Burrito - 3 - way dry for my taste. Again lack of flavors. Baked potato was little cold

amazing food. all roles are top notch. get some friends together or a date night and get here!!!read more

A great midday stop after shopping till we dropped. We went in right at the start of business and a…read moreserver sat us promptly. The decor was minimalist to a degree but still so elevated and nice to look at, with cranes painted on the wall for a nice touch. Lots of natural light and great music. Both the cocktails and mocktails were pretty tasty. There was a strawberry mocktail that I really enjoyed, even though the specific name escapes me! The Chicago Fire Roll was EVERYTHING, and my mom was VERY satisfied with her Salmon Teriyaki bento box. I'll definitely make my way up there the next time I'm in town.

Went with grandkids. The cheese curds are delicious, some of the best we've ever had! The burgers…read moreare juicy and flavorful, be sure to tell them how you like it cooked, waiter didn't ask and mine was well done but still good! Pulled Pork was disappointing, not your traditional bbq style, it's was more a mustard base but still did eat it. Service was just okay.. younger kids who may be new or inexperienced and learning. Great ambience and location. Parking can be difficult!

Bar is nice and the bartender was very friendly loved my experience for a great value meal and…read moretasted amazing

Returned for our 4th dinner after a less than stellar experience. What a difference a day makes…read more Great waitperson - Nate. He made our dining experience fantastic. Steve was very accommodating as well. The Focaccia and Halibut were outstanding. Will definitely continue frequenting the wonderful restaurant. Outdoor dining is wonderful and has a very urban vibe. Don't miss this great place!

Great pizza! Amazing ambience! Frito misto cannot be missed!…read more I actually loved everything we ordered! Such a gem of a place ! Can't wait to go back

Specifically made a reservation, and upon arrival our table was not ready for 10 mins. Not sure why…read morethis happened. Forced to wait in bar area which was high traffic and we were shuffled around. Not fond of our server's humor/attitude - felt a little uncomfortable. My medium rare steak was rare and I asked for it to be cooked me more. He kept asking are u sure in a condescending way, to which I replied yes, this is raw according to the high end steak houses I've been to. Yummy food though. Sucks hospitality is lacking here. Prob won't be back. Heard the bartenders are lovely people though.

4 stars overall, but the food/drink is probably 3.5 - beautifully presented but composition is…read moreinconsistent . Nice ambiance that's casual enough to feel comfortable bringing my kids, but upscale enough for the evening to feel like a nice night out. Loved the appies - we got the cauliflower hummus and deviled eggs - highly recommend both. As for entrees, chicken sandwich was perfectly fried crispy with not too much breading, on a biscuit. Fries were just ok. They were unfortunately out of the schnitzel I wanted to try so I had the halibut special instead. The fish was perfectly cooked, but the composition of the fish was rather confusing - the lobster bisque-like sauce was fantastic on its own, but overpowered the delicate halibut. The crispy yuca strips went perfectly with the fish, but the dish was finished off with lots of shishito peppers - again, way too overpowering. I would have preferred a much subtler vegetable. Kids Mac and cheese was fantastic, with a hint of what I think was thyme. The drink list was heavily spirit -forward. I ended up getting a sangria which was good, but my husband thought the old fashioned was terrible. The balance of spirit vs bitters was completely off, plus it was served over tiny ice instead of a large cube. To top it all off, the cherry was muddled.

Came by for happy hour one afternoon and enjoyed a few items. Started off with a butterfly tea…read moremocktail, it was okay a bit on the sour side but still a fun drink. We got the burger and truffle fries to share, along with / rolls and the karrage chicken. The burger was good with the caramelized onions but nothing significant to write home about. My favorite items though were the truffle fries, and the hot honey karaage we asked for the honey on the side so that we're able to share with our little but it was super crispy, and the chicken bites were juicy and delicious it didn't even need the honey. I truthfully don't love pickles but the pickles were delicious and I ate them all! The sushi rolls were both really fresh and had great flavor. Overall a good experience I'd like to come back during regular hours to try their regular menu. We were a bit disappointed that the only available menu was the happy hour one which was pretty limited.

I went to Guildhall for brunch on a Sunday. We ordered the cinnamon roll, shakshuka with a side of…read moresausage, and the omelette. Everything tasted fresh and delicious! The cinnamon roll was surprisingly moist (we were skeptical due to its appearance) and sweet! The restaurant is bright and the service was very friendly. There was a nice mix of customers and there was even a party going on while we were there. I don't remember when I was last in Glencoe. It's charming! I'd love to come back for dinner or happy hour.

Great restaurant in the heart of downtown Wilmette. They have a wide selection of items on the menu…read morealong with local brews and drinks. During dinner, they will also bring fresh warm bread over to the table. The staff is very friendly and the ambiance is definitely casual tavern style. You can catch all the local sports game there and in the warmer months they setup the outdoor patio.

Got lunch at this longtime Wilmette favorite. It certainly is among the most notable of the…read moredowntown hangouts. Valley Lodge Tavern has a classy but casual atmosphere good for groups and parties. A lot of the expected menu items. There's burgers and meaty things but also some lighter options. Big inside with a bar in the middle and tables all around. It's got plenty of room for large groups. There's also a pretty big patio. Gets crowded. Thankfully we were able to get seats at the bar and it was pretty fast to be honest. It's about $15 for a cocktail. Too expensive but good though. I got the Valley Lodge Signature, which is their main one of course. This is made with Chambord and Ketel One Citroen, along with cranberry, lime, and sour mix. It's about $17 for a burger. These are also too expensive but at least these come with a side. Each of us got the Classic Burger with a Beyond Burger patty. These have the basic toppings like lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Has a lot of classic items but it's pretty expensive. It's located on Central Avenue among other restaurants and the theater. There's mostly meaty items but has some things for vegetarians.

I wanted to try a new Mexican place as opposed to some of the usual places I've tried and stuck…read morewith very often. This place delivered in flavor and would definitely try again. I started with the guacamole, which I got spicy, and the shrimp soup. The guacamole had good balance and texture, but I didn't get a lot of spice from the flavor that I requested. The shrimp soup had a nice, spicy broth with well cooked shrimp. However, I would have liked the shrimp to be more abundant and chopped up. Also would've liked to see some more substance in the soup such as avocado or maybe some corn. The entrees is where it really stood out. The steak burrito was flavorful and the steak was tender and the ratio of steak, cheese, beans, and other fixings were perfectly executed. The enchiladas were delicious as well with the mole sauce having an exceptional flavor and spice. Beans and rice that came with the enchiladas and burritos were both good and cooked well. The tres leches cake was outstanding! The balance of sweetness and the tart berries layered in the cake gave great texture as most tres leches cakes can sometimes be one dimensional. The cake is a MUST if you come here. Delicious Mexican food here, a nice change for me to try, and I will be back.

This place was good, but lacking a little flavor. It was also pricier than it should be for the…read moreportion and taste you get. Our server was nice, and the chips were all right, but I don't think I'll come back here again. Parking is either street parking or behind the building in a garage.

Amazing. Every single thing our party of 6 ordered was terrific. We went over one week ago and…read moreeveryone is still talking about it. Salmon was amazing, filet was amazing, house gnocchi was to die for. We will be back.

I was looking for a place to have dinner with a former co-worker who lives up near the border of…read moreWisconsin. I was trying to find a place at least midway between us and discovered Carlos and Carlos on Yelp. Carlos and Carlos is old school from the perspective you actually have to call the restaurant to make a reservation. The space itself is located in what I think is a condo building. The space itself is compact, with tables relatively close together. We ended up sitting at table next to the kitchen door, which for me turned out not to be too bad as we were not sitting on top of other folks. The restaurant and bar were packed as it was a Saturday. Based on the size of the space and number of tables, I would strongly suggest making a reservation if you go there. We started out with fresh bread and one of their specials for the night: flash fried calamari served w/fresh tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, shaved garlic, black olives, capers & garlic butter. This was a first for me as I have never had calamari served this way and it was great. Definitely a dish I would drive back to get. The bread was wonderful and hot. I could see through the kitchen as fresh bread was being pulled out of either a warmer or oven, not sure. It was served with some sort of olive oil and pesto, I think. It made for a lovely spread on the bread. For dinner I ordered a dish called "Meatballs" and it was just that, a whole lotta meatballs with some spaghetti thrown in as a side...HAHAHA! Not complaining, just staying a fact. The meatballs and pasta were good, but I would say there was a fair amount of garlic in the dish. I had my dish as a leftover and as I was warming it up, The Doctor commented that he could smell the garlic. The Doctor had the Pollo Vesuvio, which also came with pasta. I had a small piece and it was pretty nice. Again there was more meat than pasta, but again we were not complaining. The chicken was nice and tender and had a lovely flavor to it. My GF got the Risotto Al Fungi (Arborio served with wild mushrooms & goat cheese). Prior to sampling her dish, I would have absolutely stated that this was a dish I would not order in a restaurant as I wouldn't have any interest in it. I tried a spoonful of my GF's and was amazed at how good it was! The broth that the risotto was cooked in was chicken and I think beef. That with the goat cheese made this a very nice dish and the second reason I would drive here to do a repeat visit for dinner. Portion sizes were nice as The Doctor and I had plenty to eat and enough for light snack the next day. My GF had no leftovers, she became a member of the clean plate club. For dessert we shared a slice of the chocolate mousse cake, which was really nice. It had a lovely dark flavor to it and was creamy in texture. Service was nice and everyone was friendly. There is plenty of street parking within walking distance as well. While this is a bit of a drive for us to get to since it is outside of the city, I could see coming back here. I think I want to try a serving of that risotto on my own instead of a taste.