Welp, Yelp, I like a new local place. I hope it sticks around for a while because the yummies I had were really yummy. Here's what when down. I walked past Evanston Corner Bistro on a September Tuesday at that awkward not lunch anymore, but also not dinner time. Relieved to find it open I did a 180 turn and headed to the charming manager, Melissa, who was attentive, funny and seated me immediately. This building has been at least five establishments on my watch, most of them not too memorable, and a few dreadful. However, I am very happy to say this iteration and restaurant impressed me, especially their endearing staff. I am now currently obsessed with their take on a turkey club that the knowledgable, elegant, and attentive waiter, Ben, highly recommended. Caramelized onions, arugula, gruyere, garlic aioli, yes gawd, please. This thing was huge. Dagwood sized, jaws unhinged to consume. I had to take half home with me, which was devoured by a grateful husband a few hours later. People, I don't think I have ever thought about a turkey sandwich beyond consumption, but damn it if I don't want another one today. I now lament allowing the hubby access to this revelation on bread. I also had a cucumber gazpacho that truly freaked me out in an "I'll try anything once, holy crap this is really delicious!" way. I think Ben mentioned there was an apple gastric drizzled in there, which is probably the secret sauce. So yeah, now I need more of that, too. Socially speaking, I must mention that these kids are so lovely. I hate to bother staff during that unpopular time, but I was feeling rather low, and needed some company. I was delighted to be treated very well. I even got a few snatches of very interesting conversation, which gave me a chance to practice not being a feral curmudgeon in public. Ben is a very well traveled fellow and he knows his food. So does Melissa, but watch out for her, though. She looks the very picture of innocence, but she can whip out a joke with such stealth and precision that you will think you're merely discussing a current event, then BAMMO, you might find yourself doing a spit-take or guffaw and a groan. Soon, I'll head back for steak frites and a martini, most likely an early bird Golden Girl's special, so I can get some special attention, and, perhaps, a joke. Thanks, corner kids. See you again, soon! read more

Evanston Corner Bistro - Evanston Corner Bistro's turkey club situation. The half a husband stole from me. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Went for happy hour and the Wed 1/2 off on wine. We all ordered the burger and fires. OMG the burgers were great and the fries perfectly crisp on the outside and yummy inside. Service was fabulous. The half off wine is a great deal. This is a sleeper restaurant. I will defintiely come back. Staff are friendly. read more

My wife and two of her friends went here to celebrate her birthday. The reservation even said this was a birthday celebration. At no time did anyone acknowledge someone was celebrating a birthday. My wife ordered the Salmon dish which comes with a bacon based sauce. She doesn't eat bacon and asked if they could use a different sauce. She was told No. So she had it plain, she said it was well cooked. The broccoli and potatoes on the other hand were overly salted, the potatoes were undercooked and cold, the broccoli was also cold. Normally my wife would have sent the food back, however, since she was with friends she didn't do so because she didn't want to ruin the mood of their celebration. Surprisingly, unlike most restaurants, the Evanston Corner Bistro doesn't celebrate birthdays, they don't even have a candle to put on a dessert. My wife decided she was going to celebrate with dessert anyway, so she ordered the NY Cheesecake with Strawberry sauce. It came out with something more like Strawberry Jam. My wife liked the idea of having the jam better than sauce. The problem was it turned out to be RASPBERRY jam NOT strawberry. Luckily my wife isn't ALLERGIC to Raspberries. She said the cheesecake was delicious. She did say it seemed to take forever for dessert to come out from the kitchen. Then there was a service charge added to the bill, but NO WHERE in the restaurant or on the menu is this mentioned. My wife also commented that there was only ONE server, and as more people arrived the service became slower. It seemed that the one server was just overwhelmed and didn't smile. In summary, and IMHO this isn't a restaurant for celebrating birthdays! Based on this experience my wife said she wouldn't go back unless she was going with a group of people who decided to go there. My wife said it's a shame Evanston Corner Bistro was one of her favorite places. read more

We enjoyed our happy hour at Evanston Corner Bistro. The drink specials were reasonable. We split a risotto which was tasty, but not remarkable. The atmosphere was very relaxing, despite being right in the heart of downtown. We ate outside, but the bar area indoors will be a great area to return to during colder weather. The highlight of our visit was the outstanding service from our waiter, who was named Ben. He was attentive, friendly, and accommodating. We will return-a nice spot to have in the neighborhood. read more

Evanston Corner Bistro - Broccoli risotto - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I rarely leave reviews. This restaurant makes very good food, and it's a good place in downtown Evanston for lunch! Sadly though, they changed the menu and removed some sides. I used to get tomato soup, delicious! , and maybe a side of lentils or carrots or green beans on the side. Now there's only broccolini (bleh, worse than broccoli for me) as a side vegetable. I have T1 diabetes and nearly vegan, so vegetables without tons of carbohydrates are important to me. I'll likely come less in the future. Please put the simple veggies back on the menu! read more

Food was wonderful! Rick provided great service, great insight in the menu, and the perfect balance of attentiveness. All around great experience!! read more

I had the chance to try this establishment a few months ago while in the area for a close friend's birthday outing. Ended up settling on this restaurant as we were familiar with many places around. Very pleasing interior right of the bat. It definitely felt as upscale as anticipated. We were greeted and sat in a fairly timely manner. I decided on the Right Bee Semi Dry Cider as my drink of choice for the night. It is lighter than I am used too, but it still had a pretty satisfying flavor overall. My friends all seemed to enjoy their cocktails , so beverages were a hit with our group. I first tried the Caesar salad, though, hindsight being 2020 I may hold off on it next time due it being such a large portion, but that's on me for not clarifying the size prior to ordering. It was great though. Solid balance of flavors and overall a decent eat for sure. For the main course, I went for the Fettucine Alfredo , a personal favorite. In all honesty, it wasn't inedible by any means, but the alfredo just wasn't something I was a fan of. I am used to a more sweeter flavor perhaps, since this version of the dish was more savory ,maybe? There was some other kind of cheese that added an unusual base to it that just didn't sit right with me. I also had fries with my meal , which were excellent. I think next time I shall try something else, as the FA just isn't my thing here. Overall though, our group had a great time and will hopefully return in the future. Looking forward to trying something different! read more

Evanston Corner Bistro - Caesar Salad Fettuccine Alfredo French Fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I'm a big fan of Grant Park Bistro and River North Bistro, so I was excited to try their sister restaurant in my neighborhood. The space is beautiful and definitely has the same polished aesthetic, but unfortunately the food didn't live up to the look. They offered a bottomless option, though I was told they were down to one bottle because of St. Patrick's Day and a wedding. That wasn't a huge deal to me, especially since the restaurant wasn't very busy and the overall vibe still felt promising. The real issue was the food. I ordered the wild mushroom scramble, which I've had and enjoyed at other locations, but this one came out visibly burnt. The eggs had those brown, overcooked bits throughout and tasted bitter, which is not exactly the brunch mood I was going for. The chicken sausage didn't help much either. To their credit, they did recook the meal to make it right, and I appreciated that. The staff was pleasant and handled it well. Still, it was disappointing to have burnt eggs come out in the first place, especially when the restaurant wasn't busy. Eggs should not be the plot twist. I really wanted this location to become a neighborhood favorite, but based on this visit, I'm not sure I'd come back. read more

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Generous Resonance - they were happy to bring me my wine glass for my table water. I love wine and champagne stemware, no reason to deny myself that joy even when I longer part take in causal drinks... Also, they were happy to make sure my plate was heated for my steak and frites $35 with the $3 chimichurri add on, to make sure my al-fresco dining was enjoyable and delicious! I got the open air dining all to myself. What a treat. I actually really enjoy having restaurants all to myself. A great sensory break from the hustle and bustle of people, peopling... lol. The ambiance is clean, comfortable, modern, with a touch of nostalgia European bistro read more

Evanston Corner Bistro - Steak Frites - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Rick is such an amazing server!! The tomato soup is one of the best I have ever had. This restaurant does everything in its power to cater to you as a guest! read more

This review is long overdue! I've enjoyed many different types of food here which includes an extensive breakfast menu, happy hour food, light lunch options and dinner. I always choose a cozy booth and the cheerful staff is always extremely helpful with meal descriptions and suggestions and always offer fresh bottles of water letting you sit back European style and leisurely enjoy your meal in peace without rushing you out. I've had many delicious breakfasts here which include the American breakfast with eggs made your way, a large serving of tiny roasted potatoes, toast with bread of your choice and a protein option like chicken pork or bacon I've also tried an extremely tasty vegetarian omelet filled with vegetables, tomato ragout sauce and goat cheese accompanied by the breakfast potatoes. This morning I ordered the smashed Avocado toast with goat cheese and eggs sunny side up on crispy ciabata toast and breakfast potatoes made extra crispy. The happy hour menu here is an extremely good value with burgers only $8 and a huge serving of French fries only $3 There are many healthy options here too with a variety of soups, freshly cooked fresh and salads When I ordered dinner here I chose the pasta marinara with freshly shaven slices of cheese and a chocolate Gelato for dessert. Kudos to the chef he always prepares each meal with attentive care and love. Fabian has been my primary server for breakfast so a huge thank you to Fabian for the smiles and good service. This restaurant is located right next to the Hilton Orrington hotel in Downtown Evanston. I've yet to try the brunch but I don't really drink alcohol; however I've heard their weekend brunches are extremely delicious and shouldn't be missed. Order with confidence-- I've never had a bad meal here and the vibes here are always cheerful, peaceful, cozy and welcoming. Dress up or dress casually and try a bit of everything. During the warmer seasons there is outside seating and you are welcome to bring your dog read more

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Stayed at the Hilton for a Navy graduation and stopped into the connected Bistro for breakfast and dinner. Staff is friendly and attentive. Happy Hour burger is huge, a 2 patty burger for about $8 and happy hour fries were $3. Sorry no pic, we were exhausted and forgot to take a pic. In the morning we stopped in for a breakfast. Bacon and eggs, everything tasted fresh and we had a cup of season fruit which were strawberries, blue berries and blackberries. read more

Evanston Corner Bistro - Egg white with bacon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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We have lived in Evanston for 30 years and have been to this place throughout many different ownerships. We really wanted to love it given it's awesome location and ambience of the outdoor patio. Boy, were we extremely disappointed. The hostess was extremely unfriendly and sat us without saying a word. After we said "thank you", she had already walked back to the hostess stand. It was the most bizarre greeting in a restaurant we have ever had. The server did not come by for at least 10 to 15 minutes after we sat. She was friendly but clearly inexperienced. The appetizers were overpriced and extremely small quantities and very average. The food was served by a different server who seemed to be more managerial, but she herself did not smile, nor did she speak much. The whole place felt cold and sterile, without any music and a very strange vibe. Our two grown children who were with us said they felt odd even speaking because it was so quiet and there was none of the usual chatter and "life" of a typical bustling restaurant. The entrées were actually quite good and included salmon for two of us, the burger for our daughter, and the mussels for my wife. But this was literally the ONLY high point of the entire meal. And the price point of just under $200 seemed extreme for a restaurant with such poor service and a non-exciting vibe. Needless to say, we will not return. There are many choices on the North Shore, in Evanston but also in Wilmette, which has been far more successful at reinventing themselves following the pandemic. Spend your money in one of those other places and avoid this place unless they can get their act together. And to the ownership of this establishment, please teach your hostess and servers how to treat guests and make them feel welcome. Smiling once in a while, conversing in a friendly tone, and checking on your guests throughout their meal goes a long way with diners. read more

I was surprised at how much our party enjoyed our brunch at Evanston Corner Bistro. It's attached to the Orrington so I expected it to be the usual hotel restaurant. From the moment we entered, the staff was very welcoming -- they set us up in the private room in front -- and was very hospitable throughout. We couldn't decide what to order because so many menu items sounded so enticing. I settled on an avocado Benedict. Some of us ordered the other items I was deciding between -- Wild mushroom toast, truffle fries, vegetarian omelet, burger .... My avocado Benedict was so rich and sumptuous-- perfectly poached egg with creamy avocado and mellow Hollandaise sauce -- on a soft English muffin. It was accompanied by crisp potatoes. This was very satisfying and my companions all enjoyed their dishes. They let us stay in the room as long as we liked and presented our birthday guests with ice cream. I'd definitely come back to try more plates. The only minor quibble is that the bathrooms are located upstairs -- quite a lot of steps for one of our elderly guests. read more

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We came once for drinks/dinner & once for breakfast while staying at the Orrington - Evanston Corner Bistro was convenient. I'd never been to the previous renditions of the Orrington's attached restaurant. Service - welcoming & friendly. Minor miscues as 1-2 people seem to be helping at any given time. However, whenever we needed anything, it was provided, always with a smile. The bartender knew how to pour my husband's Guinness with the perfect cascade. And he was super nice. Food / Drinks - I thought the Lake Effect was a great cocktail. Good flavor and perfect for sipping. The Bistro Chopped salad (I added chicken) was good. Nothing to write home about, but good. My husband really enjoyed the steak salad he ordered. For breakfast, we ordered a ham & Swiss omelette, the granola/yogurt dish and a breakfast sandwich. All enjoyed. The restaurant was quiet at 9, but our daughter wanted to sleep in so we made a reservation for 11. Good thing because by then the place had filled up! Convenience can't be beat if you're staying at the Orrington and don't want to venture far. read more

Evanston Corner Bistro - Menu, March 2025 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

This was an amazing experience. The food was impeccable and delicious. The ambience eating outside was wonderful. And the food was absolutely amazing. I would highly recommend this. read more

Good food! Great location. Everything seemed to be busy but decently worth it!!! Will be returning again!

Friendly service and good mocktail and good quiet ambiance. Portion size? Nonexistent. 2/10 for the price Quality? Mid. Food was bland and steak was a little tough. Would pay $20 at a hospital for our date night meal but it ended up being over $100 after tip. read more

We had a great dinner here while staying at the Hilton hotel nearby. We enjoyed a table by the window. I observed that the bar area was crowded and full of good energy. read more

Great food and service. Stopped in for a bite and appreciated the servers recommendations. Will definitely be back to try other menu items.

It gets worse and worse each time we go there. Subpar food, lousy service. The only thing it has going for it is the outdoor seating area. Such a shame, because when it opened it was good. Will never waste my time or money there again. read more

The service and the ambiance were great, the food not so much. I ordered the arugula and grain salad which was unsatisfying. A big pile of arugula, some pickled onion slices, and bits of cheese, very little else. Tasty but unsatisfying. A few grains of quinoa scattered in the vinaigrette, and I couldn't see any avocado or carrots. I added chicken, and the cost was almost $25. Not filling, there no starch at all, no bread was offered either--if it were a truly French bistro, bread would have been automatically offered. I won't go back read more

Out-of-town friends asked us to choose a place in Evanston for a casual dinner on Saturday evening. It was our first time at Evanston Corner Bistro, and I'm only sorry we didn't discover it sooner. The host, bartenders and waitstaff could not have been more courteous or helpful. They accommodated our special preferences graciously, service was prompt and the food was delicious!! Even so, portions were so generous we needed their compostible takeout containers for our leftovers. We had planned to sit at a quiet table indoors, but when seating opened up on the covered patio we sat there, surrounded by colorful flowerboxes, and had privacy and interesting views. It was obvioius that our orders were prepared to order, and the cost was very reasonable. We'll be back! read more

I really miss farmhouse being here. Was hopeful for this place, but they didn't have many of the menu items. The shrimps were overcooked to the point of being inedible. Burgers and fries were good though. read more

Evanston Corner Bistro - American Burger - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Very clean, incl. restrooms. Loud, as many places are w/out carpeting and drapes. Good staff. The muffins with eggs, hollandaise, etc arent worth the money. Ham was PAPER THIN, didnt know it was there. Very disappointing in that regard. read more

So this was a very interesting experience. Brunch rush just got over with and we decided to get a quick bite. Greeter was a bit delayed on welcoming us, but whatever. Sat down, got water, and waited a good 10 minutes before seeing out server. We ordered a beer and a cocktail and I ordered the Bistro Benedict and my gf got the burger. Everything was delicious. But our food came out before our drinks? (Which was about 15 minutes) We never really saw our server until it was time for the check. I don't even think they had any other tables until more people showed up. The service really ruined the experience for me and my gf. Mighhhhht come back to try again, but we are rarely in this area, so probably not. read more

We went in for dessert and it was great. Our server was super friendly, very helpful, and the place was inviting. I wish we'd had a chance to check out their other items. read more

Terrible brunch experience. Service was mediocre at best. The smoked salmon Benedict could have been good if they did not cook the smoked salmon and if there was more than 1 slice! French toast was basic, very thin like they used everyday white bread. The coffee was undrinkable. read more

When I found out Land & Lake Ravenswood was closing, I was so happy to hear their owners would be taking over the Thomas & Dutch spot right down the street from me. I ordered delivery - fettuccine alfredo for me and the fried chicken sandwich for my friend. We were both happy with our food. The pasta portion left nearly enough for two meals. While I can't speak to the service or ambiance, I would absolutely recommend the food to go. My only ask: Evanston Corner Bistro, please revive the smashburger from Lake & Lake! read more

Evanston Corner Bistro - Fried Chicken Sandwich with Fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Had a lovely brunch today at Corner Bistro. The American breakfast and Avocado Benedict were both good. We particularly appreciated our server, Henry. He was welcoming and kind and went the extra mile to make the overall experience a good one during a busy Sunday brunch. We will definitely return. read more

Food was excellent and Anastasiya was an AMAZING waitress! Great place, great food and our waitress was wonderful!!

Delicious food, great atmosphere and service! Highly recommend the mushroom toast and the chocolate chip pancakes. Delicious tomato soup and beet salad, too. I thought this place might be stuffy and pricey, but it was totally reasonable and really comfy. I'll be back! read more

Stopped by for a quick dinner and really enjoyed our meal. We got there a little after 9pm (they close at 10). The place was almost empty, I guess because Northwestern students are gone for the summer, so there was plenty of seating choice. We had the burger and arugula and grain salad with steak add-on, and both were excellent. The burger is a double patty smashburger, loaded with lettuce, tomato, etc. The steak on our salad was cooked perfectly to our requested medium-rare temperature. Service was very good. We would definitely return. read more

I didn't have a great brunch experience here but I think that was mainly my own fault, hence the four stars. Ambiance: lovely. Service: fantastic. Value/price: seems good. Food: now this is my problem. My friends each got a veggie scramble, which looked great and which they loved. I got the oatmeal which I barely touched because it was super watery, but I think that's based on my personal oatmeal consistency preferences, LOL, so I look forward to coming back here again and trying something different to be able to offer better commentary on the food. read more

We recently used Corner Bistro for our Wedding rehearsal dinner. It was held in the Lighhouse Room. The room is very nice, but the food was not palatable. We had over 30 guests and most were not able to eat the dinner at $44 each. The Kale & Basil Pesto Pasta was cold and did not have a good taste. The Roasted Free Range Chicken Breast was also cold with watery mashed potatoes and hard Brussel sprouts. The chicken dinner looked like it was served out of a frozen dinner box. We are very disappointed and Corner Bistro embarrassed us with this poor quality food in front of our guests for this special occasion. I do not recommend Corner Bistro to ANYONE! read more

What a beautiful place and the food is delicious!!! Although I live in Evanston, this is the 1st time I have been here. I can't give rave enough about the incredible service where you feel like you are their only customer because they greet you so kindly. It's hard to find that kind of service...and every employee was just as attentive as the next. I am defining back. Great service, delicious food all connected to an amazing hotel. You can't go wrong with this neighborhood gem! And they have a wonderful HAPPY HOUR!!! read more

We loved the Farmhouse in its day; it was one of our go-to spots before I guess they decided the farm concept was dated. We weren't crazy about the new ambiance (spare, white, sterile industrial cafe) or the menu changes. While it's not entirely fair to compare the new place with what came before in the same space, of course people will do that. And the new Evanston Corner Bistro comes up short. First though, let's talk about the service. The hostess, server, and bartender were cheerful, friendly and welcoming. They were on top of the seating and kept the food moving which was impressive as they had only had maybe five days to get used to the new owners and new menu. The decor is more or less the same as the old Thomas and Dutch, but let's just say the decor better matches the food experience now. Moving on to prices. They are admittedly very low compared to what we've come to expect when dining out. This may work in their favor while catering to the hotel crowd since they will depend less on repeat business. But even considering the low prices, the food met the standard of edible, but little else. I ordered the bistro salad which was a bed of crunchy lettuce drenched in a creamy dressing (no other option offered) and maybe eight cherry tomato halves. My husband ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich which turned out to be a dry white chicken breast with a sprinkle of spice and a smear of sauce on a bun with not much else. The fries were fine. He ordered cheese truffle which were basically regular fries with a shake of cheese-truffle flavoring? I decided not to order a main. In all, the experience was very pre-processed Morrison Food Service, like we were eating in a hospital cafeteria: dull but edible food sprinkled with flavorings and pretending to be exciting and presented in a lackluster manner. This might be fine if price point is the most important consideration, but even then you have to go in understanding what you're getting. Oh and then when we got the check, there was a 3% service charge tacked on for using a credit card. I can't tell you how sick I am of these extra fees on everything. It came out to a couple of bucks on the final check but I've gotten to the point where I've stopped returning to restaurants that sneak in extra fees as you're signing the credit card receipt. We get it. Restaurants are a tough business. But sneaky undisclosed fees leave a bad taste in the mouth right at the end of the experience. Honestly, 2.5 stars (5/10, solidly average), but I rounded up instead of down. read more

Ahh! This used to be Thomas & Dutch, remember that? This is by the LM Restaurant Group which has River North Bistro, Land & Lake and etc. I had their fries and they were very good. read more

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My company, ParentConnect, partnered with Evanston Corner Bistro to host an event for a group of moms. Everything, from the planning to the execution, went beautifully. Skyler was so helpful, responsive, and friendly in all of our communication leading up to the event. Thanks to chef Gladis, the food was delicious (everybody went back for seconds), John's drinks were wonderful (he even prepared a beautiful mocktail for a mama-to-be), and Jewelia our server was attentive and sweet. The GM, Ajdin, checked in on us many times, and made us feel welcome and spoiled. Cannot wait to host another event at Evanston Corner Bistro! read more

Evanston Corner Bistro - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Went for lunch at 1 pm on Memorial Day. Perhaps the holiday was the reason for glitches. Short staffed. Server was polite but not really familiar with the menu. Food was good, except did not put hollandaise on the Bistro Benedict. Iced tea had no ice. Did not pick up plates promptly. And a 3% fee for credit cards not disclosed until it appeared on the check. Overall could have been much better. Disappointing because came well recommended. read more