Colleagues and I stopped in tonight for drinks after work. What a great new place! I'm newer to Evanston, but my coworkers were happy to see the return of LuLu's salads. The drink selection was great (the cocktails were deceptively strong!). Four of us ended up going with the shrimp salad. LuLu's or not...it was delicious! The atmosphere is fun and contemporary. Evanston could definitely use more rooftops, so it was great for a warm, summer night. We even had fun with the Jumbo Jenga board at the end of the night. My only complaint about the place was the odd entry. You have to wait at the bottom of the stairs until there is a table available. Then you're ushered upstairs. They are surprisingly intense about it. We walked half of our crew out at the end of the night then went back up quickly to use the bathroom and hang out a little so we were safe to drive. The woman at the top of the stairs barked into her walkie talkie, asking what we were doing up there. It was kind of rude and a bit awkward. The entry set up is the only thing keeping this place from a solid 5 stars. Maybe they'll come up with something more cohesive in the coming weeks as they work out the kinks of a new establishment. We'll be back. read more

Five & Dime - Go Yes and Margarita. Yummy but be careful! They're strong. As all drinks should be. - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I tried this place out for a late lunch with my husband. I was pleased when I made it up the stairs and looked at the rooftop. I felt like I was in an upscale downtown location. The food was DELICIOUS. We decided to share a plate and boy did we regret that decision. This place is a must!!! I only gave it 4 stars because the service was slow but the waitress was very pleasant. Other than that....a perfect 5 read more

Five & Dime - Fantastic!!! - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Vegans, plant based diets and people with allergies beware. The menus do not list all ingredients put into their dishes. I repeatedly spoke with the managers and owner telling them they need to list their ingredients, their response is "we can't possibly list all our ingredients" and "if we listed everything people were allergic to, we would be here all day". The owner said "you should have asked for our Vegan Menu", to which every server I have asked for it since responds with "we don't have a Vegan Menu". I was very surprised to find out is their OG Margarita has egg white powder in it. Is this listed on their menu? Nope. Do all the servers ask if you're okay with egg in a drink that egg is never put in? Nope. I asked them politely over 6 months ago to be more clear on this, have they changed at all? Nope. I will be putting my money elsewhere, where I know what I'm eating. read more

Liked the atmosphere and food but the salmon was just okay ($25) and the skirt steak was over seasoned ($22). Bill at the end of our 30 minute dinner was $77. read more

We felt very safe outdoor dining here during COVID times. The employees all had masks on and the restaurant required diners to wear masks when they left their table. The menu was all online. Much appreciated! The food was yummy. Although, I wish the menu had more options, especially the entree choices. read more

Came here specifically to enjoy the rooftop, great ambiance. Our waitress was sweet and helpful. I ordered a frozé which I really recommend. My friend ordered a margarita (which is so strong btw) and we all shared some chips and guac. The guac was tasty and the chips were warm, yum. I ordered the double stack burger which was good and filling but I was little surprised it only came with cheese and pickles. When I think burger, I'm thinking lettuce, tomato, and onion too. My friend ordered the tuna poke which was really good. While I enjoyed my time here, I was little disappointed with the menu. It's very small and there wasn't very much on there other than the burger, guac, or poke that I would order and their items are pricey. I just expected more options to choose from. I'll be back for the drinks, there's better restaurants to grab a bite to eat. read more

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This place is wonderful in theory with its rooftop experience and decent drinks (I recommend the Yes Please). However, I experienced horrible service with an extremely rude waiter that significantly deteriorated my experience. I went here with a few friends on a weeknight and it was fairly empty when we arrived. Our waiter first put in our order wrong, which is fine; people make mistakes. He had put in nachos instead of chips and guacamole, an honest mistake. Then he came over to the table and made my friend who ordered it feel like she ordered the wrong thing and was a nuisance for asking for the chips and guac, despite us all bearing witness to the situation. Immediately after, he started to bring over another wrong order, gave us a look and walked away after realizing his mistake. We continued to get looks from him and he did not come over to refill our water or check on the table. In the middle of our meal/drinks, he walked over and put the check on our table and walked away. We were thinking of staying for another drink, but he was pushing us to leave despite being mid-drink, the place being empty and it being 2.5 hours before closing time. He then proceeded to come over to the table 20 minutes later and said "You're not ordering anything else, are you?" We had wanted to just stay since we were already there, but did not feel welcome at all. I understand accidentally messing up or having a bad day, but we just felt incredibly disrespected and it did not make us want to return. read more

Well I don't frequent the city eating establishments very often if ever. But you would have to think that with the 1000's of places to eat in Chicago, everyone would have to serve decent food. Otherwise, with all the competition, they'd have to fold. Well this place was pretty good I guess, but what do I know. Had the Brussel Sprouts and Steamed Mussels apps. Both were okay. Had better. Then we all shared the Tuna Poke and Nacho Nacho. Both good. This was just a small luncheon so I didn't order any of the larger entrées. Perhaps I could have given a better review if I had ordered something a little more appetizing. But for lunch? This is the best I can do. read more

We live the terrace or al fresco area. We been eating to experience this place for awhile. We had a nice time but the meal was as average taste. A poke bowl for $16 should have less seaweed than anything else, and our gazpacho with watermelon was tasty. The service and ambiance is great. Being a bit demanding with my palate ... I will suggest you try me out. Evanston is city for foody people and we are glad you are here. read more

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Issue #1: the menu is tiny, the only legitimate entrees are the burger or maybe the salad w/ Chicken. And the burger does not even come with the option of fries for $14, just cole slaw and potato salad (lazy/lame in my opinion). Issue #2: service was slow and not very friendly Issue #3 (the big one): I ordered the burger (basically out of necessity, not choice) and clearly asked to hold the dijonaise (I REALLY dislike mustard). Burger shows up covered in dijonaise. After receiving a very defensive "half-apology", I ask for it to be remade and I receive the same burger about 5 minutes later with the dijonaise simply scraped off. It was VERY apparent that this had occurred because there is no way a new burger could have been cooked in that time and the whole thing still tasted like mustard. We were running late to a concert so I didn't have time to speak to a manager, but I surely would have if I had the time. Issue #4: the burger is a clear rip-off of the famous Au Cheval burger, but is inferior in every way. The patties were not actually pink in the middle like the Au Cheval one, the bun was not well toasted and most importantly, the bacon was limp and soggy. And in the 10+ times I have been to Au Cheval - never once have they forgotten to hold the dijonaise! Sad to see a truly great burger bastardized in this way. read more

Dinner was tasty. Nice rooftop patio. Average service. However this restaurant doesn't serve coffee or tea. No they weren't out of it tonight. They just don't offer it. I have never heard of a restaurant that doesn't serve coffee. Even McDonald's has coffee. Not being able to have coffee at the end of a meal with dessert just feels wrong. This restaurant needs to fix this quickly. read more

After a horrible experience here last summer I decided to give it a second chance. Unfortunately nothing has changed about the inexcusably horrible service. Other than our table of three there were only 4 other tables of people, so not busy at all. After waiting 10 min we flagged a server down and asked if we had a server. His answer "I don't know let me check" so we waited and still no one came over. There were at least 3 servers standing at the bar chatting so they were not by any means understaffed. We got up to leave and at the stairway were four more employees standing around chatting. We told them we never got a server and we're going somewhere else to which one of them responded "I'm so sorry about that." The rest continued to chat amongst themselves. This is a shame because taco diablo and lulus are top notch when it comes to service, so what's the excuse for five and dime? The one star can go to the gentlemen who made sure our water was filled. He was great and the only one putting in any effort. read more

Their margaritas are sooo good and strong so be careful. I haven't ordered food from here yet but will do the next time I visit. Love the rooftop, they have games, and seating area with lights strung across. The wait service was nice and attentive! read more

We sat outside on the rooftop in downtown Evanston on a sunny October day, under a canopy of evenly spaced space heaters, drinking tasteful cocktails, spreading cheese on grilled bread and all I can think about for the last four days is the ginger salad. The atmosphere is inviting and lively and the food was reminiscent of a much higher-end American bistro. This is a very solid spot. read more

We were so happy we could go to this rooftop not in the city during Covid! It's so lovely and happy up there! The food we got was great and reasonably priced and the ambience made my day! read more

Great spot in Evanston to have a drink and relax with friends. The rooftop was spacious and fun, and not too cramped as is the problem with many rooftop bars. Beer list has a lot of options, my bourbon based cocktail was on point. I wish the outside menu had a few more options. My nachos were good. Service was friendly, but I wanted a particular spirit I could see behind the bar, and the waitress kept telling me they didn't have it. Had to eventually go up to the bartender and get it myself.... low and behold my eyes did not deceive me. read more

I was having a rough time with everything going on in the world, and I decided to go out for a drink at a local Evanston establishment. To my surprise, I was greeted by the friendliest server, Bekah, who went above and beyond to make my experience as positive as possible. She suggested a few drinks, made me laugh, and most importantly made the world feel normal again. 5 stars! read more

Good was just excellent, who can beat the locations on a warm sunny evening. Looking forward to going back

Got together with a few work friend in downtown Evanston. Once you walk into a small entrance area, you head up a flight of stairs to this roof top seating area, the perfect place to a nice day. Drinks are somewhat limited but the cocktails are really good. Appetizers are full of flavor and reasonably priced. A def spring/summer and Fall spot. read more

Great place to come for drinks with a friend! Great environment and service. Prices are reasonable for the atmosphere setting. Highly recommend! I will be back! I ordered the guacamole and chips with a corona and my friend ordered a drink as well. The menu is small but the selections are more of finger food and snacks to enjoy while in conversation. read more

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We went in for my bday last Wednesday night and had a blast!!!!!! The margaritas were on point! Like seriously, I'm a harsh critic of margaritas and they were awesome! We were sat within 15 minutes and ordered the peanut noodles, guacamole and nachos and they, all three, were amazing!! I couldn't get enough of those noodles with that sauce! Our server was good too! Very sweet! Definitely, definitely, definitely will be back! read more

Margaritas and food were very good. But service and organization were spotty at best. It took 45 minutes for our server to realize that no one was working with us. Half an hour after we placed our order our server returned apologetically to tell us she could not read her writing and therefore our order had not been placed. It went on from there... Our menu was from the night before and right margin cut off one half of the descriptions. Attention to detail? This place needs a grown up to supervise the hostess and server staff. Maybe go from table to table ask how the customers are doing? Bottom line--Great Evanston location, great decor, great food and drinks-- but huge room for improvement. read more

We had so much fun and a great experience in this place. The restaurant has a fun, chill, and cool ambiance it has a rooftop with a very nice view and that is where we decided to be seated. The staff were friendly and accommodating. Their menu only has a few options but we like it prices are also fair and reasonable. We first ate their guacamole and chips. The chips have a perfect crisp and the guacamole is good. We also shared with their quesadilla and it was also good just like the usual quesadilla and has nothing special to it. The tuna poke salad is perfectly seasoned and the tuna is so fresh. It also has a nice portion and we are able to share it. The burgers are served with fries but it is kind of small, we expected it to be huge according to its price but it was really small though it is delicious. We still enjoyed their food especially the guacamole and chips and their tuna poke salad. I also highly recommend their rooftop! read more

Growing up, my dad an I's "spot" was Lulus. We are SO HAPPY they're about to open, but for now, we tried Five & Dime! My dad and I both got the Chicken salad, which still has THAT amazing dressing (you know, Luluheads) and crispy wontons on top. The space is great, too--it's on top of the soon-to-be Lulus 2.0 and Taco Diablo. Nice view of Evanston. Despite these things, our service was terrible. Our waitress didn't greet us for ten minutes. Our waitress brought us our drinks, said she'd be back to take our order, then didn't came back for another ten minutes! It took FORTY MINUTES to bring out our salads, and we were only one of the three parties that were there! After giving us our food FINALLY, she forgot to refill our drinks. We couldn't get her attention, because she was too busy hanging out at the bar, so we flagged down the guy she was TALKING TO. C'mon. I hope the staff here won't be working at Lulus!! read more

Came in yesterday (Tues) at 6:15pm with a party of three. Hostess and waitstaff (at least five) were lazily hugging the walls at the top of the stairs. Hostess did not greet us. Hostess did not ask if we wanted to sit outside or inside. Hostess tried to sit us in the sun without an umbrella. When I requested a different table she grudgingly said "no problem". We sat down. No wall huggers came to see what we would like to start. We left. This place does not have a problem being short staffed, this place has a problem with bad staff. Never will I return. read more

Food sucks. Environment is really nice though. If you have kids who don't really care about the actual food it's a food place to go.

Evanston's (un)Hidden Gem: If you haven't been to Five & Dime, or if you have and you haven't been taking advantage of this unparalleled safe environment lately, take heed, intolerable cold is coming, but it's not here yet. They have brand new heat lamps and they have always practiced safe social distancing table placement. Now's the time to support local businesses and it's (impossible) difficult to beat this taste of utopia right here in E-stone. If you love fall weather, it's here now, but frigid temps are rapidly approaching. Vote for Evanston's best with your wallet. read more

I had previously had a Five and Dime experience at a yelp elite event that had left me excited to come back when the weather had warmed and the beautiful deck was finally open. So I returned this summer to sadly be very disappointed. An extremely limited menu and slow staff make the experience feel lacking. The restaurant leans heavily on its real estate. The spacious rooftop deck is beautiful and makes it easy to socialize, but the menu items leave you wanting more. I don't particularly want a 12 dollar hot dog option really at any restaurant. Ever. With the strong showing of restaurants close by, in fact even linked to Five and Dime (see Tacos Diablo and Lulu's) I was expecting more. This restaurant is all setting and no dinner. read more

I have visited Five and Dime a few times since they've opened. The food is OK, but the rooftop is awesome. Service is still a little slow, but I think they are still working out the kinks. You cannot choose your sides(only potato salad and coleslaw), and they are not very 'gluten-free' friendly so beware if someone in you party has any dietary restrictions. The salads are also pretty lackluster. 14$ for two kabobs of meat and just a bowl of romaine. Go for the rooftop and a drink, but don't stay for the food. read more

Delightful outdoor patio and delicious simple menu. We got the nachos (black bean and shredded beef) and pulled pork sandwich, very good. The potato salad and coleslaw with the sandwich were very tasty too. Good portion sizes and reasonably priced! Tasty cocktails and limited but good local beer selection. Our server was friendly and cheerful. Will be back soon! read more

Five & Dime - Outdoor patio at night! Great atmosphere. - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Pros - rooftop and its atmosphere Cons - food is just ok, kind of overpriced It is NOT a sports bar. read more

I love this place. I enjoy the atmosphere, the setting and the food. The menu is a little bit limited but they do a good job of adding new items every now and then. They also have a nice area for kids play which is great for parents. read more

Good drinks, great atmosphere on a beautiful rooftop. I wish there was a bigger menu, but we got the peanut noodles that were fantastic. Decent service closing the place down on a Monday night. read more

Great food, great venue, great beer, great service! We had a large party and the staff was so accommodating.

5 stars on the food. I considered 4 stars because if their "we don't have a wait, we are just seating tables one at a time" (which means, if you are not first in line, you have to wait until they seat you) but honestly the food was so worth the short wait that it's not even worth knocking them down for. They clearly have a few small service/ hostess bugs to work out, but the food is worth giving it the time to self correct. read more

We have enjoyed the upstairs "game room" for our office holiday parties in the past and we loved it! Food was great, drinks were expertly concocted and the wait staff was exceptional. We are coming back in Jan 2022 for a "after the holidays office party". Cannot wait!! read more

Five and dime is a fun space, and always a good spot for Friday night cocktails. They have an issue with ingredients being shared between the various restaurants for their menu items. For example, if you ask for something extra on the nachos, they may have it at another restaurant but not at five and dime and you have to ask several times for them to provide some standard things. At one point the server said that they could not give extra onions on the nachos because they were only at taco Diablo but not at five and dime, as an explanation of why the dish was not as ordered. This was during a chaotic Thursday when every table was packed, but hopefully they will get a smoother operation in the future. read more

Really has a lot of potential given the location and outdoor area on the roof, but if you think I'm going to pay upwards of $14 for a base salad with no meat ($4-$6 upcharge, if you're interested) that was 1) drenched in ranch (which i asked to have on the side - that didn't happen) that tastes like fish and 2) wasn't even made with any semblance of fresh greens, you're mistaken. Don't order food here, the drinks are fine. Service is fine as well. Hope things look up soon. read more

Recently held a work party at Five and Dime on their rooftop. The staff was very attentive and the owners were great. Would definitely hold an event there again. read more

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The rooftop area is a very unique experience for Evanston. Good confy patio furniture, nice breeze and good views. Much quieter than a side-walk cafe. I wish the bar on the rooftop was more open to walk-ins. As of this review, it is not and you will likely have to wait for your table on the stairway. Maybe this will change as the other sister restaurants open and the rooftop becomes more of a truly casual hangout. Keep serving the great Evanston beers ;) read more