I sat at the bar. The food and atmosphere were great. Unfortunately, the service I received was rather rude and left me feeling ignored. I had to explicitly ask for a food menu. When I asked if an item contained dairy, the server said "yes" and then turned away and started tending to other matters. I understand that people are busy. Then, someone who clearly comes in often sat at the bar some time after I got my menu and his order was promptly taken and he was even asked if he wanted bread. A server noticed that I was waiting to have my order taken, and informed my server, who abruptly declared "I'm busy". I'm not sure if this server was consciously being rude or was just preoccupied. If Ivy was a dive bar, I wouldn't be bothered. But it's upscale. read more

I was so disappointed with my experience at Ivy. I'm all for supporting local but a highend restaurant that lacks the service and quality needs to change something to meet highend expectations. $47 and $36 steaks that were not cooked as requested. Asparagus that were poor quality. Double baked potatoes that seemed to be microwaved. To top it off, bread pudding dessert that was not fresh and cold on the inside, probably wasn't microwaved long enough, was barely edible. This was our first time here and wanted it to be special because it was our anniversary. I mentioned this when I made the reservation and was told it will be noted. First impression upon entering and being greeted was not good. Staff were not very personable or happy, you have to be a people person in this role. I've read issues with consistency in the other reviews but I'm not sure if we'll try a second time to test this out. I saw the owner/manager going to other tables asking how things went but he went by our table twice and did not stop by. I think he was the same man that we spoke to on the patio and asked us to give them a try. Unfortunately we followed his advice. We at least enjoyed our drinks. Ditkas is coming so you better step up your game. read more

Quality food, cocktails, service. Love their soups. We go often. Tracey is our favorite waitress. Their specials are top notch so they do understand that a great chef makes all the difference! The tomahawk steak special was over the top and the wedge salad is one of our favorites. read more

Service was great! Had the Trout which was good but could have been cooked a bit less. Love the shared loaf of bread! Friendly, attentive server! Kept the water coming and even lemon slices, which I appreciate as a diabetic!. Owner always stops by to say "hello" which is a wonderful touch!!! read more

Fantastic experience! We came here on a Thursday night to celebrate my bf becoming a citizen. The service and food were outstanding. I apologize and I missed our waitresses name but she was phenomenal. Quick, to the point, she knew what she was doing. The drinks were great and very strong. All the food was muah! Perfect! We both had filets and they were seasoned to perfection. The actual location is great too, the building is so cool. Great place to come for dinner! read more

If you want to get in the holiday spirit, come here for a night of Carolers. Yep, you heard me right, professional carolers that bounce around the room tableside to sing to you and your guests that favorite song during your dinner. I knew what song I wanted to hear right away, and was glad I didn't have to fight my sister over this one, Carol of the bells. The manager that greeted us as we walked in was very warm and inviting. She let us know that we actually had a booth and it was a good idea to check the coats. Normally not a fan of checking coats, but she was so warm about it that we didn't mind. The decor in the place is great and very festive as you'll see from the pictures. We got this great little corner booth for our table of 6 and if I could get this booth again, I would in a heartbeat. I'm sure it can be requested. As we started looking for a good drink to try in the menu, we all noticed something that most places that are darker should think about....lighted menus. The menus when opened lit up a backlight behind the paper making it look like a digital menu. Very cool and noteworthy. I actually tried 2 drinks and both I wasn't impressed with. The old fashioned needed some work. It was very bland and like most other places they just through the orange and cherry into the drink. It was missing their essence. The other drink was a special called Blue Ivy. Blueberry vodka, hypnotiq, lemonade and blueberries floating around. The drink looked and sounded cool, but fell flat. I'm not in a bad mood though, cause their are carolers bouncing around the room singing. If you want to keep people happy, just have people sing Christmas songs to them while eating, because we were happy. Appetizers we got the blackened shrimp, Asian pig wings, mussels, and a wedge salad. This was a party of 6 and we came hungry. The shrimp had an amazing peppery cream sauce served over toast and a risotto cake. We felt the shrimp were on the smaller side and there weren't enough. Better appetizer for two people we felt. The Asian pig wing had a nice chili soy glaze over them. Think buffalo wing but with pork. Which instantly just makes that better. The mussels were also very good. Those people that like mussels know that the best part is the broth for dipping your bread. And speaking of the bread they serve.....try the butter. It's a sweet honey butter that was just amazing. There were times I felt I was eating more butter than actual bread it was so good. Finally we all added that wedge salad which kind of just felt like a palate cleanser. I'm not a blue cheese fan so I swapped that out for the Parmesan salad dressing which was excellent and I highly recommend. As for the entrees I had the tournedos of beef which they are known for and also tried the pork chops. The tournedos are two filets served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The filets can be served two ways, and I opted for the lingonberry Demi-sauce. How often do you get to try a lingonberry sauce for your steak??? The sauce was great, I did opt out of the blue cheese accompaniment for the steak due to not liking. As far as the pork chops go, they were very good. As you'll see from the pic they were covered with apples and also had a side of mashed potatoes and green beans. All in all the food was great, I did feel they need to work on their mashed potatoes. They were on the verge of starting to get elastic. Which means they were cooked much earlier than they were served. The flavor of them was great though. Our server Jason was fantastic. And a good server can really make the night. When I order a wedge salad no blue cheese, and then 20 minutes later a steak and you remind me that you're taking the blue cheese off, thank you for listening and remembering. During the month of December, check out the night for carolers and make yourself a reservation. I will definitely be coming back. I actually had such a great time that I wound up buying a gift card for a present before leaving. Despite the little flaws, I was in a happy mood the entire meal. Great service can do that. Along with some carolers! Lol. read more

See all

The Ivy is an iconic restaurant in downtown Wheaton. The ambiance is hard to beat as it is a refurbished church. The food is impeccable. We also enjoy time in the outdoor space in the summer evenings. The Ivy is a must in the western suburbs! read more

First off, the inside is beautiful. It's a repurposed church, and a lot of those elements are still visible, to include the large stained glass window toward the front of the building. The server was prompt and attentive, and made sure we had drink refills as needed. The food was...well, just ok. For the menu prices, I think I was expecting a little more quality than what I received. I ordered the stuffed chicken breast, and the filling was absolutely blah...just tasteless, soggy bread stuffing. The green beans were tough, and not cooked or sautéed enough. The chicken itself was a bit on the overdone/dry side. It wasn't a bad meal, but for $25, I expect a chicken dish that's gonna knock me off my feet. That simply wasn't the case. I'd probably try the place one more time, with the hope that the quality of the food matches the prices. read more

I really don't like writing bad reviews, but this place was awful. Went here on a Saturday mid day and it took 30 minutes just to get 3 drinks & a plate of bread & another 30 minutes for an appetizer. At that point it was ruining our plans for the day and had to get the check and just go somewhere else for actual lunch. Our drinks were awful. Service was not great either. We told the server we had allergies and then didn't even say anything about the appetizer we ordered being within what the allergies were.. so we couldn't even eat the appetizer after waiting an hour. There were 4 tables around us whose meals were getting comped because food was cold or took forever to come out. I work in the restaurant industry so I get it when it's busy, but this was just completely unacceptable. I should have had my meal comped but I just didn't even want to waste any more time there.. so $68 and 1.5 hours later for literally 3 drinks & an app.. very unhappy.. read more

My husband and I went for our anniversary tonight and I was disappointed at the service and some of the food! Hostess was great. She said we could sit at the bar to wait for an outside table. We ordered drinks and caprese flatbread from the bartender and he was less than interested in helping us. He brings us caprese salad and when we said what we ordered he didn't apologize. We had to ask for bread to go with it. so, so boring and the tomatoes were not red and should not have been served. our waitstaff outside was nice but when other mistakes were made on orders they made excuses instead of apologizing. Entrees were good but sides were kind of boring. I hope it was an off night. However, we will not be back. I hope it was a f night but we won't be backbe read more

So this review comes with the fact we sat under the outdoor tent, potentially the experience is different sitting in the restaurant. Flavor was good, but the steak and veggies were all cold when they arrived. The waitress began our interaction telling us she was delayed getting to our table due to having to send cold food back to the kitchen so maybe expectations should have been lowered going into the dinner. read more

Best steak ever. Wonderful ambiance. Service was great! We had such a nice time, will try out the outdoor patio this summer!

Made a reservation to dine on the patio. Upon arriving, this character immediately directed us to the street when there were several empty tables on the patio. When I questioned her as to why she was not taking us to the patio, she told me the tables there were for larger groups even though there were several for couples. Left immediately feeling extremely disgusted....will never return. read more

Best takeout by far! Warm bread, utensils and butter all given without being asked & food is amazing too! Pleasantly surprised by the care in packing our orders! Will def be ordering again! read more

The Ivy was our "Supper Club's" choice for our monthly dinner and we attended in May. Note that the parking is more limited due to the fact that they, and other restaurants have blocked off the street and have tents set up for out door dining. The staff at Ivy is very friendly, helpful, and attentive with out being intrusive. The hot bread that is served first is delicious! Each of us had a different meal and they were all very tasty and well prepared. I ordered the 1/2 rack of ribs and they were great. Some had salads and the portion was very generous. The cocktails were very good and they have a nice selection. The interior is absolutely lovely, used to be a church so there are beautiful stained glass windows...a welcoming fireplace is a nice finishing touch. We will be back for sure! read more

honestly, i'd rate this place a 4.5 out of 5. food is good and cooked well (flavors are a little underwhelming but fine all things considered). their menu isn't extensive, but if they do a good a job with non-seafood dishes, i'm confident they'd do well with their meat dishes. jenaye, our waitress, was attentive but not overbearing. the real draw to this place is the ambiance. great place to go for lunch/dinner or date night. love that this place feels like it's located in (what appears to be) a quaint little town as well. definitely looking forward to another visit in the next future. read more

We decided to dine at Ivy after lovely Mozart concert at Wheaton. Ivy was just a short walk away . Right off the bet I loved the building and the whole street was lovely. The interior was interesting and staff knowledgeable and attentive. Good food and wine. I had scallops with asparagus and nice salad. I highly recommend this place. read more

My wife and I celebrated our anniversary here and first time to eat at Ivys. We had heard a good things about the restaurant and decided to try it. The food was good but not great. I had a filet which was prepared good and good flavor. I had the cream spinach and thou the sauce was good not a lot of spinach. My wife had the salmon and it was average. We ordered a Caesar salad and calamari. Again calamari good just not great and portion size small. Atmosphere is neat. Service again good but not great. Overall decent meal and maybe worth a try. read more

We have eaten at The Ivy several times and enjoyed it. The last time we had a small issue that we thought management should be aware of. The owner came to our table and was more than rude to us. His is the Best restaurant and we obviously don't understand how things should be run. We were polite to him because we were not upset we just thought he Might want to know. We will certainly not be going back and putting money in his pocket! read more

Had a great gourmet Thanksgiving dinner here. It's one of the best ever. Friendly and helpful staff made the visit even more enjoyable. I saw a lot of other guests having a good time too! read more

Excellent service, food was great! The steak bites appetizer was excellent, so was the Brie appetizer. The French Connection drink was bitter but the rest of the meal including the lamb chops was great! They accommodated dated us with a new reservation time after our car had issues and had to reserve a later time. So sweet! Thanks Ivy! Ladies Night out was saved! read more

We took out daughter out to eat for her Birthday. A must go to restaurant, the food was excellent!! The salmon was perfect! The service, Kara our server rocked it!!! To pull it all together in ranking a five.. the ambiance. A restaurant within an old church. Wow!! Thank you for a great meal! read more

We ordered family style Pot Roast to go on a Sunday Evening for 49$ that serves 4. This was an amazing Pot Roast-very tender and juicy! This local business is doing everything right during Covid and these trying times. We will continue to come here for carry out during this challenging time. The food was hot and salad fresh. I believe a new chef has joined their staff and the menu has some new and revitalized items. read more

Vinny the bartender is 1st class capable and professional. Didia best server, owner always smiling and great personality. Great place just alittle pricey but your in downtown wheaton in a comfortable location. Outside seating in summer can be really nice when good band is playing. I gave it 5 stars based on my last visit. Let's hope they can maintain this level for 2023 read more

My family and I recently ate at Ivy to celebrate a birthday. I have seen it from the street many times while rampaging through downtown Wheaton, but had never eaten there until now. First, as many reviews have stated, Ivy is located in an old church. It still has they large stained glass window, high archways, etc. The interior almost has a medieval feel to it. Ivy could have easily gutted the place and took away all signs the building used to be a church. But they didn't. It was a good decision. I ordered the lamb chops. I'm generally a steak guy, but if lamb is on the menu I'll go for that. I don't get to eat a lot of lamb so I take advantage of it whenever I can. Anyway, I had the lamb chops here and they were delicious. Tender, full of flavor and I literally pulled the might right off the bone. Does it get any better than that? My lamb chops also came with mashed potatoes and cooked asparagus. The mashed potatoes were excellent and complimented the lamb chops perfectly. The asparagus was...well...asparagus. Seriously, all the food was good. Our waiter was very nice, helpful and personable. He recommended a good beer to go with my meal. He also made helpful suggestions when we were looking at the menu since we had never been to Ivy before. The waiter was also attentive to our table without being overbearing. You know how some waiters ask you how you're doing every five minutes? This waiter didn't do that. He let us enjoy our food. But he did come by to see if we needed any refills or anything like that. Ivy is now on my list of favorite restaurants. It sports great food and a great atmosphere. And speaking of atmosphere, the noise level was perfect. We could actually talk to each other in normal voices without shouting over loud techno music. The only noise was the chatter of other patrons. If you're looking for good food at a higher-than-average price, then Ivy is your place. I highly recommend it! read more

Ivy Restaurant - Lamb chops with mashed potatoes and asparagus. - Seafood Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Nice atmosphere. Food was above average although crab cakes were not lumpy but rather mushy. Service was poor. Waitress took full glasses of wine away, was absent for a large period of the night and lack of silverware and plates at time of the appetizer. read more

Probably the best restaurant in Wheaton. We have never had a bad meal here. Most recently we had lunch out on the beautiful patio. I had the lobster mac and cheese which was glorious. Chunks of lobster, parmesan bread crumbs, creamy joy. The decor is old school and comfortable but formal. Like an old plantation home. The view from the upper level is lovely. From the fresh bread and herb butter to the baked brie and berries appetizer everything they make is heavenly. Also recommended are the deluxe grilled cheese and blue cheese crusted pork chops. Highly recommended. read more

Ivy Restaurant - Lobster Mac and Cheese. Rich and creamy. - Seafood Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

For ambiance.. we have a winner! Inside is a former chapel (Funeral Home.. but just think Chapel.. it works better that way) which makes for a beautiful room and outside they sport one of the western suburbs best patios. This evening we dined Al Fresco. Our third or fourth time here since it's been Ivy (it was a good seafood place for a while before: Oceans 120) We got there early, we had our grandson (infant) and his parents with us so we wanted to get out before they got busy. The restaurant was very accommodating and never rushed us along. We started with Appetizers, the Pepper Shrimp (yum!) Calamari (I don't eat it, but the kids liked it) and excellent Crab Cakes. My son and I each enjoyed a Caesar Salad. And then things got real. Lisa and I ordered the same thing.. The Double Hoisin Pork Chop (two chops, moist and tender) mashed potatoes and green beans.. This was really delicious and I would get it again in a heartbeat. Our daughter in law had the 10oz Filet with a Parmesan Crust, she thought it was delicious, both she and the baby loved the mashed potatoes... and Lisa stole her Asparagus.. it was cooked perfectly. Our son ordered the Rib Eye with a blue cheese crust, mashed potatoes and green beans.. delicious as well. So, three appetizers, four substantial main dishes, two salads, beer , wine , soda great service and awesome atmosphere.. with a bill of almost exactly $200 Pretty great and I can guarantee we'll be doing that again. read more

See all

Well, well, well . . . Wheaton, you have been holding out on us. This restaurant is an upscale gem. However, casual dress is totally acceptable. An old funeral parlor (followed by other businesses) is a lovely restaurant including stained glass windows and a lovely fireplace that requires NO chimney. On this particular Saturday evening, the place was jammed. The bar, with high top tables, was full as well as the first floor dining room. I went exploring. There is another dining area located on the second floor and a smaller room off the main dining area on the first floor. The hard stone and towering ceiling require one to speak VERY loudly to be heard by table mates. I would think the tables/booths located along the side are a much cozier choice. However, being seated smack in the center of the room has distinct Yelper advantages. (For observation purposes, not being nosy). Dick, the owner, works the room and makes sure all his guests feel welcome. Waitstaff is phenomenal and when my steak was not done to my liking, it went back and our wait person came back with apologies from the chef. Valet parking is available but you can also look for a street spot keeping in mind that Wheaton LOOOOOOOOOOOOVES their one way streets. The restaurant is located on the first block north of the tracks, across from the old theater. read more

Yikes. To say the least, there was a giant gap between my expectations based on reviews and word of mouth comments regarding Ivy. The food: was a let down. My shrimp and lobster pappardelle pasta tasted like the cardboard box it came from and was firm. It smelled a lot better than it tasted. I tasted the p unit's new york strip and sirloin, and both were tough and chewy. The best tasting dish of the table, by far, was the bro's lamb, and I don't even like lamb. We've had better mussel appetizers. I will say that it was nice to have bite sized/$3-priced dessert offerings, and we opted for the key lime pie. The service: was a tad on the slow side, with the restaurant not even half full on a Tuesday night. We were able to overlook this though, since we were enthralled by our own conversation. Ambience: the best part and reason for the 2 stars! It's a unique setting, as the restaurant was formerly a church. read more

We here 9/22 for a rehearsal dinner. WOW. First of all, you walk in, and the building is gorgeous. It's an old church, converted to a restaurant. Nice, open space. Servers/bartenders were helpful & friendly, with great attitude & smiles. The food, was, .....well, I am speechless. It rivaled the food I've had at much more expensive & higher rated place I have been. Phenomenal. You will not be disappointed. read more

We had the lamb chops (huge portion), ribeye (cooked perfect), and the Parmesan salmon (melt in your mouth). The food was great and everyone was happy with their choice. Including the 8 year old that had the 6 lamb chops! Dessert was exceptional as well. Creme fr Cocoa and key-lime pie. read more

Ivy Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Ivy was recommended as a romantic spot for a celebration. We made a reservation for our anniversary and we were pretty disapointed throughout. The restaurant is an old chapel, some hanging images of outside Ivy barely succeed to overpower the presence of Jesus watching over dinner. Other tacky promotions printed on paper hang up by the host stand, along with a creepy collage of canvas art or photography we weren't sure what to make of. There was no music and the lights weren't set for romance by any means. We looked at the menu online, but it wasn't updated so the items we chose weren't on the menu when we got there. One item on the menu still said "this is a description of the menu item. list all ingredients here." We got a good laugh, but it wasn't a good sign. I ordered Blistered Tomato Short Rib Risotto. This meal included zero tomato and zero seasoning or flavor at all. I couldn't get through it without asking for salt. The soup-y risotto had no flavor what so ever- it was just a texture. The vegetables, carrots and mushrooms, also tasted bland and raw. The meat, unseasoned, was tough. The plate came out unwiped with splashes of the risotto "juice" all around the edge. The panna cotta we ate for dessert tasted exactly like Hershey's chocolate syrup. The server didn't bring bread until after we ordered food-- the bread and cinnamon butter is really fluffy and delicious- that was the best part of the night. I also enjoyed the starter salad; I appreciated the too-large portion for a starter salad. They ask if you are celebrating anything when you make your reservation but then nothing came of that. The server wasn't aware it was an anniversary- no mention of that at all. This is a place we have no need to return to. read more

Beautiful restaurant, attentive service, clean, and comforable. Had the Butternut Squash Ravioli. Aside from them having a tad too much salt, they were very good. My hubby had the crab cakes and thought they were fantastic. We look forward to going back and trying some other dishes. read more

Ivy Restaurant - Ivy interior - Seafood Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

See all

The duck salad was disgusting...it was probably made a month ago and it just was warmed up in a microwave...horrible taste...didn't say anything because we didn't have time...came there for lunch, but unfortunately, never coming back. The grilled calamari was charged for full portion and there were actually 11 pieces thinly sliced, no taste at all. Like I said, never coming back. read more

Best. Restaurant. Ever. I absolutely love this place. Beautiful ambiance and delicious food. The people there are always nice. Don't forget to ask for the bread! The butter is so yummy. Savory Peach Chicken and the Ivy Chopped Salad are my all-time favorites. You won't be disappointed. I have been coming here for years and have always had great experiences, whether it be a date night, big family celebration dinner, weekday lunch or a private party, Ivy always performs. There is an outside patio in the summer, perfect for days that are not too hot or windy. read more

See all

Great ambiance, delicious food, plenty of drink options, AND wonderful service! A fun evening celebrating my birthday. read more

Ivy Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

I went for lunch and had the steak salad. Very disappointing. The steak was luke warm. The lettuce was only iceberg and not crunchy - very wilted. The restaurant was chilly too. The menu was not as great as it was several years ago. I probably won't return. read more

Fine dining at its best. My husband and I have been here twice for special occasions. Food and service are excellent!

I can't believe that I didn't review this after my dinner here. I came here to celebrate a one year anniversary with my boyfriend. We had reservations and were seated right away. The inside of this restaurant is absolutely amazing!!!!! It's beautiful, big, airy and it is located inside an old church so it has that church vibe going. I had looked at the menu online and I had already decided what I was going to order once there. I ordered the double hoisin pork-chops with the garlic mashed potatoes. My chops were absolutely delicious! The flavor was great, the chops were juicy and thick, and they were a decent size. My meal came with a salad and it was served with bread and butter. I ordered a glass of wine that the server recommended and it went perfectly with my meal. Our server was wonderful, the ambiance was great and the food was fantastic. The restaurant is gorgeous! Very different. Thinking of going back to celebrate our next anniversary here. read more