A friend treated me to lunch here on a weekday and the place is so beautifully cozy and adorable, I definitely would go back. Nothing too fancy, it's like someone opened up a restaurant in their formal dining room. The food was good. Fresh and good and nothing frilly about it. I would definitely leave room for the carrot cake! Yum! read more

We hadn't been to Jilly's since the ownership changed a couple years ago. We had a lovely dinner! Same attractive interior, and the menu has a bit of an update. Service was perfect. Food was good. I particularily recommend the homemade Gnocchi, although I must say that the rack of lamb at the other end of the table looked very tasty! read more

First of all it's tiny very very tiny. The waiter were not really friendly and the food was sub par at best. I wasn't happy to later find that several hours later the food I ate caused me to vomit for most of the night. The other people at the table didn't have the same problem but were not happy with their meals. It was really bad and I can't think of one positive I can about this place.... How about it had a good wine list..... read more

My sis took me here for my birthday lunch. We both grew up in Evanston, and had not been to Jilly's for awhile. We were pleasantly surprised at how delicious everything was. We started out with wine, and enjoyed the French bread and creamy butter. We both ordered the salmon with pearly couscous and broccoli in a white wine sauce. The salmon was cooked to perfection, and the couscous melted in our mouth. For dessert, we shared a lava cake with vanilla ice cream, decorated artistically with a red and yellow sauce. It was heavenly. We will definitely be back for lunch and dinner. read more

Jilly's Cafe - Salmon Fillet with Pearl Couscous. - French Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I came here with a friend and had a great time. It was the perfect setting for a nice dinner. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. Would definitely go again! read more

Walking into the restaurant last night, I thought--oh no! The place was crowded - the tables were jammed together - and the older crowd was strangely quiet. The wait staff reminded me of the characters in Young Frankenstein. And, the art work on the dark panel walls was amazingly bad. But once the food came out, that all didn't matter anymore. The bean soup was thick and superb, the pork tenderloin absolutely spot on delicious, and my wife's and two other friends' meals were also really good. And, the price of the dinner was very reasonable. Go figure. We'll be back soon! read more

This is one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. Hubby had the Bouillabaisse, which was absolute perfection...a perfectly seasoned broth with seafood, fennel, and blanched vegetables, his spinach salad with bacon and warm goat cheese was divine, and my baked, crusted salmon with couscous was incredible. The highlight for me was my beet salad - tender slices of beets with sauteed onions, walnuts, and blue cheese tossed in a sweet vinaigrette, and I loved the sorbet between courses - a nice palette cleanser. The restaurant is very old world European, and the waiter and manager were very polite and accommodating. Jilly's Cafe is a real find - I can't wait to go back! read more

good good good. We only have been a few times for the usual "getting drunk while eating delicious food on sunday brunch "... The food is great, the portion are very very filling (i always have trouble finishing dessert..) the menu is inventive but has broad appeal, the food is fresh, the decor is cute and the music french.... love it love it love it... and it is SUCH a bargain...($24, unlimited "champagne") please dont tell your friends so it stays as nice as it currently is : ) Edit: downgraded to 4 stars for: menus that has been stagnant for 2 years, same music playing for x many years, and food which has not been as good the last few times we went..Still a good deal! read more

Had a really lovely dinner at Jilly's Cafe last night with a group of dear friends. There were 10 of us and everyone enjoyed their meals. Across the group we got lamb, scallops & shrimp kebabs, pasta with chicken, Bouillabaisse, pork tenderloin....everything looked amazing and everything I tasted was delicious! I got the pear-shaped roasted chicken over coconut-sweet potato mash and spinach: amazing! I shared a friend's beet salad as a starter and closed my meal with the absolutely wonderful key lime pie. Dessert was a tough call as they bring out a tray with seven amazing options: carrot cake, chocolate lava bomb, creme brulee, carrot cake, chocolate cake, profiteroles and key lime pie. This is a quaint restaurant with excellent, personal service. I can't wait to go again! read more

I just got home from Jilly's and I would like to say that, on my second time, I still love it! We were out for a little celebration dinner where I got the tomato-mozzarella salad and pear-shaped chicken and my bf got the beet salad and venison. Both our salads and entrees were wonderful and the service was great as well. One thing that disturbed me was that we were the only people in the place (literally) on a Saturday night, but I'm hoping that was just because it was Memorial Day weekend. The previous time we were there it was packed, so get back out to Jilly's Evanstonians! While our food was delicious, I would agree with another yelper that the desserts aren't anything super special. Don't get me wrong though, they were still pretty tasty. Overall an excellent dinner! read more

I went there for brunch on Sunday. It was a little bit uptight in the decor (cloth tablecloths, floral dishes). I don't really care about that. But the food was not amazing. I mean the salmon was flavorful, the scone/bread basket was nice, but I wasn't interested or excited about anything I or anyone else tried. Kind of small menu too. Don't think I'll go back. read more

Enjoyed our Valentine's Day dining experience. Fixed price menu had a great selection of surf v turf offerings. Servers were very attentive to our dining needs. Restaurant was full of couples for Valentine's Day. Love the new owners....We will return soon. read more

Very nice for lunch. 4-5 stars for the food. 2-3 stars for the setup and service. Our waiter (an older gentleman) was friendly and enthusiastic, but mixed up our orders and was very unhelpful to the one member of our party who needed to make a menu substitution (lettuce for fries, should be super-easy, right?) Also though the place was nearly empty they seated our large group at a table right very close to a wall, so whenever anyone got up, the whole table had to stand up to let them out. Inconvenient. Parking can be a little tough to find around here. Put 2 hours on the meter, you'll need it. read more

Four of us had dinner last Saturday night. My wife and I had tried Jilly several years earlier with mixed results so thought we would give it another try. At first the service was attentive ,we ordered drinks and subsequently ordered our entrees. We ordered two salads and asked them to be split. When they arrived, they weren't split and they never even brought separate plates so we could split them. We finally received two additional plates...the salads were average at best. The entrees arrived, the ladies ordered the duck which looked inedible ..wasn't crispy and was sitting on a gelatinous mass of something. I had the lamb chops which were mediocre and my friend had the halibut he said was just ok. When we finished, it took us an inordinate amount of time to get our check and then for someone to come back to take it. With all of the restaurant choices available we won't go back read more

This gem is hiding in plain sight on Green Bay Road. If you have driven by many times, now is the time to stop in! Our family just had the most wonderful Easter brunch at Jilly's. The food was delicious and the service was so personal. read more

Just returned from dinner and felt compelled to write a review. There were four of seated at a small table. Wine was ordered and right after being served one of the glasses was accidentally spilled so we asked for another glass to be served. What a shock to see that we were charged for the second glass. Most restaurants would have replaced the wine at no charge in order to provide good customer service. We will not be returning. read more

Favorite restaurant in Evanston.... Excellent muscle appetizer. Venison Excellent choice here. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Jilly's Cafe provided the best meal I've ever had on the North Shore, and I grew up there. Well, maybe Le Francais was better. The ingredients (beet fennel salad, asparagus risotto ) were fresh and flavorful, the service prompt and friendly, the wine reasonable and tasty. It doesn't look like much on the outside but inside is a charming, white-tablecloth room. We enjoyed Jilly's on a Friday as Memorial Day weekend started. Perhaps that explained that we were the only diners (thought several carryout orders took place while we dined.) Wake up, Evanston. read more

I and my husband love coming to Jilly's Cafe, this is a realy nice and cozy place!!! We have been there for so many times. The menu is really various, this time we had Mussels Marinieres and Escargots for entrees and for the main course we had Char and Steak Friets it was astounding!!!!! As well we had a botle of Pomerol! We enjoyed homemade desserts. The chocolate Lava with a side of ice cream was really amazing! We recomend you this cute place!!!!! read more

We had a really nice dinner at Jilly's. We ordered the pear shaped chicken and the salmon for entrees. We had the shrimp and scallop appetizer. The salmon was perfectly cooked. The pear shaped chicken was literally shaped like a pear. I don't know why I was surprised by that. But it was really unique. It was also prepared really well. The dessert tray presentation was fun. I always love profiteroles at French restaurants and Jilly's didn't disappoint. Service was friendly and attentive. Our server seemed like he may have been the owner. He seemed very connected to the restaurant. He let us know that he was happy to accommodate any substitutions that we might want. read more

Wonderful, if you haven't eaten here you should. I have always made it a point to dine at the finest restaurants when traveling. This I stumbled across. I have paid so much more for food of the same quality. Perfectly prepared and I was the only one in the restaurant. read more

Jilly's is my favorite place for Sunday brunch. If you have plenty of time and an appetite order the Prix Fixe Champagne Brunch otherwise just go with one of the ala carte selections. I just love the sweet cream and plan my meal around what I can put it on. My favorite entree is their "Jilly Breakfast Trio" which consists of French Toast, scrambled eggs & strips of bacon. It's an intimate setting without feeling like you are in someone's living room. The staff is very attentive and warm. When I've been there for brunch it wasn't crowded and rushed unlike other spots at the same hour. It's perfect for a leasurely brunch. The ambiance is really cute and I love the natural light that comes in late in the morning from the windows facing Grean Bay Road. It really is a North Shore hidden treasure. read more

Certainly cannot figure out what all the fuss is about here. Service is unpolished and spotty, and food is pricey and mediocre. There are no mixed drinks, and the wine we wanted from the list was out. Salads are large and not bad starters and then it is downhill. Had the rack of lamb. Was not asked how I wanted it cooked, so it came super rare which was not my preference.Blue cheese mashed potatoes were mushy and tasted like instant. Asparagus was soft and unappetizing. The pork entree fared about the same in appeal. Coffee was weak and desserts were goey and tasteless. The desserts on the sample tray looked awful as if they were sitting for hours. Chocolate that we sampled tasted bland and clearly not worth the calories. Skip this place which is living on past laurels. There are better choices in Evanston. read more

One of my favorite restaurants. Absolutely delicious salads(Chicken salad and the Mediterranean salad are great) and entrees(Herb crusted salmon fillet with couscous and mustard sauce is my favorite). Very cozy seating. read more

Jilly's was a favorite for my (now) husband and myself when we were falling head over heels in love, so it holds special memories for me. The small romantic atmosphere and bisto type menu was always top notch. I love this place! read more

The food, the price, the service were decent. we had escargot, pork tenderloin, and roasted duck. I didn't like escargot so much. The duck was tasty. It seems there are many repeated customers. It's a small place so I recommend to make reservation before going there. read more

Stopped in here for lunch with a bunch of my co-workers, we had a pretty bad experience. The food was OK, though nothing spectacular, but the service made the experience utterly terrible. Our waiter was not helpful, confused several people into thinking soup came with their meal when in fact it did not and they would be charged for soup, completely screwed up 2 of the orders and then tried to deny that we had ordered correctly. The best part of this scenario? 18% gratuity automatically added to the bill. Maybe we caught them on a bad day but I'll never be back to find out. read more

Great place to brunch! They have plenty of delicious options, have a brunch prix fix menu or ala carte items, and excellent service! They were attentive and kind, and the food was very good. read more

Jilly's was cozy, filling up fast in the early weekday evening. The service was prompt, attentive, but not fussy. The house roasted tomato soup was a well-executed balance of flavors, while the dessert selection was surprisingly broad and enticing. Settled on the profiteroles, which proved excellent! read more

I recently visited this small bistro on Greenbay Rd on the very northern edge of Evanston. I have never before felt as compelled to write a review as I do now. For those of you who want the skinny right away: good prices especially considering the generous portions compared to similar restaurants. For example the beet salad is a good size and is really full of beets and almost only beets. At other places, even if the beet salad is large, there are usually just a handful of beets. Same goes for their Bouillabaisse, a French seafood soup: a whole lot of seafood. The desserts I tried, Creme brûlée and the Profiteroles were not as large but were very tasty. I have not tried anything else. Many of the menu items (modest in number), are standard items in high class and cost establishments (bouillabaisse, escargot, beet salad, rack of lamb, etc). Although their food is not the best compared to the beet salad and bouillabaisse I have had at other high end restaurants, I really did enjoy the food. Taking into account the cost, the portions and the ambience that was thankfully lacking that pretentious air that some similar type places have. All in all, I would recommend it. I will definitely be back myself to try their other offerings. Advice: 1). if I were to order the beet salad again I would ask for the dressing on the side. The vinaigrette was overpowering, just a bit less would have been made the salad much better. 2). If you go to eat after the store next door closes (I can't remember what it was exactly, a store engaged in car servicing of some sort) you can park in their "lot." (There is no valet parking). 3). After dinner coffee is just regular coffee, no espresso based drinks such as cappuccino (which I personally like to have with dessert after a meal). 4). Our server, an older gentleman who gave me the impression that he was probably the owner or part owner of the establishment, was delightful. He was very casual, jovial, and engaging. Although I appreciated his jokes delivered with a heavy accent, some might not or might not be in the mood for such. So just be warned. read more

I came here for brunch with a girlfriend. It was a special going away meal for her, and this place was perfect. It was elegant, the service was great, and the food and champagne were delicous. Will definetly go back. read more

Great mushroom and cheese omelets and wonderful desserts. Wonderful service like being in Paris. Reasonably priced.

Went here for a special birthday dinner. Had reservations made for a while. Was admittedly less than pleased with the lack-luster table right near the bathroom. To start, we had the mussels. They were tasty. Not the best we've ever had but good. The sauce was oniony and flavorful but really heavy on the fishiness...maybe extra garlic would have done the trick? My hubby absolutely loved his beet salad. I thought the cream of mushroom brie soup was good but salty and I'm still not convinced that the brie worked so well. It left a woodsy, grassy aftertaste that was sort of unpleasant. My salmon entree was delicious. The pomme frites were divine. The squash side was fresh and tasty. For dessert, we were able to snag a creme broule. It was much too heavy on the cream for my taste. It was almost too thick to be creme broule. I've had better. The restaurant is really small. It's filled with an older crowd. It needs updating and a good cleaning and airing out. I think if they removed the carpet, it would go miles as to the smell. The tables and chairs could be stabilized better as they all seemed to wobble too much. Thursdays are no corkage on byob and that's really lovely. All in all it was a nice little kitchy place. Will be back for the main entrees. read more

My daughter and I stopped in for dinner and were mildly disappointed with the overall quality of the food. From the pate to the pear chicken and seafood gumbo the taste profile was sweet with little balance. My daughter ordered the crab cake appetizer. Crab is a sweet meat yet this was served on a bed of sweet corn and red pepper with a side spoonful of "tartar" sauce. The crab cake was tender though unseasoned. The "tartar" sauce tasted just like its main component, mayonnaise, and little else. The corn did provide some textural counterpoint to the crab cake which was nice as the rest of both of our meals had little in the way of a thoughtful balance in texture. It is pretty shameful to serve a poorly seasoned sweet and slightly gummy rissoto, the mussels were tender and sweet, the baby scallops and two pieces of shrimp were slightly overcooked hence a bit chewy and flavorless, and it was topped with odd sized rather disproportionate pieces of salmon. The sauce was again on the sweet side, overall simply poorly seasoned. My daughter's pear chicken essentially suffered from the same fate, sweet, very sweet from the sweet potatoes that actually had clumps of brown sugar mixed in to the chicken which was floating in a maple sauce, the skin was not crisp but fatty almost gelatinous in texture and again no real thought to the seasoning. The greens which would have provided a nice texture balance to the meal were completely unseasoned and slightly oily. My desert was just sad, I ordered a Creme Brulee only to have the custard remind of the boxed vanilla pudding I used to make as an after school snack. The middle of my brulee was ice cold and essentially flavorless. Poorly executed! I found the timing of our whole meal interesting. It all was served fairly quickly which leads me to suspect that most of it was prepared farther ahead of time then need be. Certainly would explain the risotto. My glass of Pinot Grigio was the true highlight of the meal! We are long term residents and over the years (over 30) have eaten in most of the restaurants throughout the north shore. While the atmosphere is cafe quaint, I would rather go to Oceanique (another French/American style restaurant, perhaps a bit more stodgy in atmosphere),and pay just barely a smidge more and know that I am going to have a true quality meal. Needless to say we won't be back and I will not recommend this place to any friends or visiting family. read more

Hubby and I have been here a few times. It's very romantic. The food has been fantastic every time. Hubby had the rack of venison tonight. He offered a bite which I happily accepted. It was sooooo tender with just a touch of char on the outside. It was delicious. I had the steak frites. So good, the seasoning was perfect. The owner, a very smart and generous woman, has totally upgraded the wine list. It is well worth the trip to check this place out. read more

Pleasantly surprised by this place. Crowded for dinner, great service, superb food. By the sound of the other reviews, this place seems more ripe for dinner than lunch. Very much enjoyed the white bean + vegetable soup and beet salad appetizers. I ordered the braised BBQ short ribs w/horseradish mashed potatoes and my wife had the Flounder w/orzo. Hers was the winner between the two. Dessert plate was overwhelming with mostly chocolate options - lava cake was a great choice. Parking was confusing at first but we discovered most people park at the neighboring auto shop lot after 6pm. A solid meal with attentive staff and a great busy vibe on a friday night, would like to go back and try more of the menu. read more

Found out about this place after a groupon purchase! The food was divine! Loved the quaint ambience and mid size restaurant. Enjoyed my 3 course dinner and savored every bite! The food was filled with flavor and since that's something I can appreciate, I would def recommend this place to anyone who can recognize quality! read more

My husband, his best friend and I went to this restaurant because the other restaurant we were supposed to go to, his best friend reserve the wrong date. This restaurant is not to big but nice and cosy to dine in. The food we had was great. The only thing about this place is we didn't get our menu when we first sat down and we got it after the waiter pour our water which was kind of odd to me. I will still go back to this place if I am in Evanston and will recommend it to others. read more

So, I have a fussy eater husband who likes plain American food with few exceptions. He is also not enthusiastic about food, as I am. We first came to Jilly's last year for my birthday and had a wonderful dinner. This year I was surprised when he suggested going back to Jilly's Cafe. I think we ordered nearly the same items as we did a year ago, but when it's that good, why not. The spinach salad was served with warm goat cheese and balsamic vinaigarette, delicious. The bouillabaisse is delightful, full of fresh fish, scallops, shrimp, and mussels. The filet mignon was excellent, and don't skip dessert, the chocolate mousse cake is worth every calorie. The prices are very reasonable for that quality. The place is small, a little cramped, the front of the house has only three staff who each seem to do everything. I am not sure how to describe the atmosphere, I like it though. Their lunch menu seems a bit American go for dinner. read more

Interesting experience at Jilly's. My first and will likely be my last visit. To start, the place needs an obvious update. Surprisingly, the place was filled with people. Its a bit of an older crowd. Sure, the 'art' on the walls is a bit dated but that can be cute in a kitchy kinda way. But when it comes to cob webs on the walls and ceiling tiles that look like they're about ready to drop in your soup I had some doubts. The waiter was nice enough but a bit pushy. The bread that came out was a bit stale. Red flag #1. Second, there are DOILIES under everything!! Doilies. I had a salad which was okay. My husband had the scallop appetizer which was swimming in a bowl of cream. For dinner he had the venison which he liked and I ordered the chicken breast with rotini. First, there was no chicken breast- the chicken was cubed in suspiciously exact squares. Second there was no flavor. Noodles in a dish again literally swimming in a pool of heavy cream. Really missed the mark. As we ate we watched other tables get 'presented' the dessert tray. The waiters literally placed it ON the table right in front of diners. It was almost uncomfortable to watch fellow diners reluctantly order dessert because it was put in their faces. In order to avoid this, we politely asked for our check. Waited, waited...Then, the very sad looking dessert tray ended up on OUR table. In the middle of being presented the desserts, the waiter was called to table next to us- a mistake on the bill- they were "inadvertently" charged $6 for a $2 cup of coffee. Yikes. When our waiter returned we declined dessert again and again requested the check. After waiting a few minutes I got the feeling they were waiting to see if we'd order more wine or change our mind on dessert. Overall, it was a bit of a sad restaurant. The place seems to be grasping at straws. Doilies do not make up for good food. read more