We have been coming here for years. Everyone knows their chicken finger and fish fry are top notch. Today I tried the Chicago Burger and now have a 3rd favorite item here. You pretty much can't go wrong with any menu item. On this visit it was a beautiful sunny day so the runway was extra busy. Even as my kids are older teenagers now they still enjoyed every minute seeing the planes and helicopters coming and going. If you've never been here then I highly recommend you check it out. If you have been, then you know what I'm saying is true! read more

Pilot Pete's - Chicago Burger - American Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

See all

Phenomenal food and atmosphere. The hamburger, chicken fingers, and ribs are great! Awesome place to bring the family and watch planes takeoff and land. Great value and specials are really good read more

Pilot Pete's - American Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

I tried the fish fry at Pilot Pete's. It came with tater tots, 3 hush puppies, and cole slaw. Also, a small cup of tartar sauce for the fish. I got a Mai Tai while waiting. Oh, I forgot, soup or salad. I got both because I was feeling a little piggy. Clam chowder was on tap that night. So, the food was pretty darn good. It was all you can eat fish, and I got a second helping. I could have used more tartar sauce but I didn't ask for it. It was really busy that night. I got there at 4:30, and they said it was about a 45 minute wait. We got our table at 5:50, so there's that, but we waited downstairs which is very comfortable on couches. Our server was very helpful and was quick to refill the waters. I went with my wife and sister and brother in law. Wife got salmon which she liked, sister got the fish fry like me, and brother in law got pot roast in a tortilla shell because he's weird. Everyone liked their food. I've been to Pilot Pete's about a dozen times, and they never disappoint. The portions are huge, the price is reasonable, the food is good, and the ambiance is lively. As you're being seated, you can glance at the kitchen and see what's coming out. I find this helpful when I'm trying to decide what to have. read more

The food and service was great. It had a robust menu for kids and adult. My husband and I both ordered the Reuben and enjoyed it. Kids loved the buttered noodles. My only complaint had to do with the waitlist. I joined from yelp before I arrived because I was trying to reduce the wait time with my three kids. I am not confident that joining the waitlist prior to arriving did anything and, if it did, then the estimated wait time / number of people ahead is very wrong. It said the waitlist was less than 10 min when I joined, which was equal to my drive time. Once I arrived, I notified them I was there. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes in the wait area and every single person waiting went in ahead of us, so there was literally no benefit to joining the list ahead of time. read more

See all

What a fun spot if you're into airplanes, lots to see, decor is so cool! Had friendly service and great seating! Food was good, really loved the tenders. Drinks were fun and good. Very sugary though. BUT good. For me, this is a one time visit, just to see & check out. For an avid airplane enthusiast this is definitely a must visit spot! read more

See all

Went on Good Friday, so we expected busy. But told 45 minutes, that turned into 90 minutes. We then went into bar for a drink and was able to sit at a table in there and eat, first come basis for those tables evidently! We all got the same exact thing, but every plate looked different. Some fish was barely cooked including soggy breading on the fish, some pieces nice, hot and well cooked. Some pieces were nice, some were super thin. Fries nothing to write home about. Cole slaw, bland dressing and includes apples. I don't like fruit in my Cole slaw. Hush puppies were almost raw in the centers. Ice Tea was to strong. Service...slow, we were forgotten about 4 times. So not a great experience overall, gave 2 stars for decor and ambiance. read more

Pilot Pete's - Thin piece and thick piece, big pieces and little pieces, different doneness and different colors. - American Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

Wow! What a cool airport restaurant. I had the fish and chips. While they were a bit more than I usually pay, I more than got my fill. The fish was cooked just right and the fries were very tasty. The ambiance is super-fun, if you are a pilot and plane nerd. Lots of stuff on every wall and more hanging from the ceiling. read more

Pilot Pete's - LARGE fish and chips. Notice the hush puppies hidden amongst the fries- very flavorful! - American Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

See all

Good food. Nice portion sizes. Did not see any planes take off or land. Bummer!! I will support business again but earlier in the day.

Fun place for family to enjoy and look at the planes. Food service was quick and great. Would definitely come back for the plane experience read more

See all

excellent menu, amazing atmosphere and unbeatable prices. excellent servers and all around a excellent dining experience. lots of parking and easy to find. plan on going more regularly again. read more

Pilot Pete's - all you can eat cod fish fry (wednesdays & fridays),hush puppies and mashed potatoes w:4oz tarter & coleslaw - American Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

No more Won Ton nachos ....... it was the main reason we went there ....... after 20+ of going to our neighborhood restaurant....... I am not motivated to go back...... so incredibly disappointed..... so sad read more

Famous for their Chicken Tenders and Honey Mustard Sauce. Don't skip dessert Key Lime Pie is epic.

We had a large group of people and they do not take reservations. We were told to reserve a table online and put the number of people in the comments. That did help but it was still almost a 2-hour wait from the time we put in our initial request. The food was good. A couple of people that ordered the horseradish salmon said there was not enough horseradish flavor to it and those of us that had the fish fry the fish was just a tad-dry. It was a very busy Friday night and it may have been sitting out a little while. The service was good though and overall our party was very happy. It was really cool to watch the planes come in and take off while dining. If you're looking for a quiet place to dine, this is certainly not it! We were seated in a round room where the voices all bounced right off the windows and walls. It was extremely loud! Still a cool place to visit read more

Pilot Pete's is a neat restaurant at the Schaumburg airport. The airplane decor is plentiful and eclectic. It is nice to get a window seat and watch the small planes take off and land. The lobster nachos are delicious! Plenty of lobster and cheese with the usual nacho toppings on the side. So good! The burger was tasty. The chicken tenders and honey mustard dipping sauce are addicting. Yum! We had great service. They have consistently good food. A great place to eat. read more

Pilot Pete's - Yummy chicken fingers with honey mustard dipping sauce. - American Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

See all

Service 5 stars Ambiance 4 stars Food 1 star - on the loaded nachos with chicken n guacamole n cheese n all that goodies Worst loaded nachos ever tried How can one go wrong on loaded nachos There's literally 12 chips n they were soft, not crispy read more

Pilot Pete's - Nachos with chicken - American Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

Great family restaurant. Food was good and reasonable prices. Management came by to check on us. They were very pleasant. Don't see that to often any more. read more

Pilot Pete's - Slab of Ribs dinner - American Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

See all

While the menu seems to boast of a handful of award-winning options, at the end of the day, you're here because your kid likes airplanes. With airplanes hanging from the ceiling and seats that look onto the runway where small personal planes take off during the meal, Pilot Pete's delivered the exact experience I was looking to provide for my kid. The chicken strips are fried like beer battered fish, resulting in a crispy but light crunch to every chicken finger bite. The accompanying honey mustard was tasty and complemented the chicken nicely. The burger was supposed to be exceptional but we didn't find it to be game changing. Overall, the food was pretty good, 3 solid stars with the chicken strips and honey mustard standing out. Portion-wise, while food was on the pricier side for sport's bar food, we definitely had more than enough to be sharing entrees. But let's focus back on the planes. The waiting seats were airplane seats with the little trays that come out of the armrests. The hostess saw our kids and sat us right next to a window with a nice view of the runway, close enough for them to ooo/ahh whenever a plane took off. The staff were friendly and more than comfortable with our kids walking around to see all the various aviation items they had all over the restaurant. So the fourth star is well deserved because we were here for the planes and our kids left fully satisfied at the fun plane restaurant. Come for the planes, maybe for the chicken strips and honey mustard, everything else so-so. read more

We go to Pilot Pete's often. But... Had the best experience there tonitght because of a server named Carolina Of course the food was terrific, but she was so delightful, gracious, and attentive. Her personality was very happy, and glad to serve you! Felt so comfortable tonight,will ask for Carolina from now on! Thank you Carolina read more

We've been going to Pilot Pete's on and off for 15 years. The quality of the fish at the fish fry last night was .... not good at all. The batter was okay, but the fish itself was very bland and mushy. And the fries were just "meh". Things seem to be going downhill here. I'm a little afraid of trying the chicken fingers again and being sorely disappointed. read more

Great choice of menu items and top shelf service, polite servers fascinating decor. Fun watching planes take off and land.

Been here twice, first for lunch and it was very good. Second time for a birthday dinner on a Friday for the AYCE fish. I found it to be bland like there was no seasoning in the batter. Also the clam shower was kind of watery and also lacking flavor. I'd have to have a good reason to return. read more

Pilot Pete's is worth going to for the experience of watching the nearby planes on the runway (given the restaurant's location) but honestly that's pretty much it. While we had been looking forward to dining at Pilot Pete's for a while, we were disappointed by both the menu, food, and service. The menus you find online (and even when placing an order online) are not completely accurate. We had planned to order a few appetizers (cheese curds and potato skins) but when we called to place our pick-up order, we were told they are no longer offered at the restaurant. Not a big deal but definitely a bummer. For takeout we ordered a Cuban sandwich with sweet potato fries which was good but we wouldn't recommend the chicken finger platter. The breading was pretty good but outside of that, the chicken sometimes tasted too rubbery. Watch out for the surcharges on the premium sides (around $4). I ordered a loaded mashed potatoes and was extremely disappointed when I received just plain mashed potatoes when I paid for the premium side. When I called Pilot Pete's to raise the order error, the resolution I received was unsatisfactory. The plain mashed potatoes were not seasoned at all so I would not recommend it whatsoever. Ambiance is a 10/10 but I wouldn't visit again specifically for the food or service. read more

My lovely wife and I went to Pilot Pete's today (Sunday) for lunch. The food was ok the prices are a little high but I guess you are paying for the decor and the fact it is at an airport so you get to see planes take off and land. Now the reason for the two stars, we were seated in a booth and there was another booth next to us with a divider. On the divider was decor well there was a child 5-6 yrs old in the other booth. He kept playing with the decor on the divider and it was being moved closer and closer to falling onto our table . It ruined our whole meal having to keep an on the decor from falling onto our table . We were looking forward to a relaxing meal but that didn't happen. Now you would think that the child's parents would stop their child from playing with the decor but that didn't happen. You might think that we should have said something to the parents or the manager. What good would that have done since the parents were sitting there watching or ignoring what their child was doing. The manager would not have done anything because they are afraid to insult their customers. We're are not those people who dislike children that is not the case here.( even though that's what people who dislike children would say) we just feel that parents shouldn't let their children act like it's a playground. Bottom line is if you want a relaxing meal I wouldn't go here but if you want a Chuck Cheese atmosphere where parents sit around letting their children do what they want this place is for you. read more

We have been here 3 times and have never had a bad experience. When their busy wait times were a little longer but the staff are amazing and friendly. Highly recommend with kids on a clear non windy day so they can watch the planes landing and taking off ! read more

Pilot Pete's is on the runway at Schaumburg airport and it's all about the planes. Decor, views, planes, planes, planes. Family friendly and equipped to accommodate large groups. Wait time on Saturday night was half hour, not bad. Drink and food specials. Famous chicken fingers and pot roast did not disappoint. Appetizer combo was shared by five people and was delicious, highly recommend. We had a mix of entrees that ranged approx $20 pp. I had the prime rib sandwich yum. Team works as well organized. Our server Maria was amazing, she ideally knew what we wanted before we asked. I love that. Visit Pilot Pete's read more

I don't know where the bad reviews are coming from, but it's possible that some people don't want others to know how good this place is. Yes, you have to wait at busy times and there are no reservations, but it is so worth it. The batter on the chicken fingers and the fish sticks is the best I've ever had. You can't beat the scenery too. Wait staff are friendly. read more

Food was good, fish fry always good, just too much food! cocktails were very weak. Service was very good.

This is probably like my third of fourth time coming to Pilot Pete's. I have to admit, it deserves more than a 3.5 stars. Everything that I have tried has not missed its mark. This time around I ordered the Lobster Nachos and a cup of their chili. The nacho's were on point. It was maybe around 10-12 tortilla chips but think of them as stuffed because of how much Lobster is packed on top of each chip. A must try. Their chili was amazing. Definitely something that goes well on a cold day. Our server, Natalia, was amazing. She was attentive, checked on us frequently and very accommodating. We were a group of 10 so she was great! We were there for our son's fundraiser so that's also something to make a note of. It was very family friendly. There is a section for everybody, adults and kids. I can't say enough about the food that I tried. It's bar food but their menu has a large variety and it's just good comfort food. As always, try it for yourself. read more

See all

The wait was long, the service was fine, the atmosphere was excellent. The food was ok. The kids chicken tenders and fries were great. The burger was awesome, too. I had the chicken breast, which was fine, nothing amazing, and the veggies, which were lame, like they were out of a bag (disappointing). I would still return, just rethink my meal selection. read more

so I'm staying just down the road a piece and it's been a while since I've been here and I kind of remember why. food is good and the views are too but it's a little steep and always has been - it's not outrageous mind you but technically it is airport food but with better parking. dining alone so I got a seat at the bar; started with water because it's not wise to drink on an empty blood stream (hydration is important) before moving to Friday's draught special which paired nicely with the chowder and potatoes. I didn't actually want all I could eat fishes since I wasn't particularly hungry but it was still two bucks less than regular so I eventually went with that. I started with the clam chowder with actual clam bits in there along with lots of chowdery goodness to which I added a couple packs of crushed crackers. didn't figure the garlic-horseradish masheds to travel well so I had those while finishing the soup. asked for the fish boxed to take with and they were fine for tomorrow's lunch on courtesy biscuits from the hotel, sadly the hush puppies didn't make it through the night... service was prompt and efficient if uninspired but hey, it's a long day rapidly becoming an even longer night so maybe the bartender was pacing herself? read more

See all

Delivery on a early Friday evening. Two separate orders. #1 Grilled chicken breast, baked potato, mixed veggies, salad. Ordered Chicken breast with Lemon butter- none, very dry. Salad- no dressing sent. Very large baked potato- 2 tiny pats of butter. #2 Fish Fry. Requested Tartar sauce - None. Rest of food fairly good. Delivery pretty fast considering it was a fish fry night during Lent. read more

Omg they took away all thr good stuff..no more won ton nachos..no more potato skins no more Mac and cheese bake..who do we call?..unbelievable!!!!...totally ruined my night..great wait staff..but food has left the building!!! read more

Great for Ribs ! Food is ok ribs are excellent. What sucks is the fact you can not make reservations online.

I live in the area and my visits to Pilot Pete's run hit and cold. My family has been coming here since the early 2000's. Today, I came in about 2 hours prior to closing not terribly busy but I felt I was intruding on the server's time. I knew what I was going to order ahead of time but I spent a good amount of time waiting for the server. The chicken and rice soup was Luke warm at best and was watered down; I guess to make sure it lasted through closing. I asked for rolls and was informed they were frozen and it would take time before I got them (in hopes I would say forget about it?). The rolls did come out hot and they were good, but did I really need to know they were frozen?! The pot roast dinner was as good as when we first started coming here. Great portions & hot, pot roast can be cut with a fork, mashed potatoes were good and veggie was corn (thank goodness- I'm so sick of broccoli!). Bloody Mary Sunday Special was excellent. Good price and tasted very close to being made from scratch. I ordered the bread pudding to go. It came out hot in a Styrofoam container without a lining so I can only guess what chemicals have leached into my dessert. Will I come here again? Only if I have a strong desire for an excellent pot roast dinner! read more

I was suprised how the fish was here ( all you can eat fish fry wed and Fri ). The waitress Frankie was A+++. Very polite and great customer service. Then meda another waitress came and asked if we were ok and if we needed anything. They were all helping each other. It didn't matter whose table it was. That was very nice to see ( team work ). First time here for me and I would definitely recommend it. It was amazing from the minute I worked in to the minute I left. All staff were smiling and polite. Wow wow wow. They all deserve a raise read more

See all

Our waitress was super friendly and helpful. The portions are generous. Good place for a casual burger.

Have not been here in a while..went for the fish fry...super good.. They were very busy..everyone working so hard..but all had smiles..nice to see..Our waitress was very attentive..and others checked on us too..most welcome....Food all delicious..and good choices..we will be back..Very pleased.. read more

food is terrific, service is top notch! love the planes as decor! Set there Twice and loved each time!

Almost all the good apetizers removed , wonton gone, fish fry is good but entire menu besides a salad is meat based. If your not a fish or sea food eater or vegan this isnt the place for you. If you have small kids, id reconsider. The manager has botched this menue so bad. If you like meat great, otherwise check elsewhere. read more

Pilot Pete's is a buzzing place. Showing up on a weekend, best to be on Yelp's waitlist. Hostess manages the incoming crowd like experienced air traffic controllers. If you have to wait- you don't have to buckle in, but you'll be sitting in airplane seats along the hallway. Staff members fly around serving great food and turning over tables quickly for their next group of passengers to get ready to order. There is a wide variety of great picks on the menu. Drinks are non alcohol & alcohol beverages. A window seat will have a view of the airstrip. The sights inside are just as interesting. Model planes hang from the ceiling. Bookshelves hold additional plane displays. Pilot Pete's is worth the visit for both kids & adults. read more