We decided to give it another try and wound up back again the next day. We didn't have any pasta,…read morebut stuck to the app trio for $21. All of the apps we tried are solid and well done. It feels like Italian tapas and we get to try a few things. The service was better than it had been the last time we'd been there two years ago. They were actually slammed bc of Grove Fest getting rained on, but we could understand and saw the staff running all over. The restaurant feels clean and well kept, and overall it's a nice place to grab some apps and salad in downtown Downers.

Went here today for an afternoon celebration for a baby christening and although it was a pre…read moreselected family style meal I thought the food was amazing. We had house salad, fried calamari that was delicious, lemon chicken, sausage and peppers and rigatoni in an outstanding vodka sauce. I didn't take pictures but wish I had. I can't wait to go back and would recommend to anyone else in the area

This is a nice place, good fresh food, drinks and excellent service! Also plenty of screens to…read morewatch any event!

The service was fine, the people were nice. But the food was just not very good. We had bacon Mac n…read morecheese egg rolls (crispiness was the only good thing about them). Also the fried gnocchi bites, which were completely soft on the outside so no crunchy "fried" aspect and tasted like cheese more than gnocchi. And lastly, the elote dip... this was not like any elote I've ever had. A mix of veggies in a creamy (wet) mayo based sauce. It wasn't too bad except the avocados were hard as a rock. Totally inedible. The kitchen remade the dip for us, but they were still pretty hard- just cut into smaller pieces. The tortilla chips served with it were stale, too. I love visiting this area and was excited to try someplace new. Sadly the best thing I can say is that the place has lots of screens to watch the game. I won't be back.

Delicious. Had the ribeye steak, Vistro burgers with fries and broccoli & cheese curds also MAC &…read morecheese. Service was very attentive and genuinely happy. Well worth it. We went on a Saturday night and wasn't too loud. Make sure you make a reservation. Didn't take pictures of dessert since they were devoured but they were also great.

Vistro Prime has long been on my list to visit, especially after going to their other location…read more(Petite Vie) in Western Springs. This spot is marketed as a "neighborhood steakhouse" ended up feeling more like "modern american faire" to me. The menu offers a variety of meat cuts, seafood, salads, handheld items, elevated apps and more. The inside feels like a sophisticated bistro with a cozy atmosphere. For drinks, we started with the Bee's Knees & Smoked Apple Butter Old Fashioned. The Bee's Knees was perfectly balanced and flavors played well off each other. The Smoked Apple Butter Old Fashioned utilizes one of his "jam session" products which was fun. The flavor was a bit more spiced than I was expecting and could have used a bit more of a spirit punch. For appetizers, we started with the Toasted Ravioli and Crab Cakes. The portions were smaller but the flavors were fresh. Hearing Chef Paul Virant is from St. Louis, connected some of the fun options like Toasted Ravioli. The insides had the perfect meat to cheese ratio and the red sauce was nice. The Crab Cakes tastes fresh and I loved the sauce on top with it. After apps, we decided to share the Vistro Burger. This burger is rated the best burger in the Western Suburbs and I now understand why. Burger, Caramelized Onions, Bacon, Pimento Cheese, and a soft bun is put together and burst with flavor. The burger was a bit messy but just made me want to enjoy it more. Our server was nice to split the entree into two portions for us. For dessert, we ordered the St Louis Gooey Butter Cake which was phenomenal! We also got the Mexican Chocolate drink to share which was the perfect nightcap. We were also celebrating a special event so complimentary champagne & a blondie dessert were given to us. Overall, there are some great pieces to Vistro Prime. The burger has a reputation for a reason and is well worth a trip to try. Some appetizer & drink portions were a bit small for the price point but flavors were good. Our service was good but not amazing sadly for having dined at an earlier time. Either way, I'm so happy I was able to experience another one of Chef Paul Virant's amazing spots!

Brooks is great. We've been here two times now. Everything is super fresh. Good beer, selection…read morelove the patio and kids eat for free on Sundays. The Italian beef eggrolls, and farmhouse chicken are both excellent! Kids meals are a good deal!

Great vibe good food friendly service…read more Get the short rib mushroom Flatbread it's great for individual or for sharing Old style lager on tap is refreshingly crisp. There are 3 separate dining areas: outdoor patio, bar area with high tops and benches, main dining with larger tables for bigger groups. 5 minute walking from courtyard hotel (shortcut through parking lots)

I'm flustered. I know i have had a bad week, month, quarter. But this one got me. I wakled to the…read morerestaurant with my small dog. And i asked a busboy if i could sit. He was confused but spoke perfect English. I pointed to my dog. He said he didn't know but it wasn't his decision so he went in to talk to the hosts. He returned saying they would serve me. There is no way this gentleman did not communicate this properly. He understood the issue and although shy and differential communicated well. He came back telling me that someone would take care of me. I floated, standing up for a bit, then sitting down in an overt place for 15 min. A server came out to quickly wisk me away when they noticed that I was expecting to be served. This means two things. They disregarded the busboy and did not give him a actionable response because of his nature or ethnicity. And secondly they established mistrust between me and the front of the house. I don't care about your dog policy by the curb. That is your discretion as a business. Please don't respond pretending that is the issue I am upset at the disrespect shown by the front of the house ignoring your staff, and my discretion and civility being ignored. I am leaving a 5 star review, not because i feel ok about this. But because your reviews show a high leaning to 5 and i dont want to impact your business negatively.

Cute little spot!! Colorful interior with a lively feel and great service. Amazing food with big…read moreportion sizes that are full of flavor! Can't wait to be back! Food: Chicken Fried rice. Big portion size with well cooked chicken and sweet onions.

Bottom Line: Good place to start the evening…read more This spot is good for opening the evening before heading to one of the many nearby dinner destinations. The indoor space is long and narrow, with an eclectic, warm vibe, lined with display bottle and can-filled shelving. There are several tables along the display wall that seat four comfortably, with a compact bar tucked toward the front. Don't come here looking for a quiet corner though. The place fills up quickly--especially Thursday through Saturday nights during sidewalk‑dining weather where the crowd spills out into the covered entry and sidewalk. The clientele skews upscale and once they settle in, tables tend to turn slowly. Also, the noise level often rises to the point where conversation requires a raised voice. Wine and appetizers are this place's wheelhouse. I agree with other reviewers that service can lag, especially when you're trying to get that first order in. The charcuterie is a reliable favorite, with the rest of the menu at least decent if not particularly memorable. The wine and beer offerings are broad enough to satisfy most tastes, though some reviewers' claims of "reasonable prices" depend heavily on your definition of reasonable--lingering over drinks and appetizers will leave a very noticeable dent in the ole' wallet. Though I don't feel It's the kind of place I'll likely make a weekly habit, it is a good starter spot for a date night or a meet‑up before moving on to a dinner place.

This is such a great wine and charcuterie spot in downtown Downers Grove! The charcuterie boards…read moreare delicious and honestly really reasonable priced. We got to choose seven items between meat and cheeses for $25 plus you get to pick three accessories like nuts, jam, mustard, fruit, olives etc. All of the options we chose were delicious! And served with both a garlic bread and rice crackers. They have an extensive wine list and a lot of food options as well. After our charcuterie we enjoyed the white pizza- GF FRIENDLY! All the crusts are cauliflower crust, and I am not GF so while I wouldn't have picked this normally, it was SOOO yummy. I wouldn't have even known it was cauliflower crust! The flavors were great too. We also had a super tasty grilled cheese with bacon and the star... jalapeno jam! Loved it all and can't wait to come back on a future date night!

The restaurant you take the elevator up. The view is amazing and can be great to watch the sun set…read more There is high top table for a big group or low lounge seatings available in the bar area. Great place to hang out and mingle. Ladies night or a date night. Had the white Sangria is citrus and refreshing, which was really delicious to have in a warm/hot day. Shared Cordero Asado, lamb lollipops, was expecting small lamb on skewers per the tapas description on the menu. Was juicy and cooked perfectly. Didn't really need the sauce. Also shared the chicken and mushroom empanadas. These were very mini. So there was more dough than filling. It would have been better to offer 3 normal size. Paella de Mariscos is seafood flavor with mussel clam and shrimp. The pan was really small vs wide and shallow. So the rice on the bottom was burnt black and had the burnt taste throughout the whole dish. Didn't get the crispy rice at the bottom.

This restaurant is on the 9th floor of Le Meridian Hotel in Oak Brook. The hotel is next to…read moreCheesecake Factory. Your GPS will take you to Cheesecake and tell you that you've arrived, but you don't see a stand alone restaurant named El Tapeo. Just enter the hotel and you will find it! It's a lovely setting with floor to ceiling windows facing the shopping campus. It feels upscale, and the server staff behave as such; but it is not a snobby, uncomfortable ambiance. Business casual fits well here, and the sound level is lower than average. The tapas are first rate - delicious and well presented. They had run out of octopus and lamb when we dined there, so we will try again another time. Sangria in a pitcher was just the right amount for the four of us. This place is a gem!

I would give 6 stars if I could. This is casual fine dining. We were greeted by the owner, Steven…read moreas we entered. Area is clean, well maintained, and the staff is excellent. As you enter there is a small dining area with a grand piano. Piano player on Fridays and Saturdays. Down a short hall is the bar area with 5 high top tables. Then there is the patio, which I have to say, looks very inviting for when it is not 100 degrees with high humidity. Oh yes, the food . . . outstanding ~ southern Italian with very generous portions. The meatball appetizer and a salad would have made a meal, but that's not why you are here. We went with the chicken parm and chicken Limone. Delicious and plenty to take home for at least one additional meal. Can't forget dessert. Make sure to save room ~ gelato and vanilla cheesecake (flavor changes) were probably some of the best I've ever had. If you cannot tell, I would highly recommend this restaurant and will be returning. It has earned every award that it has received.

We went in a bit later on a Friday night, and were excited to try the patio but they closed it…read moreearly so we ended up sitting inside. There was a live musician singing & playing the piano. We ordered ricotta & honey toast and a hot honey pepperoni pizza. The ricotta toast was fine. The pizza tasted like pizza from Ohio (which is not a compliment) and the crust had loose flour on the bottom. The plates we were provided could barely fit a slice of pizza on them, and the pizza needed to be eaten with a fork & knife because it was too floppy in the middle to hold its structure, and not floppy enough at the edge to fold in half like a NY slice. Our waitress was incredibly kind, and probably the highlight of our experience but the rest was mid to bad, so I can't say I'd be back.