Stopped in tonight about 5:30, we were seated right way. Had the nicest waitress , it was our 1st visit and she pointed out all the important things on the menu ( very helpful ) !! She took our drink order and then our cocktail order and they arrived quick! I had an carmel Apple martini... let me tell you it was delish and a bit strong!! We then made our entree selections , my self Surf & turf.... fabulous huge portions was amazed. My Husband had the prime it was amazing he said, my daughter had the ribs and shrimp she loved hers as well. We had no room for dessert :( but we were very impressed ! One of the best places in the Gurnee Area ! We will be returning . read more

The Backyard Steak Pit - Seafood Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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Ahh my favorite "find". A cozy steakhouse that knows how to do it right. Delicious every time I have been there, service was a great, and the tiramisu is hands down the best! Only wish they would stay open later so when I get off work I can get there for dinner. Consider changing it for the weekends to 10:00? read more

This place a hidden gem! Service is always outstanding and the food and drinks have never disappointed, excellent steak , burgers and Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Do wish they had kept the salad bar..... read more

Great service!! Family had dinner with grandma. Awesome. A bit around the corner from the Main Street and they were busy!! Good old fashion salad bar. Love it!! Our son had the full slab of ribs and dug his teeth in and didn't stop until he finished!! The Alaskan King Crab was tasty even though flash frozen. A definite return when back in town. read more

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Great food and service. Been going here for years and always a great evening everything we go. The steaks are literally the best in Gurnee.

Of course, I'm going to be biased since I am employed by the owners Mike and Keith; however, how many employees can and will honestly claim they love everything about where they are employed? As the hostess of this establishment, I maintain the floor and proudly watch the "service with a smile" my coworkers display. Knowledgeable and helpful with the menu, in addition to, sincere and friendly, I love having patrons tell me how enjoyable their experience had been. Undoubtedly, the inviting atmosphere of the bar and the momentary modernizing of the restaurant make me obsessed with this place. So now, let's get to the food... pure awesomeness! The Ahi Tuna is probably complimented on a nightly basis; add a dirty martini, made by any one of our bartenders, is a huge love of our clientele. The Lobster Bisque, Surf & Turf, Smoked Pork Chops are just a few beloved options. Of course, our Roasted Black Angus Prime Rib is a must try, especially when one can order a 12oz-48oz cut. Leaving our Backyard hungry is not possible! Thus, what do I spy with my little eye whenever I walk through the doors - only the best of everything. If not, I wouldn't work here or have my family and friends include my workplace into their outing. read more

The Backyard Steak Pit - Seafood Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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I know it is Valentine's Day but my husband is on oxygen. He has a portable oxygen concentrator and his battery life is limited. They said an hour wait. I said even if my husband is on oxygen. They said it wouldn't be fair. How would they feel if they were my husband. We went to The Lakehouse Restaurant and we were seated within minutes. read more

This is my favorite steak restaurant. The real charcoal grill gives it the smell and taste you can only get from a charcoal grill. The baked potato is excellent, don't get the mashed potatoes, I will never make that mistake again. read more

They no longer offer the salad bar. No vegetarian choices. Disappointed. Only meat or fish options.

I hate to do this. But, you guys need to step your steak game up. I am a steak aficionado and I was served up a very inferior piece of meat. I ordered the strip steak and immediately knew when it was presented in front of me that it was a subpar quality of meat- didn't even look like a strip. We are talking bottom of the barrel choice cut. I was able to consume less than half the steak. Not because it was terrible to the point of rancid meat. Although, the flavor was the taste of the grill and not beefy- not a very desirable flavor. It was because it was straight up gristle throughout the meat. I eat good fat; love it actually. This was just nasty.. I'm sorry but I will not be back until I hear you all are buying quality beef.. This place was a major disappointment. I was expecting dry aged beef and prime cuts. That is NOT what you're going to get here. You're going to get back of the yard, low quality steak, fitting enough to be tossed in a pit.. Oh.. Wait.. Only reason for two stars and not one- your Italian Beef Egg Rolls.. If you're going to champion yourselves on steak, with the nice ambience of the grill in the middle of the room, spring for higher quality meat. read more

Hands down the Best pork chop I've had anywhere. Cherry wood smoked and grilled. It's an inch and 1/4 thick...moist and great flavor . Perfect. ...And they serve it with apple sauce.;-) read more

The food was cooked perfectly, waitress was outstanding and was always smiling and greatful

Nancy was the best!! It was our first time trying it out here. The food was great. I had the ribeye and my fiancé had the ribs and shrimp. The portions were great and the mashed potatoes were my favorite. Nancy's service was probably the best I've had in a long time and I was a server/bartender for over 15 years. We will be back!! read more

I love the backyard steak pit. I'm only giving 4 cause I'm a bit of a germ o phobe and I won't sit in because of the carpet and old decor. However, long ago when I was married to the first husband I had a wedding rehearsal dinner there. That was in 2001. The food is as good today as it was then. They are consistent. I order take out, and when I get home it's still hot and fresh. Every time my kids get extra money they walk to Back Yard steak pit. I don't think there is a better steak or chicken or fish in Lake County. I just wish they were open for lunch. The staff is always nice. And this may be weird, but their Italian or house dressing is great and the bread is even good. I'm giving them a 5, I just want it updated as far as decor. But as a small business owner myself, I can understand that takes money. I always recommend them when people ask. read more

Ordered to-go due to Covid. Service was great for pick up. Food tasted great. Why two stars then? Food poisoning within 3 hours of eating. read more

We had dinner with another couple and had the best time. Our waitress was Val, and she provided the best service with a smile and a little charm. We arrived a little after 5:30 and found the entire restaurant and bar to be very busy. Since it was only 4 of us, we couldn't make reservations and put our name on the list. In the meantime, my husband and had drinks in the bar area while waiting for our friends to arrive. We were seated within 20 minutes and lucky enough to get a booth. Now about dinner! The food was hot, served in a timely manner and over the top, delicious. The boys ordered the surf and turf and raved about the entire meal. While our friend's wife had the biggest prime rib I'd ever seen, I ordered the bone in ribeye. Both were so tasty! Even today, our friends called to say how it was the best meal they've had. There won't be any argument from me, because I agree! read more

We hadn't gone back here for a few years because we'd gotten gristly steaks the last time, but decided to give them another try. Things were a lot better, the steak perfectly cooked, and the sides/soup/etc. exactly as expected. Where we ran into an issue was ordering "fresh garlic" on the steak. It came out with this bitter chemical tasting garlic, it wasn't fresh, it was diced garlic straight from a can. I asked the waitress about it, and she brought over a manager, and we discussed the difference between fresh and canned garlic, and how the canned garlic wasn't very good. They offered to replace the steak, but the steak was fine, just needed to push the garlic off to the side. On the final bill, there as a $2 charge for "fresh garlic", they hadn't even taken that off after finding out the canned garlic was awful. Oh well, better steak places to go to, maybe I'll try next decade. read more

Great local steakhouse with a Wisconsin Supper Club feel. Fantastic steaks and seafood. I had the French onion soup, dinner salad and 12 oz filet mignon with baked potato. My husband had Surf & Turf which included a 12 oz filet mignon with two twin 5 oz lobster tails. Our daughter had the jumbo grilled shrimp and veggie skewers. Everything was perfectly cooked. Terrific friendly wait staff. read more

Great place to eat. Food is great and service is wonderful they have a small little salad bar and very strong drinks. I adore how the grill is viewable from your table and the chef does a excellent job! read more

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This place is killer. Everything was delicious. Even the baked potato. Lobster Bisque was great. And I've had dozens of orders of Coconut Shrimp from dozens of different restaurants. It's our "go to" appetizer along with Calamari. And I've had yet to find a Coconut Shrimp as good or better than Outback's. Until now. Actually, Outback's Coconut Shrimp has gone way downhill recently. But Backyard's is as good as Outback's ever was. The Prime Rib wasn't the most tender cut I've ever had. But it was still delicious and cooked to perfection. I've had far tougher cuts, at The Shanty for instance. That was the worst cut of Rib I've ever purchased. The Backyard has my special occasion big steak business from here on out. I love this place. Everyone was masked up and doing it the right way. Any business making the effort to protect the health and well-being of their patrons during this pandemic has my business. Any business thumbing their nose at this pandemic and taking absolutely no measures to protect their customers, DOES NOT have my business. End of story... Keep up the fantastic work Backyard! read more

Can I say these is what you call a steak the prime rib Delicious staff are very nice and attentive read more

The Backyard Steak Pit - Seafood Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Decided to go back 20 years after my last visit. Just as bad as I remember it!! Below average food. Frozen shrimp being passed off as hand breaded and Undercooked! Dry wild rice with no flavor. Bread wasn't cooked enough! Farm raised Salmon with no flavor! Waitress didn't want to be bothered when my wife asked what type dressings do you have? It will be 20 years before we give it another try. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. read more

Surprisingly pleased, this was a last minute substitute for the restaurant we attempted to try and arrived to find was permanently closed. We wanted Steak, so I searched Yelp near by and learned they have steaks. So we gave it a chance and were rewarded. Living in the area for a couple of years, we have passed it several times without a strong inclination to try because truthfully, the name and exterior of the restaurant makes you think a typical country barbecue place. (To which we already have a favorite.) However, you enter an establishment that walks a line between fancy steakhouse and laid-back family diner. Oddly, creating a comfortable environment with a loose dress code, but as another yelper quoted, "Best Steakhouse in Lake County" with linen table clothes. This pricing is not cheap, but worth it and compared to other high-end steakhouses very reasonably priced. So if you want great steaks without dressing up, come here. I can attest to the blue cheese encrusted f Filet Minon was crispy on the outside with a smokey flavor, but juicy and perfectly cooked in the middle medium rare inside. My husband loved his prime rib and mashed potatoes. They filled my wine glass to the brim. (Extra points!) The lobster bisque was not bad, I am biased based on previous experienced at super expensive places, I would order it again and steamed broccoli was strictly steamed, not a lot of seasoning, a minor commentary. Only confusing part is we were unaware that the salad with your entree, was actually a salad bar, we did not see it initially, the waitress did not mention and we finally figured out. But for the price and the quality of steak, was amazing! read more

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We ordered food from Backyard Steak Pit yesterday for the first time. We had a $100 gift card from a friend and we decided to try it. We were amazed by the flavor and the substantial amount of food. The side salad was big and it has everything that you want on a salad. We ordered ribs and shrimp and chicken and ribs. The size of half slab rib was bigger that a regular half size and the Smokey flavor was on point. We ordered for pick up and when I was there to pick up my food I took a look at the place and it looks very clean and inviting. The service was excellent. I will definitely go back or order again. My only recommendation is for the soup selection. Lobster bisque or clam chowder are not good soup choices when you have seafood allergy. read more

In short, it's not the best, but far from the worst as well. As others have written, if your not a local, you will more than likely have a hard time finding this place for it is not easily seen from the main road. The atmosphere is nice. I personally like the looks of the bar and the big, charcoal pit used for cooking. The "pit" certainly adds aroma to the atmosphere as the beef is cooked right there in the open. The appetizers are good as is the soup. The salad bar however in my opinion is very disappointing and I could probably do just as good with a salad from McDonalds. I've been here several times and all I've gotten are the various cuts of beef and never a burger. From other reviews, I'll make it a point to try a burger someday. As for the steaks, I'll say they are fair to good. Nothing to rave about. So far they have cooked the steaks as ordered and I've not had to send it back. I do however think for the quality of the steak, the prices are a bit high. The servers are nice, however I think they are a bit slow at times. Your drink can be empty for a bit of time before it gets refilled. Overall, if your in the mood for a steak and your in the neighborhood, this place will do the trick. read more

The Backyard Steak Pit - Seafood Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

This place is a hidden gem. Food is always hot and scrumptious. We enjoy this place.

We've been coming here for years. The food is very good, and the service is probably the best in Lake County. When you sit-down the table has a clean piece of butcher paper (which my daughter loves drawing on). Shortly after you are seated you recieve delicious, warm, homemade bread. Each entree comes with a choice of homemade soup, or the salad bar. The soups are good, but my family usually choses the salad bar, which is very fresh. You can't find better bacon bits anywhere, (they make their own bacon bits from real bacon). The steaks are excellent. My wife usually orders the ribeye (more flavorful than other cuts) with bleu cheese crumbles. I've had almost everything on the menu, and it's all good. I particularly enjoy the bbq ribs, which are tender, sweet and tangy. This crushes any of the chains over by the mall. This place is a solid old-school steakhouse. It is great for friends, family, or a date night. read more

My husband and I went here for our anniversary dinner and upon arriving we were a bit skepticism because it was behind a gas station, but oh man do not judge a book by its cover. It has a pretty cool atmosphere inside and the steaks were juicy and delicious. We couldn't believe this place was only a few minutes down the road from us! We will definitely be bringing family here when they visit! The only downside is the hours of operation are so short, but hopefully that will change. read more

Arriving it wasn't busy, or heavily packed, I felt that it had a reason to stay away. Upon entering it smelled great, making me want to taste what that was. On the menu prices were high, my meal was $16-17 for Fried large shrimp. I figured hey it must be worth it! Boy was I VERY wrong! The Hostess was very sweet and gave us a Menu to look at. I figured it's very pricey it must be real good. I sat down and the bench shifted, I ignored it. I wanted to try it because I wanted to give it a chance. The surrounding was old fashion 70s wooden panels everywhere and very dark and not a sexy romantic dark. The table linen is Hospital paper type material to cover the table. It needs some TLC. I thought Chef Ramsay or Robert Irvine was going to come in to remodel it before it shut down. The prices are PRICEY. I decided to stay because our waitress was very helpful and beyond sweet, they light a candle at your table. Lobster Bisque: ok flavor with NO chunks of lobster. Not even two chunks at least. Bread: I loved it, but again I love bread :) Salad Bar: Iceburg lettuce and no special toppings, looked old fashion ***MASHED POTATOES WERE BOXED POTATOES!! My husband added his steaks onions to it because it was very bland tasting.I am NOT playing: boxed potatoes.*** SHRIMP: Tasted like boxed butterfly shrimp. They were a rip off NOT large shrimp at all. Shrimp Sauce: Tasted liked mustard with horseradish. It burned. Will NEVER come again. One Star only because our waitress was very caring and helpful. read more

The Backyard Steak Pit - Pricey, Rip off & deceived. Not large as menu mentioned. Tasted like frozen no flavor Shrimp. - Seafood Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Very glad we gave this place a try! Good food, great service and the environment was very comfortable. read more

I don't really understand this place. Based on the name, you would expect a dive of a steak place. The decor is white linens and dim lighting, indicating they're trying to be upscale. The brick steak pit indoors speaks more to the intent to be divey. The prices are comparable to more upscale places. The food was good, service was excellent... I'm just not sure what the experience was intended to be. read more

We just had a great dinner. We had a party of 8 and were taken care of very well by Mary. Everyone really enjoyed everything they had. The end of dinner was topped off with a great ice cream drink. Everyone said they will be back. read more

Consistency is the key!! Came here after driving around looking for a good place to eat only to find long waits or rude staff. But not here!!! Courtesy from the moment we walked through the door! Interior is cozy, clean and has a great old school fine dining feel. Wait staff has consistently served us like we were guests in their home. Friendly, conscientious and proficient. The menu is smaller, but makes up for it with great quality. Portions are generous. Presentation is as clean and simple as the menu. Have yet to have anything subpar. Great Martini and dessert drink menu. You can see this family running this business love what they do and they do it very well. Highly recommend in this 'food desert' of an area. read more

We had very good prime rib dinners. Comes with soup (lobster bisque!) or salad, potato or veggies. But it wasn't cheap either at $36 for Gurnee. My piece was kinda cut off at the end which ruined the presentation and they did not offer a bone-in cut. Service was great and parking was not a problem. And try to get seated in the main dining room... on the other side of that low wall or else you'll feel like 2nd class citizens. read more

Best Applewood smoked pork chops on the planet!!! You get 2 huge boneless pork chops with a side and soup or salad. If you're looking for a great locally owned restaurant with perfectly grilled steaks, chicken or pork chops, this is the place! read more

The Backyard Steak Pit - HUGE pork chops!! Yummy garlic mashed potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Overall good experience but nothing to brag about. Had the salad bar which was great. Also ordered the lobster bisque, which was decent. For dinner I had the ribeye which was ok but slightly over charred. Cooked medium rare which was made correctly. But still just ok. And honestly a bit overpriced. I did love the dirty martini I ordered, really well made. Service was very good. read more

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I have driven past this place for years and FINALLY stopped in for an early dinner on Sunday. I must say this truly is a hidden gem. The service was great, and food was as you would expect and a 5 star steakhouse. Steaks were cooked perfectly, bread was fresh, lobster bisque soup was delicious. Salad bar was pretty basic, but for what they had it was still tasty. Old fashions were made perfectly, and while we did not have room for dessert, they had a very appealing selection to choose from. We will definitely be back! read more

I have to say I love how they actually cut the king crab legs for you. The steak is soo good and their salad bar is decent. It's very dim in there for a romantic evening with your SO. Definitely a bit pricey but if you like steak, potatoes or crab already ore cracked you'll enjoy this place. read more

This place has good food and service. What is odd is that they've always been busy when we go there, but we've never had to wait more than ten to fifteen minutes to get a table, which is good. I've had the prime rib, which was very good. Also, the porterhouse steak is a good choice. The smoked pork chops are great! My wife always gets the petite fillet. Sides and salad bar are all good. The only thing negative about this place is that it's pricey. We've never been able to go and get out without paying $80 - $100 for a party of two or three. But still worth a try. read more

If I could leave a zero star I would. My husband and I ate there this evening and I am severely sick. I tasted my husbands prime rib which was juicy and cooked well but was lacking seasoning. My food on the other hand was not worth the 150 bill. I tried the lobster bisque (there was no lobster in it) it tasted like it was a pasta sauce. I ordered the bone in ribeye and it tasted like spoiled meat. I ate my baked potato and as I sat there my became very ill I immediately had to leave. I was vomiting for a good ten minutes outside. If i wasn't so sick that I needed to go home I would have sent it back and not paid for it. Currently suffering from poisoning! I would not recommend this place staff was nice but the food was not worth the price. (Side note no one was wearing their mask) read more