The only reason this restaurant is receiving 2 stars instead of 1 is the fantastic hostess who stepped in as our server. We were there with a large group for a conference. The room is ready for us immediately, however, it took an entire hour for me to get my beverage. We were told that our server had a family emergency so the hostess stepped in. She was very attentive and pleasant. When I finally received my dinner, they served me the plate of shish kebabs with only the beef kebab telling me that they had to put the chicken kebab back on the grill because it was not ready. I think they may have removed the vegetables from the kebab with the undercooked chicken because they tasted funny. I only took a few bites and had the rest of it wrapped up. I got very sick that night. Pretty sure I had a tinge of food poisoning. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - Beef & chicken kebab. But no chicken. It had to be put back on the grill. - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

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Good home style cooking and great service. Lots to choose from on the menu and specials. Stumbled across this place when in from out of town. It was very good and pricing was very reasonable. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - Blue Cheese Chopped Steak with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

We came here on Valentine's Day before going to the haunted house nearby & they were very accommodating for a last minute table for four on a busy holiday. Our waiter was great, very kind & personable. It's my understanding that this is an italian restaurant ? I may be incorrect but I was a little disappointed that they had a specialty menu or something for the holiday that had only one pasta dish, which I did get, but I was surprised by that. The pasta was okay, something about the sauce didn't seem traditional to vodka sauce, can't place what it is but I don't think I'd get it again, it was not bad though and probably good if you don't like the spiciness that usually comes with a vodka pasta. My aunt got the eggplant casserole & said she really enjoyed it. Overall I think the vibe here is really cool and historic (can't forget spooky as well) but I'd have to return to see again about the food. Also, there was a dog in the office next to the bathrooms. She was very sweet but a heads up if you have any feelings about that in a restaurant. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce add sausage - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

Solid food, good service and friendly staff. Smoked pork chops were excellent! Definitely will be beck. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - Kassler Rippchen (Smoked Pork Chops), delicious! - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

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Food was absolutely disappointing. Our order was made incorrectly. Our server only made an appearance to take our order and bring the check. Do better. read more

Went for special occasion with 100 people , food was. Very good, warm, cold salads, good drinks, highly recommend

What took us so long to find this delightful restaurant! Well l'm just glad that we did. The menu is chock full of delights, so it was a bit hard to decide which delight we would choose for our first time here. We selected fried calamari appetizer, chicken pot pie, and pork tenderloin. All of the dishes were wonderful and not like they fell off the Cisco truck. They tasted homemade. The wait staff were so nice. And the place is clean, nicely decorated with an absolutely stunning back bar in the bar area, and a cozy feeling to the dining area. read more

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I have driven by here hundreds of times over the years and never stopped I. Until today for a holiday get together. What a treat , I immediately spotted the owner and introduced myself to him. We sat and Nicole was our server. I had chicken pot pie and French onion soup and it was made to perfection. The atmosphere was fantastic. Everything was perfect. Even had the pleasure of meeting a woman and her family as she celebrated her 95th birthday and clicked some pics for them. What a great escape (lol) we had We will return. Thanks to everyone who made this visit a memorable one read more

Great Escape Restaurant - Chicken pot pie that was perfect - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

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Delightful old school dining in a neighborhood near O'Hare. The Great Escape is far enough from O'Hare that you avoid tourists and trendiness and the up charges that brings, close enough to grab a 10 minute Uber and enjoy a nice meal in a classic atmosphere. Service is on par, helpful and pleasant. Food is tasty, ample portions. The French onion soup is cheesy! Specials change regularly . There's a dining room, bar seating and they do banquets and luncheons. Plenty of parking in back. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - French Onion soup cup - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

Family dinner- I always love these tripe's of restaurants that give bread and butter and soup and salad - free . Ribs are good staff is good ! read more

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What a wonderful dining experience! This place is just what I hoped it would be. Great food, good service and nice ambiance. I had one of the specials, which was roast pork shank with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The pork was tender, moist and falling off the bone. Potatoes and veggies were done just right. My companions had a salad, chicken Parm and another one had the pork tenderloin. All generous portions and tasteful. Service was good. The bar is great. We had a drink while waiting for our companions to arrive. A big plus for Guinness on tap! All in all, a great place to dine. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - The pork shank special. - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

First of all, I'd like to say that I've always enjoyed The Great Escape--the nostalgia, the baked French onion soup, the Reuben sandwich. I've been taking my coaching staff, work colleagues, and friends here for years. Not to mention, my father frequents the restaurant monthly for lunch with friends, too. My dad raves over The Great Escape's BLT, always saying the same thing--the amount of bacon they put on it is second to none. With my father's health (pancreatic cancer) rapidly deteriorating, I decided to reserve a table for 8 this past Saturday. Granted, the place was hopping with what looked like a wedding that rented out the entire covered porch. Our reservation was for 2 p.m. We arrived at 1:55 p.m., and we weren't seated until 2:15 p.m. No biggie in my book. We ordered rounds of drinks and entrees across the table. We even obliged the photographer who was taking pictures. Long story short, we spent over 450 dollars, which under normal circumstances is entirely worth it for "the experience," especially for my father who was likely enjoying his last ever meal from one of his favorite places before going into hospice. What struck a nerve with me was after one hour and 30 minutes, at 3:45 p.m., we were asked to leave because the next party was already there. If I had known that The Great Escape double-booked our table, I'd never have made a reservation. Subsequently, 450 dollars spent for 7 adults and a kid on an early Saturday dinner, I would venture to say, is enough of an investment to not get run off our table after only an hour and thirty minutes. I reached out to the restaurant, requesting a professional email from the owner Brian Great, as I wanted to share this experience through a private medium. But after no response other than a "Hi, thanks for contacting us. We've received your message and appreciate you reaching out," I've decided to post my feedback as a review. The Great Escape is the kind of place local Leyden-area folks save up for in order to celebrate special occasions. Down the road, I truly hope the owner, Brian Great, ensures that all his patrons, whether returning customers or new diners, especially when they've made reservations while also paying good money, never have to "eat and run" like my family did this past Saturday. read more

The food never disappoints! Ribs are a must and you can take home their amazing sauce. read more

I picked this place for my birthday lunch. It has a nice interior and a great atmosphere. The antique bar is beautiful. They spaced the customers with a table in between when possible, that's a nice touch. Our waiter, Jake, was awesome. She had their chicken pot pie. It was like a fresh pot pie in a freshly baked bread bowl and she loved it. I had the Dijon bass and it was excellent despite my initial misgivings. The flavors and textures were perfectly balanced. Their rice is well seasoned and delicious too. Their vegetables were fresh but a bit cold. My French onion soup was rich and tasty with a huge chunk of mozzarella,. Her salted caramel brownie was pretty amazing. I got spumoni mostly for nostalgic reasons and it was really good. Great place with decent prices and wonderful food. read more

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Good food and better service... the crowd was very nice and very upscale... the locals are exactly what you expect. This is a place where you get a good meal and have good conversations. I definitely recommend this place... I had the special which was prime rib.. it was amazing!!! read more

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Came here with friends for dinner. A really hopping place with h excellent food. #iraeats #iraeats1 read more

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Wonderful, amazing service and great atmosphere. I had the navy bean soup and the spinach, walnut and cranberry salad with grilled chicken and balsamic dressing and my colleague had the chicken pot pie, both were amazing! read more

Great Escape Restaurant - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

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I've been coming here regularly for work lunches and food is getting consistently worse each time. I am not sure if they reuse their ingredients or use spoiled items to survive the inflation. However their prices are very not in line with quality of food they are offering. Had a dish with chicken and it was clearly spoiled and had the smell. Prior to that had their Special Fish - Bass, which was also questionable. (That was my favorite there for the longest time until this year). Not sure if they have new cooks, management, etc... Unfortunately, I would not give them another try. Very sad. I like to support local businesses rather than franchises, but my health and wallet come first. read more

I am not from San Francisco; I live in Niles, Illinois. We had a disappointing Easter buffet yesterday. My husband reserved well in advance a table for two. They put us in the back, glass-enclosed room surrounded by tables of large parties: LOUD, large parties. The noise in there was deafening. I couldn't hear myself think let alone have a conversation with my husband. The food was in the DARK bar area and accessible from only one side of the tables so the lines were SLOW. The dessert table was sandwiched in between breakfast food and fruit. I didn't even know there was fruit anywhere. The bacon was totally over cooked, as was the chicken which was dry as a result. The parking situation was a nightmare because nothing about further parking 100 feet to the east was posted in a location where it could have been noticed and helpful. Our server was a nice man but clearly over-worked. I couldn't wait to get out of there. read more

Wait staff was very kind and attentive. The soup was ok. The shrimp and filet was very good. The chicken pot pie they're suppose to be known for was mid at best. Chicken parm was good. The grilled cheese was grease city. Now to the chicken special holy lemon can't even eat more than 2 bites. Now to the fried chicken it was wet and red! Now to the French dip the meat was fatty and hard. Service was good tho but food needs work. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - Shrimp and fillet - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

Not sure if they have a ramp for their entrance somewhere else but somewhat hard for my blind, elderly Mom to go up the three steps up to their back door from the parking lot. We were welcomed by friendly staff and were seated right away. The inside is somewhat dated and dark but it gives it a vibe. Several beers were not in stock but was able to pick another. I gave the waitress our order, Bourbon chicken sandwich HOLD the bacon & a Grilled cheese & avocado melt. What we received was the chicken sandwich WITH bacon and another random chicken sandwich (which I would never order as I'm vegetarian.) Clearly a mistake, which I pointed out, no biggie and the food runner said he would take the food back and asked again for the correct order. Our waitress came back and apologized, said it would be a bit of a wait and said no charge on my sandwich, which was appreciated. My Mom enjoyed her Bourbon Chicken sandwich, she thought it was flavorful. My grilled cheese with avocado was ok, but overly toasted and a bit oily. I also did find a hair in my fries. Not sure if it was mine or someone else's...yikes! I really wanted to like this place as it is close by and the type of spot my Mom enjoys. read more

A great old building with a really nice bar area. We go on Fridays for the fish fry, fish is lightly breaded and moist. But my favorite is the Mustard herb crusted bass on a bed of rice, it's some of the best I've ever had. The service is always good and friendly, never had a bad experience with service. The only reason I didn't give five stars is some of the menu items are just average like the BBQ ribs. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - Mustered and herb crusted bass. - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

Good food, good service, good drinks brings us back to the great escape. The prices are very reasonable for the times. Great ambience and good for gatherings. read more

Awful ambiance all I heard were complaints from my server bartender. She spoke badly about everyone from her coworkers to her boss to her customers and how little money she is making. I felt good about the real issues I have going on in my life. Very unprofessional how can you talk bad about the place you work at? I seen other customers looking at her because at first I thought she was joking. I will not be back when she is working bartender I. Surprised she is still there if she has it so bad. Food is good but I'll be sitting in the dining area on Mondays read more

If I was under 70 years old and looking for a real home cooked meal and don't feel like being ripped off and treated poorly I would advoid eating here. To start the place was packed with seniors, so glad we had reservations. The waitress was very cold that took our order but the fun began when the food arrived. A person in our party order full slab of ribs when the young guy brought it and handed her the plate so fast she wound up wearing half of the slab cause it flew off the plate onto her lap. They gave her a new one after we were all done eating, but no Im sorry nothing just here is your food and see ya. We never saw a manager and they acted like it never happene. Now on my case I ordered the duck plate and that was my mistake. What I got was 2 chicken fried chicken thighs and they jacked me a extra $2 for sweet and sour sauce For the record I have had duck several times so I know what it's tastes like. I guess there 100 million dollar wind generator gimmick needs to be payed off so let's rip off the public granted to say I will not be returning but maybe that's what they want, good luck read more

Greetings my Foodzies, tonight we decided to try a restaurant that we have passed by numerous times. The great escape on Irving at 9540 w Irving Park rd. in Schiller Park. This is a unique restaurant that has been around for years. The property has a rich history (see the picture I have posted with the story). The restaurant's bar area is very rustic with a bar that was hand carved in 1889, very impressive. TVs have been added to draw in a people who want to eat and have a drink while watching TV. Also a gaming section in the bar area. Music is old school 50-60s, our server Mareen was pleasant, friendly and knowledgeable. We started with Grilled Calamari it was grilled nicely but could have used a few more seconds to get a little more char flavor. It was also missing the signature balsamic. Glenda chose the Rigatoni in Vodka sauce with chicken; the chicken was scarce and the sauce was not the traditional sauce it had an odd flavor, not terrible but not what we expected. With a cup of lentil soup, tasty but needed a little extra salt. I chose the baby back ribs and broasted chicken (these dishes they are known for) the chicken was very good, crispy skin and very juicy. The ribs were tender but a little dry. The BBQ sauce was the recipe is the recipe of the owner's grandfather. It was a Kansas City type sweet sauce with a nice smoky flavor (as a first time patron we were given a bottle to take home). I had the baked French onion soup topped with mozzarella, I'm used to Gruyere, Swiss, or Gouda but ut was very good. I give this restaurant 4 stars, let me know what you think. Ciao, Ciao for now. read more

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seated too close to the bus station staff crashed dishes too loudly into the bus pans waitress should've taken our order sooner waitress forgot to bring our sides waitress brought the wrong entree breaded pork tenderloin was greasy vegetables were soggy & colorless French onion soup was just OK fries were just OK pickle was wilted lettuce was NOT fresh tea was refilled with wrong kind of tea told waitress about disappointing quality & no remedy was offered we WON'T be returning read more

When you're in an unfamiliar area and are looking for dining options, you likely search various sites to choose a place. And, relying on user ratings is hit or miss. Fortunately, we found a great restaurant that exceeded their online ratings. If you're ever on the northwest side of Chicago, there's a Schiller Park restaurant you must try. The Great Escape restaurant is outstanding in every respect. From Nicola's greeting, to the last bite of our meals, everything was completely on point. The atmosphere was elegant, warm and inviting while the prices were surprisingly reasonable. The menu is extensive with a wide variety of items to choose from. Do not miss their yogurt citrus salad dressing, homemade in house. Maurine, our server, also made our dining experience even better attending promptly to all our needs. On rare occasions, you head out for dinner hoping for an enjoyable evening. The Great Escape delivered and then some. When we return to this area, The Great Escape will be a definite stop. read more

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Ron and the entire waitstaff were so personable and accommodating!! Food was great and prices were amazing! Mushroom caps and calamari were our favorites!!!! read more

Great food and wonderful service. The atmosphere is so cozy and friendly. You feel welcome!! Love it!

Have been coming to Great Escape with family since 2010 and never had a bad experience. Quality of broasted chicken good, reasonable prices and prompt/friendly service. A great local spot to Schiller Park and good place to meet with family. read more

From entering the restaurant to leaving it was a 2-hour ordeal. They had 2 massive parties going on and the owner had to know about it and having only one bartender in the bar was just plain stupid. It took forever to get a drink and 2 forevers to order our food and 2 forevers to order the supposedly apple strudel which was horrible and then another 2 forevers to get our check. The whole ordeal was horrible and it is the owner fault for not having aliquant bartenders to serve customers. There were 5 ladies (if you want to call them that) that would just totally out of line laughing and yelling which I have never seen in my entire life in any restaurant and no staff told them to just quite down. From the time we entered to the time we left, it was one of the most horrible experiences we ever had in a restaurant. read more

The food options are amazing. The atmosphere is perfect for old Chicago history. I had the Mustard Crusted Bass and tried their Ribs. Both are phenomenal. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - Mustard Crusted Bass - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

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We stumbled onto this place in our last night in Chicago for business meetings. The service, ambience, and food were all top notch. Two of us got the broasted chicken and ribs combos and one of us got the excellent hamburger. The photos all around the dining rooms of the area from decades ago were really interesting and the service was prompt and never intrusive. read more

Well I was hoping for a bit more from this joint. It's not too far from the airport and has some mild charm to it as I believe it's a historical landmark. It could be a real classy place but it's one of those places where time has moved on and this place stood still for the worse. We started with some drinks and an app of their pretzel. While the drinks were ok (my buddy's beer was a little warm) the pretzel definitely tasted like it was frozen. He went with their Salmon which was a special and I told him it was a bad call as you don't order fish from a place like this. Sure enough, he was not feeling hot the next day. I went with what they are known for which was their Ribs. I went full slab with Fries. They are also known for their sauce which is bottled and available for purchase. The Ribs were mediocre at best and yes they fell off the bone but lacked flavor. Their sauce lacked flavor as well and ironically enough I preferred their honey sauce. The music selection was modern which was strange and the presence of slot machines in the bar, really made the place look run down. There is a parking lot which offers plenty of parking. If you're looking for a nearby option to have a meal near O'Hare if you have time to spare, don't come here. read more

Great Escape Restaurant - Pretzel - New American Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

Not a fan of this place. Dated and very dark inside. Didn't feel at ease. Not returning.

How is this place only 3 1/2 star rated? Tonight has been our biggest dinner. get together. Rave reviews out of all 10 of us. Anyone who's had a bad experience here, give it another shot. Message me and I'll meet you. The owner and staff are always friendly. The food and the atmosphere are great. If I could give 5 1/2 stars, I would! read more

Crummiest brunch for Mother's Day ever Food that should be warm is cold, fruit such as melon, is mushy, poor restocking of brunch dishes once they are empty...Then we tell the staff and management and no discount on our bill...won't be going back there Spend your money elsewhere, there are some nice holiday brunches out there. We just thought that since it's not far, that we'd try it...bad decision read more

Had a family member's birthday celebration we had about 27 people so they offered us half of the patio area. Food was family style and very good and quite of an assortment. Servers were spot on and met our requests. If you are looking for a place for a party don't hesitate to check The Great Escape out read more

I really want to like this place, I love the old school "steakhouse" ambiance. However I have yet to get a good meal at this establishment. I stop in for dinner every couple years in the hopes things have improved. Well I stopped in for dinner tonight, and I was disappointed as usual. I ordered the ribs, which apparently they're know for. Quite possibly the worst baby back ribs I've ever had. They were severely over cooked almost like they had been reheated multiple times. Extremely dry, mostly bones, burned up and barely a drop of sauce. They were so bad I didn't finish them. I don't recall our servers name but she was really nice and attentive. I'm assuming by the look of disappointment on my face, nobody wanted to ask how everything was. Well I guess I'll stop back in a couple years! read more