The Sycamore Cafe

We have eaten here several times. I was surprised I hadn't logged a review, but am happy to…read morecorrect that error on my part! This has a nice restaurant vibe - nice tables, tablecloths, art on the walls, good lighting, nice, quiet carpeted spaces. There is a lot to like. We made a reservation, were greeted at the door and then promptly seated. Water came out quickly, along with the menus and the wine list. The wine list was a bit light in that all the bottles were typically lower cost. With such a wide variety of food on the menu, it deserves a bit more depth and some better wines to be included. Not that the wines that were included were bad - they were not. They are just at the very low entry end of the market. Picking up a few from Justin, Stag's Leap, and others in the $80 range would help enhance the restaurant's list. We both ordered entrees, which came with the either soup or salad - we both elected to get salads, where I selected a Caesar and my wife had a standard salad. The Caesar had plenty of parmesan cheese and croutons. The dressing was a bit thin - traditional Caesar dressings are cream based, this one seemed to be light on the garlic and anchovies. No anchovies were available, so it's kind of a light "Caesar." The regular salad my wife had was good - she enjoyed it. For the main course, I ordered their Filet Mignon, medium rare with a baked potato. The server asked if I wanted butter and sour cream, which I did and which was provided. The filet is provided in a cabernet reduction. This may have been a bit much, it was hard to taste the filet with the reduction. The filet came with broccoli which was steamed and was nicely done. The baked potato was cooked through (as expected, and worked well with the butter and sour cream. My wife enjoyed her Shrimp and Grits - the shrimp was cooked quite nicely and seasoned well. We were concerned about the meal size, so we skipped an appetizer, and it was a good thing since she took half of her shrimp and grits home. We were not rushed out of our table, and had a good time.

When we went there we were the only patrons I actually wanted to go to the next door restaurant but…read moremy son said I want to try this restaurant. I never read the bad reviews but the food was so greasy. The food was very blend. My son's burger was cook rare the beef stroganoff was so bland no flavor the beef looked like it had worms yuk. The ambiance was lonely Also the restaurant was So dusty and having the Christmas decoration shows the lack of attention to the establishment I did tell our server about the bad reviews so I hope The owner got the message

House chicken salad

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Potato egg rolls - yes, that's a thing :)

Rise & Shine

3.8(50 reviews)

0.8 mi

We were in the area and wanted to try something new. This place is very nice. There is plenty of…read moreparking and lots of seating. There are booths and low tables. The restaurant has lots of windows so there is plenty of natural lighting. The restaurant is very clean and the tables, booths, floors, and walls are high quality. I ordered the Gyros platter and it came with a choice of potato and I picked Greek potatoes. They were lacking in flavor but they had the perfect texture and were good. The soup today was beef and vegetables but I chose to have the side salad with Greek dressing. The dressing did not have much flavor... Just tasted like vinegar. The vegetables were fresh and delicious. The Gyro meat was cooked very nicely and tasted delicious. I would definitely eat this again. There were some really nice crunchy and crispy pieces... Not fatty or gristly at all. I love that they included feta cheese, I love eating that with the pita. This has to be the best gyros I have had in a long time. My husband ordered big farm breakfast. The eggs cooked over easy were good. The corn beef hash was cooked perfectly (which is the most important part of this breakfast in my opinion). The hash browns could use a little more taste. The pancakes were good as well. Definitely filled him up. He would order again for sure. The menu has lots of great items on it. Cannot wait to come back and try something else. Highly recommend dining here.

8/18/26 I see people recommending this place still. This…read moreplace is not a good restaurant. The quality of food is very cheap with high prices. But I guess to each their own. At one time I ordered a chopped steak the WORST I HAVE EVER HAD. .

A look into the east side of the restaurant - bathrooms on the far right of the photo.

Skillet

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Menu 5/2/2026

Pj's Courthouse Tavern & Grille

3.9(182 reviews)

1.0 mi

Always great food and great service! Our go-to bar and grill in the area! Best wings in town!read more

We haven't been here in at least 10 years tried it on a Friday night…read more Live music and all the bar patrons are extremely loud, so if you want a quiet relaxing dinner or want to hear what your wife is saying, this isn't the place. The fish fry was good. I would skip the catfish, but the walleye and cod were very good. The bread roll they gave you with the dinner was also very good. 8 breaded shrimp special was also good. Fries were way overcooked and they probably need to clean The fryer. The fries are a very dark color. Service was decent for the bar being packed. The bill was around $40 for two dinners and sodas before tip

Inside history

Frisco Burger on Pretzel Bun

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Menu specials

Crooked Horns Bar & Grill

3.9(36 reviews)

0.4 mi

The place is cute. It has a southwestern cow theme going. The bar is nice as well. It is tucked…read moreaway behind a hotel so you have to look for it. The food was really good. We had the italian beef egg rolls to start. They were good, but actually needed a sauce instead of aus jus. But they were still good. I love giardiniera, and they have a really spicy,flavourful one. It goes really well with the Chicago pub burger too. The thing is huge! And tasty! He had a patty melt. Mine was better, but the burgers are just juicy and are made well. Our server was super nice and very attentive! Mae apparently likes her job which is great! Just passing through but I'd come back for cocktails and some more food sometime.

This place is so underrated, this was our 3rd time here, the food is delicious & the portions are…read morereally good we had so much left overs. The waiters are very attentive as well.

Dining area

Nutella crepe with strawberries

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Bar

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore

4.1(85 reviews)

1.0 mi

New day, new review…read more We hadn't visited in a while (time marches on) and I had a burning taste for the Dirty Bird. So back we went. The theme is still the same - CHICKEN EVERYWHERE! It's clear, and they love chicken. I mean they REALLY love Chicken! First off, they are FAST. They were very busy - almost every table filled and they kept filling after people left. After we placed our order, our chicken (two Baby Bird meals) came out HOT and FRESH within around 7 minutes. With my appetite, the Baby Bird is the right size, and I have a big appetite for their chicken. Service was great as well - our drinks were checked, and the server was very pleasant. What a great place to visit in Downtown Sycamore! The drink menu is still impressive, and they even have a Whiskey Acres Bourbon-infused barbeque sauce.

The Dirty Chicken is a must stop if you are in Sycamore, IL. The menu has so many yummy sounding…read moreoptions that it is hard to decide. The restaurant is small but a decent amount of tables for the space with cute chicken decorations. Our server was so sweet and delightful. We ordered our drinks and answered all our questions. She was helpful with her opinions on items on the menu and helped make it possible to narrow down the difficult choice of what to order. My friend ordered the soup flight(only available in the fall) and I chose fried pickle burger. (I know a burger at a chicken place) the soup flight had three cups of the soups of the day and a four cup of the brisket chili. It also came with a grilled cheese sandwich. Plenty of food! My deep fried pickle burger was a thick patty, crunchy onions and 2 thick deep fried pickle chips with a dill sauce on top. The burger was juicy and the toppings were delicious with a little crunch. The Dirty Chicken will be a stopping point on my return trip to Sycamore!

A look towards the bar

Chicken strips!

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The Sycamore Parkway

3.7(66 reviews)

1.5 mi

I've been here 1 time before but it was way back when (2014?). Anyways, we came here as we were…read morepassing thru. It's a little diner in Sycamore. It has that 80s/90s movie feel. I had a chicken finger wrap, fries, and a soda. The prices aren't bad, and the food portions are decent. The staff were friendly. It hasn't changed much from what I remember about it.

Simple no frills diner. The menu offers a little of everything. They have a simple menu of daily…read morespecials. I had the chicken and waffles which was a nice mix of salty and sweet. They serve Pepsi products. Service was slow. Servers were chatting with each other and scrolling on their phones. Decent spot and good value.

New York Steak

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Sweet Chilli Chickpea and Tofu with veggies special

Pub 64

4.3(91 reviews)

0.9 mi

Not a lot of pictures because the food came out & we were starving and everything was FANTASTIC! I…read morewalked in and didn't have the best ideas about the food was going to be good, maybe at best your typical bar food. But I was WRONG, this food hands down best food In Sycamore, and we have visited 2 times. Our server was great, so nice & friendly & also the bartender, she had her hands full! The Crunch Rolls, like giant mozzarella sticks in egg roll form, what a great infusion!

All I have heard for a while was how good the burgers were. Have to try the burgers. And now that I…read morehave, I cannot fathom how incredible the burger was. You think "what makes it different than other burgers" I cannot answer that. Our waitress couldn't answer that but we all agreed that these burgers are something else in the best way possible. You HAVE to try the burgers. It's cooked perfectly, so incredibly juice, toppings are flavored so so well. Sauces are fire. I cannot think of one bad thing about this except that I didn't order a second one.

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Ellwood Steak And Fish House

3.8(244 reviews)

2.4 mi

A great spot for a cocktail, friendly bar with a great small plate menu…read more First class food and service, friendly atmosphere for a visitor to the area. Recommend steak , tried a fillet, and a NY strip both satisfying meals excellent quality and presentation. Well worth a visit.

Be careful about the sauces. What was supposed to be a lemon vinaigrette for broccoli and a lemon…read moresauce for a lamb dish both contained Dijon mustard which was not listed on the menu. Disappointing for both of our dishes. When I asked for the vinaigrette instead, I was told there was no alternative and "they didn't offer discounts" which was odd as I didn't ask for one. Wait staff was good. I would say the glitch came from the kitchen which wanted to use the same sauce for everything. Buyer beware.

Inside

Steak and shrimp special

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Very dirty grey goose martini - blue cheese stuffed olives of course!

Florentino's Charhouse

4.2(24 reviews)

4.4 mi

Service has settled out and has improved…read more We dropped in when our primary choice was taken out by a freak storm which knocked out power to the west. I'm working on building my iron levels, so Florentino's got the nod. We were seated in a booth promptly when we arrived at around 5:15 pm. Within a minute, filled and iced water glasses arrived and then in another minute, a loaf of bread with butter. The bread had good texture, and worked well with the butter. We thought about the wine and my wife ordered their Veal Marsala, which worked with the Josh Cabernet that I wanted to order. Again corkage fees are quite reasonable. The salads came out - my wife enjoyed her wedge salad, and I enjoyed my Caesar (albiet still without anchovies!) with a solid dressing and crouton mix. As we finished the salads, the main courses arrived. My wife enjoyed her Veal Marsala, but couldn't finish it. I enjoyed my filet - it was better seasoned but still needed just a touch of salt to bring out the flavor. The room is still loud - they could use some baffles over head. The lighting has a variety of light fixtures from the ceiling. The bar still has 4 TV screens (which don't disrupt conversation at the tables and boothes. The seats are quite comfortable. This is improved from our last visit. Hopefully, they maintain this effort.

Great service lots of staff fantastic menu huge bar and awesome…read more music a little bit of traffic jam With staff very new here in dekalb

A look towards the back of the house

Spicy chicken pasta

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The Grove

3.8(44 reviews)

4.3 mi

The food is fantastic! They used to have the most delicious sloppy Joe but they periodically change…read moretheir menu. The ribeye steak sandwich last week was delicious- quality for sure. The bartender's service was just ok, not bad, but not great.

Nice venue, open, spacious, modern, casual. The food and drink were as expected, nothing out of…read moresight, nothing terrible, but spot on. Our host was lovely, personable, and accommodating. We would definitely come back. I would call this a newer place to dine in Dekalb.

Bar area with DeKalb signs as decor.

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Cold seasoned fries and rub on wings after cooking? The beer was the best part.

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3 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Alison P.

6

29

5

12 years ago

Just like every other The Sycamore Cafe, food is great, atmosphere is amazing and the service is the best!...The waiting line was huge, but it is Manhattan, no surprise for me....went to the bar instead of a table. read more

Steve W.

0

9

0

11 years ago

If you want ok food this is the place to go, if you want good service this is not the place to go

Drew H.

58

2

0

3 years ago

Food is always fast and great! Kelly is amazing, always is!!!

The Sycamore Cafe - tradamerican - Updated October 2026

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Rise & Shine

3.8

(50 reviews)

We were in the area and wanted to try something new. This place is very nice. There is plenty of…read moreparking and lots of seating. There are booths and low tables. The restaurant has lots of windows so there is plenty of natural lighting. The restaurant is very clean and the tables, booths, floors, and walls are high quality. I ordered the Gyros platter and it came with a choice of potato and I picked Greek potatoes. They were lacking in flavor but they had the perfect texture and were good. The soup today was beef and vegetables but I chose to have the side salad with Greek dressing. The dressing did not have much flavor... Just tasted like vinegar. The vegetables were fresh and delicious. The Gyro meat was cooked very nicely and tasted delicious. I would definitely eat this again. There were some really nice crunchy and crispy pieces... Not fatty or gristly at all. I love that they included feta cheese, I love eating that with the pita. This has to be the best gyros I have had in a long time. My husband ordered big farm breakfast. The eggs cooked over easy were good. The corn beef hash was cooked perfectly (which is the most important part of this breakfast in my opinion). The hash browns could use a little more taste. The pancakes were good as well. Definitely filled him up. He would order again for sure. The menu has lots of great items on it. Cannot wait to come back and try something else. Highly recommend dining here.

8/18/26 I see people recommending this place still. This…read moreplace is not a good restaurant. The quality of food is very cheap with high prices. But I guess to each their own. At one time I ordered a chopped steak the WORST I HAVE EVER HAD. .

Sam's Family Restaurant

4.0

(27 reviews)

One of my favorites! This is a family owned restaurant in a cute small town. It's cozy with amazing…read moreservice & a great friendly staff! The food is fabulous, I have never had something I didn't like. The stuffed French toast is so delicious & all their soup is the best! It's a local hot spot with great people, definitely a small town spot. Prices are reasonable with good portions. Try Sam's out, you won't regret it!

Great local spot with excellent food, service & prices. I had The Haystack and it came out hot &…read morefresh. Hash browns topped with biscuits and gravy and two eggs. Didn't need to eat until supper that night. My friend ordered the Mexican Skillet and I couldn't believe the size! Swing by Sam's for good eats. You won't go home hungry!

Nat's On Maple

3.9

(165 reviews)

We have eaten here several times. I was surprised I hadn't logged a review, but am happy to…read morecorrect that error on my part! This has a nice restaurant vibe - nice tables, tablecloths, art on the walls, good lighting, nice, quiet carpeted spaces. There is a lot to like. We made a reservation, were greeted at the door and then promptly seated. Water came out quickly, along with the menus and the wine list. The wine list was a bit light in that all the bottles were typically lower cost. With such a wide variety of food on the menu, it deserves a bit more depth and some better wines to be included. Not that the wines that were included were bad - they were not. They are just at the very low entry end of the market. Picking up a few from Justin, Stag's Leap, and others in the $80 range would help enhance the restaurant's list. We both ordered entrees, which came with the either soup or salad - we both elected to get salads, where I selected a Caesar and my wife had a standard salad. The Caesar had plenty of parmesan cheese and croutons. The dressing was a bit thin - traditional Caesar dressings are cream based, this one seemed to be light on the garlic and anchovies. No anchovies were available, so it's kind of a light "Caesar." The regular salad my wife had was good - she enjoyed it. For the main course, I ordered their Filet Mignon, medium rare with a baked potato. The server asked if I wanted butter and sour cream, which I did and which was provided. The filet is provided in a cabernet reduction. This may have been a bit much, it was hard to taste the filet with the reduction. The filet came with broccoli which was steamed and was nicely done. The baked potato was cooked through (as expected, and worked well with the butter and sour cream. My wife enjoyed her Shrimp and Grits - the shrimp was cooked quite nicely and seasoned well. We were concerned about the meal size, so we skipped an appetizer, and it was a good thing since she took half of her shrimp and grits home. We were not rushed out of our table, and had a good time.

When we went there we were the only patrons I actually wanted to go to the next door restaurant but…read moremy son said I want to try this restaurant. I never read the bad reviews but the food was so greasy. The food was very blend. My son's burger was cook rare the beef stroganoff was so bland no flavor the beef looked like it had worms yuk. The ambiance was lonely Also the restaurant was So dusty and having the Christmas decoration shows the lack of attention to the establishment I did tell our server about the bad reviews so I hope The owner got the message

Ellwood Steak And Fish House

3.8

(244 reviews)

A great spot for a cocktail, friendly bar with a great small plate menu…read more First class food and service, friendly atmosphere for a visitor to the area. Recommend steak , tried a fillet, and a NY strip both satisfying meals excellent quality and presentation. Well worth a visit.

Be careful about the sauces. What was supposed to be a lemon vinaigrette for broccoli and a lemon…read moresauce for a lamb dish both contained Dijon mustard which was not listed on the menu. Disappointing for both of our dishes. When I asked for the vinaigrette instead, I was told there was no alternative and "they didn't offer discounts" which was odd as I didn't ask for one. Wait staff was good. I would say the glitch came from the kitchen which wanted to use the same sauce for everything. Buyer beware.

Pokanoka's Cafe

3.3

(18 reviews)

First of all, the view can't be beat and the servers are all very nice and attentive. For being a…read morelittle off-the-water cafe, they provide much better service than I expected--and since we were here on a holiday, they were pretty busy! My group tried a good selection from the menu: chicken tenders, burgers, wings, and a wrap. The food was simple but delicious--I had the wrap, which was basically one of their salads with grilled chicken added, stuffed into a burrito tortilla. It tasted fresh, was wrapped well (I hate when a wrap falls apart), and despite having a good amount of vinaigrette, it didn't leak or go soggy. I kind of regret not getting a second one to-go! From the others' feedback, the rest of the food was just as good--great quality, tasty, and thoughtfully assembled. Pretty much everyone got fries, and enjoyed them. They're crisp, flavorful, and fluffy inside. The prices are reasonable, too. My food and a soda came to like $15, and most of the meals are about the same price, between $10-15 depending on add-ons and upsells. They also have a great ice cream selection--I wish I'd had the appetite to try the strawberry pretzel flavor!--and have milkshakes, beer, boozy seltzers, etc. All great options on hot summer days. Overall, I'd say it's worth a stop if you're in the area!

The attitude of the staff is arrogant and condescending. The prices are too high. Food is mediocreread more

Florentino's Charhouse

4.2

(24 reviews)

Service has settled out and has improved…read more We dropped in when our primary choice was taken out by a freak storm which knocked out power to the west. I'm working on building my iron levels, so Florentino's got the nod. We were seated in a booth promptly when we arrived at around 5:15 pm. Within a minute, filled and iced water glasses arrived and then in another minute, a loaf of bread with butter. The bread had good texture, and worked well with the butter. We thought about the wine and my wife ordered their Veal Marsala, which worked with the Josh Cabernet that I wanted to order. Again corkage fees are quite reasonable. The salads came out - my wife enjoyed her wedge salad, and I enjoyed my Caesar (albiet still without anchovies!) with a solid dressing and crouton mix. As we finished the salads, the main courses arrived. My wife enjoyed her Veal Marsala, but couldn't finish it. I enjoyed my filet - it was better seasoned but still needed just a touch of salt to bring out the flavor. The room is still loud - they could use some baffles over head. The lighting has a variety of light fixtures from the ceiling. The bar still has 4 TV screens (which don't disrupt conversation at the tables and boothes. The seats are quite comfortable. This is improved from our last visit. Hopefully, they maintain this effort.

Great service lots of staff fantastic menu huge bar and awesome…read more music a little bit of traffic jam With staff very new here in dekalb

The Grove

3.8

(44 reviews)

The food is fantastic! They used to have the most delicious sloppy Joe but they periodically change…read moretheir menu. The ribeye steak sandwich last week was delicious- quality for sure. The bartender's service was just ok, not bad, but not great.

Nice venue, open, spacious, modern, casual. The food and drink were as expected, nothing out of…read moresight, nothing terrible, but spot on. Our host was lovely, personable, and accommodating. We would definitely come back. I would call this a newer place to dine in Dekalb.

Sorrento's Restaurant

3.9

(155 reviews)

Everything is great! My favorite restaurant near me…read more Food is always good and the service is professional and friendly. Ambiance is top notch!

Drove in from Huntley had no idea Where Maple Park was…read more Lovely country drive. True old school supper club with relish tray bread baskets a yummy cheese spread. Went on a Sunday and Prime Rib seemed very popular . I had a filet that was one of the best I have had melt in your mouth . If you haven been worth a drive.

MVP Sports Bar

3.5

(70 reviews)

Just a walk across the street for some good food and cold drinks. Staff is fantastic, friendly ,…read moregood service.

Probably the best boneless wings I've ever had. The chicken was so juicy and breading so crispy and…read moredelicious! The sauces were so unique and beyond delicious! The steak tacos were also one of the best I've ever had and we have tried MANY different places. I would go back 110% Service was also excellent! Super yummy extra dirty martini! Over all would give it a 10 out of 10!

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