Western Burbs Must Tries

I just moved fairly recently into the western suburbs (Naperville area) and I am looking for any restaurants that are especially recommended by LTH members as worth checking out. Any category goes, I'm not one to turn my nose up at good food!

Have you bothered to check out the GNR Restaurantsyet? There are a few in the western suburbs. Also, try the search function using "western suburbs" as your keywords. There is lots here.

Yes, I took a long look over them yesterday.

In that particular category not a whole lot came up for the western suburbs when I searched from Oswego/Montgomery north to St. Charles and east to Downers Grove. Hence why I decided to ask, since there might be a thread of the best bets of West Chicagoland that I missed while searching.

As a start, I can heartily recommend Vie in Western Springs:

http://www.vierestaurant.com/

4471 Lawn Avenue
Western Springs, IL
708.246.2082

If you enjoy seafood, I recommend:

Parker's Ocean Grill
1000 31st Street
Downers Grove, IL 60515
(630) 960-5701

Vie is excellent, but it's further than Downers Grove. About the same distance from Naperville, and equally outstanding for upscale contemporary food, is another place I recommend:

Tallgrass (website is down at the moment)
1006 S. State St.
Lockport
815-838-5566

Tallgrass is my nominee so far for "the best meal I've had this year", and given that the competition includes some of the very best restaurants in the country (e.g. Avenues here, Le Bernardin in NYC), that's high praise indeed.

Not sure what kind of food you like, but there are a world of possibilities.

In no particular order:

Chinn's Pier 34 in Lisle.
Cedar Grill in Downers Grove.
Taco Grill in Westmont.
Katies Dumplings in Westmont.
Swagat in Naperville
Pasta Amore in Naperville
Tay Do in Glendale Heights
Village Hut in Glendale Heights
Chef Paul in Lisle
Tango in Naperville
Hugo's Frog Bar in Naperville
Fabulous Noodles in Lisle
La Quebrada and Las Islas Marias in Aurora
HP Schmaltz in Naperville and Downers Grove
Costas and Greek Islands in Oakbrook Terrace
Cebu in Downers Grove
And there are lots more.

If you do a search (using google with the qualifier for lthforum works best, so you would type in "Schmaltz site:www.lthforum.com" without the quotes, works best) you should find detailed posts on all these places with reviews and locations. Those threads will also lead you to other detailed discussions on dining in the western suburbs. You could also just do searches by town.

If you have specific types of places or foods you are looking for, let me know.

In addition to some of the above recommendations, I'd add the following Naperville spots to my list:

Angeli's (Italian)
Cafe Buonaro (Italian)
Capri (Italian)
House of Emperor (Chinese)
Catch 35 (Seafood) - know it gets mixed reviews, I like it.
Yerbabuena (Mexican - Lisle)

I have had some really good meals at...

The Clubhouse
298 Oakbrook Center
Oak Brook
(630) 472-0600

Panther in the Den wrote:I have had some really good meals at...

The Clubhouse
298 Oakbrook Center
Oak Brook
(630) 472-0600

If you're in the Oak Brook Center area, I would recommend Ditka's, about which I recently posted, and Wildfire and Mon Ami Gabi (although these are corporate-owned Rich Melman LEYE restaurants, they serve much better food than The Clubhouse, IMO), as well as Braxton Seafood Grill and Tuscany.

To each his own, but I wouldn't recommend The Clubhouse. In my experience, it is a typical corporate-owned chain restaurant with average-to-mediocre overpriced food, indifferent service, and a weird, "exclusive private club wannabe", kind of vibe. I think you can do much better than The Clubhouse. Just my $.02.

I hear the chicken is awesome at Wildfire.

I love the meatloaf sundae at The Clubhouse (the mashed is very good and the gravy very rich) and my bride will not miss the lobster bisque soup.

Ron A. wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:I have had some really good meals at...

The Clubhouse
298 Oakbrook Center
Oak Brook
(630) 472-0600

If you're in the Oak Brook Center area, I would recommend Ditka's, about which I recently posted, and Wildfire and Mon Ami Gabi (although these are corporate-owned Rich Melman LEYE restaurants, they serve much better food than The Clubhouse, IMO), as well as Braxton Seafood Grill and Tuscany.

To each his own, but I wouldn't recommend The Clubhouse. In my experience, it is a typical corporate-owned chain restaurant with average-to-mediocre overpriced food, indifferent service, and a weird, "exclusive private club wannabe", kind of vibe. I think you can do much better than The Clubhouse. Just my $.02.

The Clubhouse recently changed hands.

If you are at Oakbrook Center (in Oak Brook, weird, huh?) You gotta go to Antico Posto.

If you are anywhere near Yorktown in Lombard and you want really top notch dining you really ought to head to Sequel.

Taco Express in Westmont is not bad. Actually, it's probably the best fast food mexican you can find out there in the western burbs.

It's right across from the train station downtown Westmont.

Taco Express
7 west quincy
westmont, il
630-971-9077

djenks wrote:Taco Express in Westmont is not bad. Actually, it's probably the best fast food mexican you can find out there in the western burbs.

It's right across from the train station downtown Westmont.

Taco Express
7 west quincy
westmont, il
630-971-9077

I have become rather fond of Taco Grill in Westmont on Ogden just west of Cass. Also like Taqueria El Pulpo on 63rd street, and Los Cabritos in Aurora.

What do you like at Taco Express? I have driven by it a few times, but it never tempted me to stop. And what makes you say it is the best in the western burbs? More details, please.

everything is made to order. If the ownership is the same as it was originally, everything is also homemade.

The refried beans are next to none in my book. I'm a hardcore meat eater and i'll eat a 100% vegetarian meal at Taco Express without thinking about it.

The steak isn't your typical fast food mexican steak - it's not cubed, in a pan spending each minute drying out. It's moist and well flavored, however usually cooked medium well.

The toppings are noteworthy. The lettuce is always cold, fresh and crisp. The cheese is always cool and soft and the tomatoes are cut fresh everyday.

I would reccomend getting the beef enchilada dinner (comes with beans and rice.)

I'm not too good at getting into specifics, but i hope that helps.

I have eaten at Taco Express maybe 20 times, and their food is pretty decent, and a cheap lunch. I only eat their steak tacos on corn tortillas, and they pretty good and the steak is pretty lean, and flaovorfull.

I have eaten at Taco Grill on Ogden once, and was not impressed at all. Not even with the much heralded salsa bar. I can go to either for lunch since I work in the area, and I obviously choose Taco Express.

Just my 2 cents

Tuscany (across from the OB mall) is excellent for Italian and Wildfire (inside the OB mall) is excellent for all around great food. Their desserts are awesome as well...........

Although it's nowhere near Naperville, La Piazza is in Forest Park and definitely a must-try, and well-documented on this site. We tried it out on Saturday and had a truly fantastic meal for two despite the fact that it took almost three hours (neither of us had the prix fixe) and they brought my wife the wrong entree dish. The prosciutto-wrapped fig salad was my personal highlight but everything was top notch.

djenks wrote:The toppings are noteworthy. The lettuce is always cold, fresh and crisp. The cheese is always cool and soft and the tomatoes are cut fresh everyday.

?????

Steve, I know this will come as a shock, but a lot of places put lettuce, tomato, and cheese on the tacos they serve up to gringos.

gleam wrote:Steve, I know this will come as a shock, but a lot of places put lettuce, tomato, and cheese on the tacos they serve up to gringos.

Remind me why we are discussing those places here on LTH Forum.

It's still food

gleam wrote:It's still food

Correction: It's the bastardized-red-headed-stepchild of food

?

I don't think she was his step child

gleam wrote:?

I don't think she was his step child

I don't think she's selling tacos either

She's selling Taco Supremo Salads!

Slightly OT... But,

Do any of you remember when Wendy's had the Super Bar?

You could make your own Wendy's style tacos and then finish up with some chocolate pudding and strawberries. mmmm

John

jkseger wrote:Slightly OT... But,

Do any of you remember when Wendy's had the Super Bar?

You could make your own Wendy's style tacos and then finish up with some chocolate pudding and strawberries. mmmm

John

OMG!, when I was a kid I loved the Super Bar. I totally forgot about the tacos available on it. The one and only Super Bar I went too was at the Wendy's on 75th street in Woodridge.

Flip

stevez wrote:

djenks wrote:The toppings are noteworthy. The lettuce is always cold, fresh and crisp. The cheese is always cool and soft and the tomatoes are cut fresh everyday.

?????

of all the "dive" places i've eaten at, one of my pet peeves are the basics not being tended to. Limp warm lettuce, gross sticky cheeses, and old mushy tomatoes are among the most common downfalls of a "dive" mexican place.

the fact that everything there is fresh and tended to says a lot to me

As for having those as my toppings - i ALWAYS have at least that on a taco!

djenks wrote:As for having those as my toppings - i ALWAYS have at least that on a taco!

I guess I'm a traditionalist. Onions and cilantro is the only way I'll roll. (ever wonder why the cheese, lettuce and tomato are treated as afterthoughts at those "dive" places you refer to?)

I used to get American tacos before I knew better. Now when I try them I can't handle the taste of those Gringo style toppings. They just get in the way of the of the taco fillings and grilled masa taste.

stevez wrote:(ever wonder why the cheese, lettuce and tomato are treated as afterthoughts at those "dive" places you refer to?)

i've never thought of that - thats a good point. I have certainly had my tacos with only cilantro and onions - but i unfortunately have just grown up eating my tacos with a whole bunch of stuff on 'em - so thats what i'm used to.

(not to hi-jack a thread or anything - but why not PM me a place you go to to get tacos)