WOW. What a disappointment! Did the old lady die or did she just have a profoundly bad night. We have coming here for years as a special occasion place. When you spend 10 bucks for a bowl of spinach you expect it to be great every time even if it a busy night. Last night was valentines days so our usual 7 pm reservation was pushed to 8:30. We were finally seated at 9:15. The waiter was mediocre which is not their usual MO. Appetizers arrived 30 minutes after being ordered and salad 15 minutes later. The lamb chop was tough--it's my favorite and the reason we came to begin with. My potato never arrived. When spending north of a hundred dollars a person for dinner we expect things to be great. They were well below average. My boyfriend nicely mentioned to the waiter who was absent most of the night that the lamb was tough and overcooked. 20 minutes later he came back and offered us dessert. Hardly a resolution when only one of the two chops had been consumed. So it was a bummer of a night. We won't be back as we have better ways to spend our money and our date night!
(1)
tammy m.
Food was good but it was ruined by horrible service!!! Waiter goofed everything up took over 45 min to get our food. Told manager not much was done. To expensive for it not to be excellent..... So sad when a bad waiter could ruin it!!!!
Very, very disappointing. Have been to EJ's many times before and enjoyed it. Decided to go this year for Valentine's day. WHAT A MISTAKE. EJ's totally overbooked...obviously hoping to capitalize on the holiday. "Could not find" our reservation, though it was made a week before. After waiting for 30 minutes (past our reservation...with several other couples from our time slot and SEVERAL from an earlier time slot), we inquired again about our table. "Two minutes." As we had heard that many times before, I said that I wanted an honest estimate as we were thinking of leaving. "10 to 15 minutes." As there were several folks still waiting from an earlier time slot, we had no confidence with the revised estimate. So we left. As we were walking out they asked "what was your name again?" My wife said, "it doesn't matter; we won't be back." They didn't seem to care. I guess they get enough one-time-diners, many of which only come on holidays, that they can afford to lose clients. As she said, "we won't be back." Would have given zero stars if Yelp had allowed.
(1)
Benjamin K.
They served me a burned NY steak for $50.00. Not worth it. Never coming back to EJ's Place.
(1)
Barry P.
Why would anyone except the most regular regulars eat here? Prices are in the sky, more than a great majority of Chicago restaurants, but they probably justify by saying we give huge portions, and they do, but so what. Who needs to eat like that anymore, but the kicker is the very indifferent service. Recognize me when i come in. We sat for a good ten minutes or more before even seeing our waiter, in his white outfit. Finally, after having another person summon him, he made his way over, took our wine order then disappeared again. Finally brought the wine and left. Finally came back to take our order. Giant skirt steak, and broiled salmon. Who broils anymore? No grill in a steak house? Big old veggies with the steak, at $35.50, and well done cottage fries for two of us. Decent wine, Hitching Post at $40. Had a gift card making that the only reason for going there and will not go back under any circumstances, even if offered a free meal.
(2)
Greg B.
just perfect !!!!!!!!!! i started with ice cold stiegel and cob salad - after this you dont care any steak just named its perfect . ! all stuff treat you like your fam. perfect to take close family for dinner . doggie bags are perfect ! recommended
(5)
kb j.
We've been to this restaurant many times and, on a weekend evening, went again for the first time in a few months. The setting is pleasant, the food is always plentiful and very good and the experienced staff (bartenders and waiters) provides efficient service. The crowd for the most part appeared to be in the 40-60 age bracket. On balance, the restaurant provides a comfortable dining experience. On Saturday evenings, this place is always packed at dinner as it was when we last attended. We had reservations, but many times, I think the restaurant views reservations as suggestions rather than a commitment and with reservations we waited about 20 minutes for our table (we've waited as long as 40+ minutes for a table on occasion even with reservations). The decor has a rustic feel to it. There is a large room that includes the bar area and a couple of side rooms as well. The main room includes (as noted) the bar area. We usually wait at the crowded bar for our table. Sometimes we stand at the bar as we did last night (other times we can find a chair at the bar) dodging servers and other customers. The restaurant is known as a steak place, but also has pasta dishes as well. However, the best thing on the menu is the chicken with peppers. This is a large portion that can be easily shared and includes chicken that is smothered in red, green and yellow peppers as well as hot banana peppers. It's very spicy and is highly recommended. Other things that are recommended include the cottage fries and shrimp cocktail. The shrimp cocktail features large firm shrimp and may the best shrimp cocktail in the Chicago area. The Caesar salad is always good. Our meals were accompanied by crisp delicious cottage fries (you always want more even if they give you an enormous serving). We also ordered sauteed broccoli (sauteed with garlic) which provided a nice accompanying side dish to the chicken. The portions are enormous and accordingly, I skipped desert. The wine list is not extensive (only about a page long) with lots of reds, but, for a steak place, its not as deep into reds as other steak places in the Chicago area.
EJs is one of my family's favorite places to go for special family dinners. The food is typically very good and it's a little expensive but worth it. The sausage and pepper appetizer is a favorite amongst the family, I also recall a very amazing key lime pie if you're looking for dessert suggestions!
(4)
Cathy S.
This place is very clean and has excellent service! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good steak and comfortable atmosphere!
(5)
Padma A.
My company booked a private party room for an official dinner today. Easily valet parked, we were seated, the appetizers came bang on time. The order included crab cakes,fried calamari and grilled calamari all of which were excellent. Then came the humungous salad plates, the main course was grilled slamon chicken with garlic potatoes, pasta, baked potato, mushroom in wine sauce and side of home made chips. Overall good experience and waitstaff was very polite!
(4)
Bob W.
NOPE ! NOPE ! Alleged Prime steak isn' supposed to be tough and chewy ,is it ? Waiter inattentive to our TablePricey for quality and atmosphere Forced valet parking Nice bread basket.
(1)
Eve V.
Food is always good here. Always ask for Johny he is the best! The restaurant offers a variety of foods from pasta to chicken, steaks and seafood. They have the chicken vesuvio that is really yummy (you can order it boneless). They have this crunchy cottage fries that so good and it comes with your entree if you want it or not. Their skirt steak is really good too so don't miss out on that one. Over all they offer good food and great service but it gets loud though. But who cares as long as you're enjoying your food that is all matters most.
(4)
john k.
If you like oysters start with a dozen fresh, as good as any seafood place around. Ironically two of their best entree's are fish as well (Dover sole and Chilean sea bass) However the steak is phenomenal. Suggest the bone in ribeye medium rare with a char (Pittsburgh style). Sitting at the bar provides dinner and a "show". Be sure to ask for George Enjoy!
(5)
Vince C.
I have driven by here a million times and read the reviews and knew it was expensive so I was apprehensive about trying it. I finally went and we loved loved loved it. The atmosphere is great and the waiters are totally classic. It is expensive but not anything unusual for good steaks and service. My wife had the veal chop and although I really liked my NY strip the veal was like butter. My advice is if you are not in the mood to spend money then skip it but if you want a good bottle of Cabernet and some carnivorous delights in an old school clubby atmosphere with some beautiful characters for waiters this is the place.
(5)
John N.
Ate here last Thursday and it was wonderful. I love coming here. My wife and I and our baby girl flew into town and had a nice meal with friends and family. And we got to see EJ, a wonderful friend. Can't wait to eat here again!!!!
(5)
Pete M.
Ate here on 9/5/15. Will definatley go again. Shrimp Cocktail very fresh. Crab cakes-delicious. Bone in Sirloin cooked medium rare and the meat tasted as good as anything I;ve had at Morton's or Ruth;s Chris No loud annoying music so , it's possible to have a nice conversation with your guest without screaming. Nice place. Excellent Service . Wife had Breaded shrimp which were huge in a flavorful batter. Salads were crisp- not drowned in dressing The cottage fries were just OK- kind of potato chippy. I liked it a lot.
(4)
Edgar R.
I had a fantastic dinner here this week with a colleague from work and an international guest. With respect to the concerns expressed by some of the other reviewers, I didn't experience any of that. First, we arrived early, around 5:30 and there was plenty of parking available around the back. Nobody forced us to use the valet service, which incidentally is complementary (except for tip). When you walk in, the place has the ambiance of a supper club of perhaps 50 years ago. It has a very rustic feel. You would almost imagine that Al Capone could walk through the door with a couple buddies and take a table over in the corner away from the bright lights. Yes there are a few television screens up on the wall, but they are not huge and they didn't make any noise. They didn't bother us at all. The bartender was very attentive while I and my friends had a few drinks before dinner. When we were ready, we were ushered to a cozy table on the side. Our main server was Jose, and he did an outstanding job. Every few minutes somebody would come by and fill up our drinks without disturbing the conversation. For dinner, my colleague ordered a NY Strip Steak and I had the Lake Superior Whitefish with a baked potato. I can tell you, that fish was done perfectly and it was delicious. Did I mention that the portions are enormous? By all means, take some home to enjoy later. For dessert we had a piece of chocolate cake that was big enough for the three of us to share. We just had them bring us 3 small plates and forks. Yes, it is a little more expensive than the average restaurant you might visit in this area. But you get great food, and lots of it, along with excellent service. If you're looking for an inexpensive meal, then by all means go elsewhere. But if you appreciate the atmosphere, you will have a very enjoyable experience at EJ's.
(5)
Cory K.
This place has some pretty mixed reviews, so I was hesitant going in, but I wound up liking it overall. I'm an old man at heart, so whenever I see liver and onions on a menu, I can't help but order it. This did not disappoint. It was delicious, with the liver cooked a perfect medium, two gigantic pieces of thick-cut bacon. It was without a doubt the largest portion of food I've ever been served in a restaurant. I was ravenous when I sat down yet was only able to eat half of what was on my plate. I'm a pretty big eater in general, so that was pretty impressive on their part. It was definitely on the pricy side, but between the great supper club atmosphere and massive portions, I think it was worthwhile. I could definitely see this being a "special occasions" place.
(4)
Joel A.
Want to know why I'll never go to EJ's again? Not the food. The steaks are plenty and fine. Not the old fashioned wait staff. They are a little uptight but acceptable for an old fashioned dinner place. Nope. It's the valet parker who honked and flagged down my wife and myself because we parked our own car. This is the second time I've left the restaurant because valet out front demands that customers valet park and sometimes I don't want anyone inside my car. So tonight we pull around the side of the building away from the valet zone and the guy comes after us honking at is in another customers car and then tried to wave down my wife. We walk inside the restaurant and the staff tells us if we park on the south side of the building it is ok to self park but I'm pretty upset to be honked at by a valet so we leave - for the last time. This was 5:15 on a Tuesday and the place was empty and they lost my $200 check because of the parking lot attendant. Previously the valet told us we had to give him our car or we couldn't eat there so we left. No one is going to demand my car to park it anywhere so this place needs to wake up because it's not a good way to greet customers honking at them in the parking lot.
(1)
Michael C.
Based on their web site, you'd think this was one of the finest supper clubs/steak houses on the North Shore. Judging from the parking lot, packed with Cadillacs, Benzes and Porsches, you'd have to believe it's true. Based on our experience, it's one of the all-time great rip-offs. We arrived before six and were seated immediately. Someone brought out a sad basket of dry breadsticks and took our drink orders, which arrived promptly enough. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, two Caesar salads, veal piccata and their full-size filet mignon, medium. The place filled up quickly, and I was surprised to notice that everyone else was getting these beautiful, heaping bread baskets. Seemed strange, so I asked our waiter about it. He explained that the bread delivery had just come in, and graciously offered to bring us another basket, but by then our appetizer had arrived and it was too late. The crab cake was fine, but seemed to have a lot of filler in it. The Caesar salads were oily and flavorless, with two little croutons arranged at the edge of each plate. (Must have been due to the bread shortage.) Things really went downhill when the steak arrived. It was like a lump of charcoal. The inside was gray, dry and the whole thing was completely inedible. When the waiter came back to check on things I explained the situation. He offered to bring another steak, butterflied this time, but when it arrived it was completely raw. He offered to take it back a third time, but my companion had finished his meal by then, and we had a show to catch. I had him box it up and figured I would finish cooking it at home. Our waiter did his best to handle the situation, and comped our desserts. But even then the check for two people was almost $200. I've had meals three times as good for half the price at places that were much more on point than EJ's. I left hungry, angry and feeling ripped off. Maybe they were having an off-night. The joint was packed by the time we left. It was obvious some of the waiters knew their customers well. At the table in front of us, the waiter stopped by constantly to shake hands and pat backs. When he left, there was a long and lingering hug. The prices are high, but the quality and presentation of the food sure don't justify them. We won't be back.
(1)
David R.
Wow, who knew?? I've been driving past this place for over a decade with no idea what was inside: the classic steak house format set inside a Northwoods lodge. After the initial shock of being two levels under-dressed and thirty years underage, I enjoyed the meal. Everything was Old School. We got a bread basket with white, multigrain, breadsticks, and raisin bread. The house salad was 95% iceberg lettuce, and the dressing on the side came in a bowl the size of my palm. When three of us ordered garlic mashed potatoes, they brought a large bowl for the table. Other reviewers have mentioned sticker shock, and it's true that the prices seem high for the quality--but not for the quantity. I ordered the pork chops (noting the plural quizzically) and what they delivered were two inch-thick chops each the size of my hand. Good lord! One filled me up handily while the other came home with me. A couple of nitpicks: 1. Mandatory valet parking. Actually, this isn't a nitpick--I detest this policy. They get very busy on a Saturday night and want to pack the cars like sardines into their tiny parking lot. But they should just pony up to expand the parking lot. Or else charter a few shuttle buses to make a circuit through Skokie, Glenview, and Wilmette. It would probably tickle the shit out of the regulars to leave their Buicks in their garages for the night. 2. The busser who cleared our plates mumblingly asked "Coffee? Dessert?" as he leaned over the table. Only half of our group heard him, and up to then we had dealt only with our main waiter, so we were confused whether we were being offered the full range of end-of-meal options and whether this would be our only opportunity to order something else. As it turns out, we did order coffee from him and then our regular waiter came by with dessert menus. But it was awkward and annoying. If you want to offer us something, stand still, address the entire table, and communicate clearly instead of treating the entire thing like an afterthought. Better still, let the waiter handle it. Minor service snafus notwithstanding, we had an enjoyable evening. Now that I know what to expect (dress up a little and fast for 24 hours beforehand), I would be happy to return. They don't make 'em like E.J.'s anymore.
(3)
Lisa A.
I live walking distance to this restaurant so we chose it for our New Year's eve dinner place and it was good but overpriced food. You can get comparable quality at Jameson's or Wildfire in this neighborhood. I ordered the fish special, Dover sole, which was done perfectly and my husband ordered the skirt steak which was hearty but not spectacular. My son had the veal parmesan with the bone and he really enjoyed that. His girlfriend ordered the chicken vesuvio which was good and plentiful. I was disappointed in the bread pudding dessert but coffee is good. It's a decent restaurant, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(3)
Willis F.
Very good steak, skip the mushrooms (too peppery) and onions (too greasy). I like the creamed spinach and the mashed potatoes and the steaks are huge and always super juicy ( I order mines just past medium rare). It's really pricey, not sure if it's worth it, but it is a fantastic place to impress a date. Minus one star cause I thought the sides are over peppered and greasy, but the calamari was good and I look forward to having the soups and other appetizers, would HIGHLY recommend any of their steaks.
(4)
john k.
If you like oysters start with a dozen fresh, as good as any seafood place around. Ironically two of their best entree's are fish as well (Dover sole and Chilean sea bass) However the steak is phenomenal. Suggest the bone in ribeye medium rare with a char (Pittsburgh style). Sitting at the bar provides dinner and a "show". Be sure to ask for George Enjoy!
(5)
Vince C.
I have driven by here a million times and read the reviews and knew it was expensive so I was apprehensive about trying it. I finally went and we loved loved loved it. The atmosphere is great and the waiters are totally classic. It is expensive but not anything unusual for good steaks and service. My wife had the veal chop and although I really liked my NY strip the veal was like butter. My advice is if you are not in the mood to spend money then skip it but if you want a good bottle of Cabernet and some carnivorous delights in an old school clubby atmosphere with some beautiful characters for waiters this is the place.
(5)
Michael C.
Based on their web site, you'd think this was one of the finest supper clubs/steak houses on the North Shore. Judging from the parking lot, packed with Cadillacs, Benzes and Porsches, you'd have to believe it's true. Based on our experience, it's one of the all-time great rip-offs. We arrived before six and were seated immediately. Someone brought out a sad basket of dry breadsticks and took our drink orders, which arrived promptly enough. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, two Caesar salads, veal piccata and their full-size filet mignon, medium. The place filled up quickly, and I was surprised to notice that everyone else was getting these beautiful, heaping bread baskets. Seemed strange, so I asked our waiter about it. He explained that the bread delivery had just come in, and graciously offered to bring us another basket, but by then our appetizer had arrived and it was too late. The crab cake was fine, but seemed to have a lot of filler in it. The Caesar salads were oily and flavorless, with two little croutons arranged at the edge of each plate. (Must have been due to the bread shortage.) Things really went downhill when the steak arrived. It was like a lump of charcoal. The inside was gray, dry and the whole thing was completely inedible. When the waiter came back to check on things I explained the situation. He offered to bring another steak, butterflied this time, but when it arrived it was completely raw. He offered to take it back a third time, but my companion had finished his meal by then, and we had a show to catch. I had him box it up and figured I would finish cooking it at home. Our waiter did his best to handle the situation, and comped our desserts. But even then the check for two people was almost $200. I've had meals three times as good for half the price at places that were much more on point than EJ's. I left hungry, angry and feeling ripped off. Maybe they were having an off-night. The joint was packed by the time we left. It was obvious some of the waiters knew their customers well. At the table in front of us, the waiter stopped by constantly to shake hands and pat backs. When he left, there was a long and lingering hug. The prices are high, but the quality and presentation of the food sure don't justify them. We won't be back.
(1)
David R.
Wow, who knew?? I've been driving past this place for over a decade with no idea what was inside: the classic steak house format set inside a Northwoods lodge. After the initial shock of being two levels under-dressed and thirty years underage, I enjoyed the meal. Everything was Old School. We got a bread basket with white, multigrain, breadsticks, and raisin bread. The house salad was 95% iceberg lettuce, and the dressing on the side came in a bowl the size of my palm. When three of us ordered garlic mashed potatoes, they brought a large bowl for the table. Other reviewers have mentioned sticker shock, and it's true that the prices seem high for the quality--but not for the quantity. I ordered the pork chops (noting the plural quizzically) and what they delivered were two inch-thick chops each the size of my hand. Good lord! One filled me up handily while the other came home with me. A couple of nitpicks: 1. Mandatory valet parking. Actually, this isn't a nitpick--I detest this policy. They get very busy on a Saturday night and want to pack the cars like sardines into their tiny parking lot. But they should just pony up to expand the parking lot. Or else charter a few shuttle buses to make a circuit through Skokie, Glenview, and Wilmette. It would probably tickle the shit out of the regulars to leave their Buicks in their garages for the night. 2. The busser who cleared our plates mumblingly asked "Coffee? Dessert?" as he leaned over the table. Only half of our group heard him, and up to then we had dealt only with our main waiter, so we were confused whether we were being offered the full range of end-of-meal options and whether this would be our only opportunity to order something else. As it turns out, we did order coffee from him and then our regular waiter came by with dessert menus. But it was awkward and annoying. If you want to offer us something, stand still, address the entire table, and communicate clearly instead of treating the entire thing like an afterthought. Better still, let the waiter handle it. Minor service snafus notwithstanding, we had an enjoyable evening. Now that I know what to expect (dress up a little and fast for 24 hours beforehand), I would be happy to return. They don't make 'em like E.J.'s anymore.
(3)
Lisa A.
I live walking distance to this restaurant so we chose it for our New Year's eve dinner place and it was good but overpriced food. You can get comparable quality at Jameson's or Wildfire in this neighborhood. I ordered the fish special, Dover sole, which was done perfectly and my husband ordered the skirt steak which was hearty but not spectacular. My son had the veal parmesan with the bone and he really enjoyed that. His girlfriend ordered the chicken vesuvio which was good and plentiful. I was disappointed in the bread pudding dessert but coffee is good. It's a decent restaurant, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(3)
Willis F.
Very good steak, skip the mushrooms (too peppery) and onions (too greasy). I like the creamed spinach and the mashed potatoes and the steaks are huge and always super juicy ( I order mines just past medium rare). It's really pricey, not sure if it's worth it, but it is a fantastic place to impress a date. Minus one star cause I thought the sides are over peppered and greasy, but the calamari was good and I look forward to having the soups and other appetizers, would HIGHLY recommend any of their steaks.
(4)
Cris G.
Hmmm.. where do I start .. came here for Valentines dinner..place was packed and I said to myself, maybe this place has good food.. not until they served us with cold bread and frozen butter. .. and that's not all, menu was given , no recommendation from server , just gave us a laminated menu ...for the price of their food , I would think they can do a better presentation of the menu .. ordered steak and baked potato .. order came and they served us the fried potatoes .. ww called the attention of our waiter about the potato , he saud they ran out of baked .. we asked mashed and they ran out of it too.. ok.. they put these food on our table without even apologizing that they ran out of the ones we ordered .. we had to call their attention for that .. what amazed me is that , they would assume it's ok for us to eat those fried potatoes. .. nothing special with the steak.. with the price of it.. nahhh... wouldn't step foot on this place again ... I'll stick with capital grille and bavettes for the price I'm paying !
(1)
Michelle B.
Food was good (not great) but the service was horrible!! The waiter had issues and could not figure out how to give separate checks, meanwhile there was only 6 of us! He actually asked me 5 different times if I was sure I knew what I ordered!! Then after getting it correct, he complained about us in front of our table.. we had to wait 2 hours for the correct check.. we should have walked out. And where was the manager during this fiasco??? Never again, over priced for no service...
(1)
Ed S.
This is a classic old school dining experience done well. Sat at the bar and had a wonderful night. Fantastic service and tasty italian food. Wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, fire place cracking and the grandson of Gene & Georgetti's founder as the proprietor all work together to create something of a lost era of dining. I recommend you give it a try.
(4)
Tom D.
Took a friend here for her birthday. The server was slow to greet us or take our drink order, and we had to flag him down for the entree order. He forgot to bring my drink, and when he did it was wrong. We both ordered lobster tail, the most expensive item on the menu at 88.00. Unfortunately it was a bit overcooked and dry.
Best martinis ever. Romeo is the friendliest and nicest bartender who can concoct all imaginable libations. Try grilled calamari or sausage and peppers. Alpine steak salad is great too. Sit at the bar.
(4)
Mc B.
Overpriced and terrible service. Five of us went to EJ's on a Monday night. The place was less than half full yet we waited over 40 minutes for our food -- 4 salads and an order of calamari. 40 minutes! I tried to ask our rude waiter (his name tag said Adam 12) when our food would be arriving and he wouldn't even answer me. Finally the salads came but not the calamari. We waited another ten minutes for that! The waiter offered us a free dessert to make up for the long wait but no one wanted a dessert. He tried to talk us into it but we insisted he take the calamari off the bill instead. He was arrogant and totally unapologetic about the situation. The final bill -- $225 for a few drinks and mediocre salads. I don't know how those place stays in business. I will not go back. Terrible dining experience.
(1)
Manny B.
EJ's is our go to place to meet our friends from the north burbs, located in between them and us. Good solid restaurant. The food is good for steaks, chicken, and seafood. I love the roasted chicken, or the skirt steak smothered in roasted green, red, and spicy peppers. The wine list is adequate, the bar selection of whisky and spirits is robust, they have some of my favorite bourbons and tequilas. Service is very good, the waitstaff is experienced and work hard. Good steakhouse with reasonable prices.
(3)
Breezy Q.
Epic fail. (1) The ambiance was awful -- like someone's musty old basement after some old Christmas decorations had thrown up all over it . (2) The food was pretty gross -- tasteless, over-salted, and served lukewarm. (3) The prices were OUTRAGEOUS (think $30 for ordinary plates of pasta -- in Skokie). While the portions were pretty generous, none of it seemed particularly fresh or tasty; for instance, in the spaghetti and ravioli dishes, both the noodles and the sauce seemed to come from cans/bottles. So... totally not worth it. All in all, it was an overpriced and unpleasant dinner experience. A friend recommended this place, which is how we ended up here, but honestly, I don't know how she or anyone could give this place a good review.
(1)
Hunter R.
One of the best restaurants on the North Shore. Very cool, dimly lit interior. Almost like a log cabin/hunting lodge. Great wine selection and good prices. There's not many places where you can get a good bottle of Brunello for $85. The house and garbage salads are perfect. Some of the best calamari I've ever had. Good steaks. Make sure to get the thick slab of bacon as a side. BUT, the best dish on the menu is.......the CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS! Just get it. You'll have enough to take home for lunch the next day.
(5)
Tony C.
EJ's Place is an anachronism and it's almost curious to see that places like this are still in business with the advances in food quality, service and presentation. This place is obviously an institution here in the skokie suburbs since there can't be any tourist business to speak of. The atmosphere is rustic midwest with a loud and raucous dining area. It's actually difficult to hear your tablemates with people seated so close to you bellowing out their conversations as if at a Foghorn Leghorn convention. Service is professional if a bit brusque and robotic. My chair was bumped so many times over the evening by waiters that I left with a mild case of PTSD. As for the food itselt, it's fine if unremarkable. I get it that this place is a throwback to the 1950's and if that's the atmosphere desired, great. However, I prefer places with some charm to the atmosphere. The only thing not from the 1950's are the prices. Yikes! they are astronomical for the quality of food offered.
(2)
Padma A.
My company booked a private party room for an official dinner today. Easily valet parked, we were seated, the appetizers came bang on time. The order included crab cakes,fried calamari and grilled calamari all of which were excellent. Then came the humungous salad plates, the main course was grilled slamon chicken with garlic potatoes, pasta, baked potato, mushroom in wine sauce and side of home made chips. Overall good experience and waitstaff was very polite!
(4)
Bob W.
NOPE ! NOPE ! Alleged Prime steak isn' supposed to be tough and chewy ,is it ? Waiter inattentive to our TablePricey for quality and atmosphere Forced valet parking Nice bread basket.
(1)
Mary T.
OK, it's a Friday night after a very hard week at work. The hubby and I are just looking for a decent place for drinks and food. We want to find something close to the Edens expressway where we can relax, have a cocktail and a decent meal. I've passed by this place for years and thought why not give it a try? I wish we hadn't. 1. Prices are insane. I mean insane. Wine list was limited and very pricey. Pasta dishes roll in at 24.00 to start. Grilled or fried calamari is 17.00 as an appetizer, strip steak is 44.00. Come on, this is Skokie and the joint is decked out like a resort place from the 60's. This is not downtown. 2. Waitstaff is rude and can hardly be bothered to talk to you. That actually goes for everyone who works there. As I pulled in, the valet screamed at me to stop. I did and told him I didn't need valet. He informed quite rudely that it was required due to high volume. No sign indicating anything about valet service, just a young guy screaming at me....nice, very nice. I knew at that point I should have just left. 3. If you don't know these owners then just forget about it. You are nothing to them. I watched the owner EJ schmooze his regulars and give the bare minimum to new people. I realized as the treatment continued all evening long that THAT was what EJ's was all about. If you are in the in crowd it's fab, but if not then who cares? This is one of those places that could be a case study on poor management. Watch the guy in charge and how he treats others. The rest of his team follows his lead. I left that behavior far behind when I graduated from high school. Too bad EJ's didn't. We will never go back. To be fair, our dinner Chicken Vesuvio, was good and it was plentiful but it just didn't make up for how unwelcoming everyone was in this place.
(1)
Jessica N.
Food was decent but definitely not worth the insane price. Service was also slow since nearly every worker there was like 60 years old! The only thing that was bothersome about the food was the butter. Not sure why such an expensive place would serve cold butter. How do you spread cold butter on bread? Also, parking was horrendous. All valet and no regular parking at all? Wow that's a first! So we were pretty much forced to valet the car and tip the guy. 3 thumb down!!! Never going back.
(2)
John N.
Ate here last Thursday and it was wonderful. I love coming here. My wife and I and our baby girl flew into town and had a nice meal with friends and family. And we got to see EJ, a wonderful friend. Can't wait to eat here again!!!!
(5)
Eve V.
Food is always good here. Always ask for Johny he is the best! The restaurant offers a variety of foods from pasta to chicken, steaks and seafood. They have the chicken vesuvio that is really yummy (you can order it boneless). They have this crunchy cottage fries that so good and it comes with your entree if you want it or not. Their skirt steak is really good too so don't miss out on that one. Over all they offer good food and great service but it gets loud though. But who cares as long as you're enjoying your food that is all matters most.
(4)
Pete M.
Ate here on 9/5/15. Will definatley go again. Shrimp Cocktail very fresh. Crab cakes-delicious. Bone in Sirloin cooked medium rare and the meat tasted as good as anything I;ve had at Morton's or Ruth;s Chris No loud annoying music so , it's possible to have a nice conversation with your guest without screaming. Nice place. Excellent Service . Wife had Breaded shrimp which were huge in a flavorful batter. Salads were crisp- not drowned in dressing The cottage fries were just OK- kind of potato chippy. I liked it a lot.
(4)
Christina N.
EJs is one of my family's favorite places to go for special family dinners. The food is typically very good and it's a little expensive but worth it. The sausage and pepper appetizer is a favorite amongst the family, I also recall a very amazing key lime pie if you're looking for dessert suggestions!
(4)
Cathy S.
This place is very clean and has excellent service! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good steak and comfortable atmosphere!
(5)
Edgar R.
I had a fantastic dinner here this week with a colleague from work and an international guest. With respect to the concerns expressed by some of the other reviewers, I didn't experience any of that. First, we arrived early, around 5:30 and there was plenty of parking available around the back. Nobody forced us to use the valet service, which incidentally is complementary (except for tip). When you walk in, the place has the ambiance of a supper club of perhaps 50 years ago. It has a very rustic feel. You would almost imagine that Al Capone could walk through the door with a couple buddies and take a table over in the corner away from the bright lights. Yes there are a few television screens up on the wall, but they are not huge and they didn't make any noise. They didn't bother us at all. The bartender was very attentive while I and my friends had a few drinks before dinner. When we were ready, we were ushered to a cozy table on the side. Our main server was Jose, and he did an outstanding job. Every few minutes somebody would come by and fill up our drinks without disturbing the conversation. For dinner, my colleague ordered a NY Strip Steak and I had the Lake Superior Whitefish with a baked potato. I can tell you, that fish was done perfectly and it was delicious. Did I mention that the portions are enormous? By all means, take some home to enjoy later. For dessert we had a piece of chocolate cake that was big enough for the three of us to share. We just had them bring us 3 small plates and forks. Yes, it is a little more expensive than the average restaurant you might visit in this area. But you get great food, and lots of it, along with excellent service. If you're looking for an inexpensive meal, then by all means go elsewhere. But if you appreciate the atmosphere, you will have a very enjoyable experience at EJ's.
(5)
Cory K.
This place has some pretty mixed reviews, so I was hesitant going in, but I wound up liking it overall. I'm an old man at heart, so whenever I see liver and onions on a menu, I can't help but order it. This did not disappoint. It was delicious, with the liver cooked a perfect medium, two gigantic pieces of thick-cut bacon. It was without a doubt the largest portion of food I've ever been served in a restaurant. I was ravenous when I sat down yet was only able to eat half of what was on my plate. I'm a pretty big eater in general, so that was pretty impressive on their part. It was definitely on the pricy side, but between the great supper club atmosphere and massive portions, I think it was worthwhile. I could definitely see this being a "special occasions" place.
I should have know this was not going to be a good dining experience when I wasn't allowed to park my own car even though there were multiple open spots. The "complimentary valet" told me there were no spots and I could park across the street (which I did then had to cross busy Skokie Blvd). We had reservations and were seated promptly but it took a good 20 minutes after we sat to even get a menu. The food was bland and astronomically over priced for the quality. Service was so so but nothing to write home about. I had high hopes for EJs but it was a huge disappointment.
(1)
Joel A.
Want to know why I'll never go to EJ's again? Not the food. The steaks are plenty and fine. Not the old fashioned wait staff. They are a little uptight but acceptable for an old fashioned dinner place. Nope. It's the valet parker who honked and flagged down my wife and myself because we parked our own car. This is the second time I've left the restaurant because valet out front demands that customers valet park and sometimes I don't want anyone inside my car. So tonight we pull around the side of the building away from the valet zone and the guy comes after us honking at is in another customers car and then tried to wave down my wife. We walk inside the restaurant and the staff tells us if we park on the south side of the building it is ok to self park but I'm pretty upset to be honked at by a valet so we leave - for the last time. This was 5:15 on a Tuesday and the place was empty and they lost my $200 check because of the parking lot attendant. Previously the valet told us we had to give him our car or we couldn't eat there so we left. No one is going to demand my car to park it anywhere so this place needs to wake up because it's not a good way to greet customers honking at them in the parking lot.
(1)
mimi r.
Seated one hour and 45 minutes late! Yelp took down my previous review because they said it wasn't a true update. It wasn't 45 minutes after my reservation-- it was one hour and 45 minutes after my reservation. Just know that if you make a reservation here, you may not be seated anywhere near that time.
(1)
Steve F.
First time customer, VERY happy with EJ's. We ordered the sea bass, the food was fantastic, very tasty, fish melted in your mouth. The place reminds me of an upper Wisconsin supper club which is fun and different. The bread that comes out at the beginning of the meal was great, the salad with blue cheese dressing was amazing. We had the side broccoli also good. The service was top quality, very attentive. The wine by the glass also was tasty, Malbec, very nice. Overall, great place, the only downside is it is a bit on the pricier side, not for every Friday night (at least for us).
(5)
Dean H.
My "Go To" place for client dinners and special events with my Skokie-based business. Atmosphere is similar to that seen at old school steakhouses such as Chicago Chop House, Ben & Jacks (my fav in NYC!) and Smith and Wollensky. Steaks are exceptional as is the service. Wine list is good with affordable pricing. The grilled calamari appetizer is simply outstanding. My clients are always pleased with the meals we have there and not uncommon for them to ask that we eat at EJ's again during return visits.
(5)
Samantha S.
WOW. What a disappointment! Did the old lady die or did she just have a profoundly bad night. We have coming here for years as a special occasion place. When you spend 10 bucks for a bowl of spinach you expect it to be great every time even if it a busy night. Last night was valentines days so our usual 7 pm reservation was pushed to 8:30. We were finally seated at 9:15. The waiter was mediocre which is not their usual MO. Appetizers arrived 30 minutes after being ordered and salad 15 minutes later. The lamb chop was tough--it's my favorite and the reason we came to begin with. My potato never arrived. When spending north of a hundred dollars a person for dinner we expect things to be great. They were well below average. My boyfriend nicely mentioned to the waiter who was absent most of the night that the lamb was tough and overcooked. 20 minutes later he came back and offered us dessert. Hardly a resolution when only one of the two chops had been consumed. So it was a bummer of a night. We won't be back as we have better ways to spend our money and our date night!
(1)
tammy m.
Food was good but it was ruined by horrible service!!! Waiter goofed everything up took over 45 min to get our food. Told manager not much was done. To expensive for it not to be excellent..... So sad when a bad waiter could ruin it!!!!
Very, very disappointing. Have been to EJ's many times before and enjoyed it. Decided to go this year for Valentine's day. WHAT A MISTAKE. EJ's totally overbooked...obviously hoping to capitalize on the holiday. "Could not find" our reservation, though it was made a week before. After waiting for 30 minutes (past our reservation...with several other couples from our time slot and SEVERAL from an earlier time slot), we inquired again about our table. "Two minutes." As we had heard that many times before, I said that I wanted an honest estimate as we were thinking of leaving. "10 to 15 minutes." As there were several folks still waiting from an earlier time slot, we had no confidence with the revised estimate. So we left. As we were walking out they asked "what was your name again?" My wife said, "it doesn't matter; we won't be back." They didn't seem to care. I guess they get enough one-time-diners, many of which only come on holidays, that they can afford to lose clients. As she said, "we won't be back." Would have given zero stars if Yelp had allowed.
(1)
Benjamin K.
They served me a burned NY steak for $50.00. Not worth it. Never coming back to EJ's Place.
(1)
Angela S.
My husband and I recently moved to the area, and while I've had family in the area for decades (driven by this place a thousand times) we have been super excited about trying local restaurants. We realize it says 'Fine dining' but we love a nice dinner and aren't afraid to spend $ if it's worth a great meal. Let me set the mood... It's Friday night, exhausting work week over, been running errands but purposely threw on a nice outfit because a nice dinner would be the perfect end to the night! At 8:45 pm we walk drive by EJs and I say, hey! Let's go there! I've always wanted to try it! We head in and while it takes 5 mins for a waiter to come by, we have to ask for a drink menu (no I can't read your mind) and settle on an expensive glass of wine (weak pour) and a beer. Still haven't seen the menu yet. Ten minutes later we get the menu. While we weren't aware it was a steakhouse before we entered, it apparently is, and there is not much on the menu to order other than a 40-55 steak. I am somewhat disappointed that there aren't a little better options for meals, and regretfully settle on a mostaccioli pasta for 24 and my husband orders chopped steak and peppers for 29. HUGE FAIL. I receive the most disgusting ground beef and red sauce thrown over penne pasta ever and my husband receives a humongous dish of MEATLOAF. Seriously, we just paid all that for cafeteria pasta and meatloaf ?! The only positive of the experience was our laugh when our dishes were placed in front of us. The waiter who cared less about us stopped over after we had taken two bites and when I said its uhh... Okay.... I'm done... He rolled his eyes and took it away. When I didn't touch my meal and didn't want a box, he should have gotten a clue. He knew we were very unhappy and made no attempt to right it. My biggest frustration with a restaurant like this is that we love supporting local and trying unique places, but, what a disappointment all around. McCormick and Schmitts is two blocks away and had seemed unnecessary in a town with so many options. Maybe we will revert back to places like that for consistency. Ejs needs to step it up and not serve garbage.
(1)
L H.
I loved the ambiance of this place - Wisconsin supper club. The service wasn't very good though, and the price was insanely high for the quality. They said we could be seated right away, then made us wait 40 minutes. The cheapest steak dinner was in the high 40s/50s and it would have cost $8 for my friend to substitute a Caesar salad for the included one. Seriously, at that price, you can't let someone have romaine? The filet looked good, but was tasteless; I don't even know how such a nice cut for that price could have so little flavor. The home/cottage fries were awesome!
(1)
Mrs. F.
Boring, expen$ive, and in desperate need of updating (lest I say, cleaning) have been my experiences at EJ's. There's nothing special here, except the downtown prices for the food, that is served with no frills or care. The salad is a couple of handfuls of iceberg lettuce with one translucent slice of tomato, and dressing poured on top; no cucumbers, croutons, or even ground pepper (which wasn't offered) to make it visually appealing. Who wants a pound of whitefish for $28, with no seasoning (except paprika), on a plate, and a medium-sized, scrubbed baked potato? Not even a sprig of parsley to add some color! Or a plateful of plain (again, little seasoning except capers), beige veal limone for $32, again with a plain baked potato? BTW, did I mention that side dishes, like vegetables, are extra? Entree salads are costly ($17.95), so if you want an alternative to steak-chicken-fish, your choice is...no choice--not even a burger appears on the worn menu. Looking at the food at neighboring tables, I saw equally unappealing entrees and heard a few comments about the diners' disappointment. There's valet parking--big deal--the parking lot is so small that your great-grandmother could make it to the front door from the car in a snowstorm. And pushy waiters, who are not there so much to serve you as to get you out the door so they can turn over the table; ours ignored our request for salad dressing on the side and forgot the ground pepper, but he kept asking us whether we had finished and then started hovering over us after dinner. The bottom line: instead of looking at a TV, as is visible in main the dining room instead of the bar area, go to McCormick & Schmick's in Old Orchard or Pete Miller's in Evanston for really good food and ambiance.
(2)
Jaime h.
the worst experience ever! sat down, was not given a menu. we asked to see a beer menu.. he mumbled a few selections. we asked to see a wine menu.. recieved our drinks and sat, and sat and sat. 29 min later (i had checked into 4square when i sat down so i knew the exact time) we watched as at least 1/2 a dozen waiters walked around.. finally our waiter came over and asked "are you ready to order or do you need more time".. i couldnt help it.. i broke out in laughter.. he walked away. we asked for a manager, who appologized and said he would give us a new waiter. we asked for the check for our two drinks. Instead of comp'ing the drinks and urging us to give them another try, they brought over the check (and shorted us a dollar in the change) when we were leaving the manager again asked us what happened.. he then told us that there was no way we were waiting 1/2 hr because i hadnt finished my wine.. really?!? he wanted to argue with us.. now i know why everyone looked so old.. they probably just aged at their tables..
(1)
Anthony C.
Sorry EJs but after our last visit you've lost us. We avoided the place for a couple of years because the beer on tap has been old and undrinkable. However, it was our anniversary so we decided to give it another try. While the food is still good and the portions are generous, the beer was even worse which leads me to believe that nobody here drinks beer and the kegs sit for months. I had to send two different kinds back and ended up drinking bottled beer. Our server was also a real wet noodle - just going through the motions and totally unattentive, which was very dissappointing considering the prices of the food and the tip he stands to gain from good service. You feel like an outsider if you're not part of the regulars club - which is what this place seems to be. However, considering the age demographic of most of the patrons I don't think this place will be open in ten years. Most of them will be in nursing homes and the owner is doing nothing to attract a new generation of customers. Being an avid cyclist I have always tried to patronize EJs because they have sponsored cycling in the area for years. But this visit was our last.
(1)
Michael A.
Let me preface this by saying I'm a former server/waiter. First time going here and was looking forward to it. Went with my wife and two kids (6 and 8). The atmosphere was what I would call upscale casual. The host was very nice and gave us a great table...then the waiter arrived. I can't say for certain but it seemed he was immediately put off when no alcohol was ordered and was asked about "kids meals". The drinks (water, iced tea, and juices) came quickly enough and then we waited much longer than usual to place our order. Keep in mind the server (S. Alex from the receipt) never once smiled or made us feel welcomed. Once the food arrived my wife had questions about her order. This is when S. Alex literally waved off her question with his hand said "eh!" and seemingly walked away in disgust. In my opinion the food was good although, a bit overpriced. Bottom line, I might go back, but I would ask for a different server if placed in S. Alex's section. Maybe he was having a bad day, but you don't bring that to the table.
(2)
Stevie J.
I've been coming to EJ's since they opened. Same terrific staff who remembers me from when I was a child, same magnificent quality and portions. I love EJ's!
(5)
Tim G.
Hmm...the fact that it's located next to a funeral home is not just a coincidence because once its clientele "moves on" the place will cease to exist. If they'd spend as much money on the food and its preparation as they do with the number of staff who work there, then there might be a fighting chance for this neighborhood institution could survive, unlike those who are patrons next door. The food was bland, over-priced and the potatoes were instant, not to mention the chewy cottage-fried potatoes. Great for entertaining your grandparents, not so great for a nice dinner with your mate! This, by far, was one of our worst experiences in Chicago, let alone a suburb of it. Better off eating at a chance if you are in Skokie.
(1)
Diane S.
I don't believe there is a restaurant I enjoy more than EJ's. I get a kiss from Tony, my favorite waiter, and the meal kicks into gear from there: the grilled calimari, first and foremost, is not to be missed. I then proceed to the salad, and never fail to order it with the bleu cheese dressing, which is thick and extremely flavorful. This is where it gets hard: the no-miss Chicken Vesuvio, or do I try something else? I usually default to the chicken because it is always ALWAYS spectacular, and I get to enjoy it for at least two more meals at home because it is served on a plate about the size of a snow saucer. The sides are all fantastic, but I especially like the thin-sliced home fries and creamed spinach. I am not much of a dessert person, but always make an exception for EJ's. I think my last of many prior favorites was the cheesecake, but will confess that by that time in the meal, I am nearly in a food coma, so I cannot say for sure....
(5)
George S.
After years of driving by this place, I finally gave it a shot, and boy was I glad I did! This was a classic Chicago Style Chop House Experience! Outstanding Table Service, with those classic straight forward five star waiters that we all love so much. You ask, "What's good?" and They ask, "What Do You Like?". I love it! This isn't a high turn over type joint where they're going to rush you in and rush you out, and that may be a little hard for some people to grasp, especially if your dining outside of your regular dinner hour. Don't Come to this place Starving, the fantastic aromas will drive you crazy while you wait. Trust me, make a reservation. This place is a special night out, come and celebrate a milestone, host your in-laws to the best, type of restaurant. The Steaks Are Amazing! So flavorful and Juicy that my mouth is watering just thinking of it. I mean it's a 12 step program just waiting to happen! The owner or at least the Guy in charge is a real restaurateur who knows his stuff, trust me I can tell. My wife had an issue with her veal, and the waiter and the host Eugene were on it like white on rice! I love that. They knew what I was paying for and they were gonna make sure we left satisfied. I can honestly say I will be taking my wife here again, and again, and again, well you get the pic! Are we Good? Good... Now, Go EAT! Cheers!
(5)
L. F.
Expected so much more from this place especially for the price and packed parking lot. Dined here on a Friday night with reservation, had to wait 15 or so minutes so my husband and I sat at the bar but it took forever to get a drink and there were even two bartenders and no more than four other customers seated there. They tried seating us in their back room by ourselves. Actually every group that arrived after us was taken to the back room and all refused to sit there. Place is old school in every way and food is average at best. Go elsewhere, don't waste your money.
(2)
Marnie B.
Was not expecting such great food and service. Fun place, great wine and desert. Loved the overall feel.
(5)
S K.
After hearing of this place and driving by for years, we decided to finally check it out. I had always heard that this place had a loyal following much like L. Woods in Lincolnwood and Myron & Phil's on Devon. Those places I understand, EJ's I do not. It must just be family tradition or nostalgia that bring them back to EJ's because it is not the steaks. The prices are right up there with Joe's Prime Steak and Seafood and Gibson's. I mean come on - $25 for chicken vesuvio and $95 for lobster tail in Skokie. I had the bone-in ribeye medium rare ($44) and it was a very large piece of meat. Unfortunately, it was very tough and was so chargrilled on the outside that the table shook when I cut it. My husband had the sirloin al forno special and the meat was tasteless. The onions were undercooked and it really was a disappointment. The bread, salad and blue cheese dressing and the service were the only things good about our experience. If you are going to charge downtown steakhouse prices, you should at least deliver a good quality steak. Service was top-notch and that is the only reason for the two stars.
(2)
kim b.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars Good neighborhood steak place and great service. If you're in the suburbs/Old Orchard shopping and want to get a nice bite to eat, but not fast food...this is a nice spot. We've always had fantastic service. Lots of choices even if you don't want steak. Rarely have to make a reservation.
(3)
C P.
Cool atmosphere and attentive service (although several of the waiters are difficult to understand with their accents). Very pricey for a lodge atmosphere. I asked where they got their steaks and it was confusing, they brought over other waiters to help answer. They kept saying, "the steaks are the best, very good". I asked if the beef was corn fed or grass fed. Then they brought over the manager who was surrounded by a gaggle of waiters, he says in a loud voice: "What seems to be the problem?". Suddenly I'm the bad guy. He tells me the steaks are from Stock Yard Steaks. I ask if they are grass fed and he says yes. So then he and his posse leave the table and I order a filet. It was huge (nice) but dry. When I got home I looked up Stock Yard steaks and find that all their steaks are corn fed. (Watch the movie Food Inc. and see why it matters) The steamed spinach was only ok, two of my guests wouldn't eat it. For dessert we shared a fruit tart. It was so cold you could barely cut the crust. For the money, I won't return, you can get better food, value and attitude elsewhere.
(2)
Melinda B.
If zero were a rating that is what I would give. The only one who liked the steak was my dog. This place was highly recommended, by neighbors, it was a disappointment for sure. Packed parking lot started us off thinking we were in for a good meal. They must have a discount through AARP. There were no children and for that matter, we in our 40's were probably the youngest there. Our meal was awful. My husband ordered a filet ($45), my son ordered a strip steak ($45) and I had the chilean sea bass ($40). The filet was enormous but tasted like liver; it isn't possible to properly cook a steak that is so big. My son, who can put away a lot of steak filled up on the cottage fries that tasted like bacon grease (best part of the meal). I feel bad for the sea bass who gave his life to be served up so dry and crispy. In order to swallow, I had to take it down with a glass of water. More importantly, no one cared! I hope as I get older my taste buds or expectations don't go so much that EJs becomes good. Don't waste your money, go to Gibsons, Capital Grill, Ruth's Chris.
(1)
Deborah G.
We were here for my husband's work holiday party. The food was excellent and the staff was very attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was nice. We were served salmon and chicken along with asparagus and potatoes. The food was excellent . My favorite was the salmon. Later a dessert assortment was served and each item was better than the next. Everything was delicious and I would definitely return on our next visit to Illinois to try some of the other menu items.
(5)
Leslie K.
I never before took the time to write a restaurant review either positive or negative. But in this economy, I felt compelled to share my experience so others will not waste their hard earned money at EJ's. This is BY FAR the worst meal I ever had in a high end restaurant. The steak was tough, whitefish was fishy tasting, salmon over cooked, calamari greasy and limp. The iceberg lettuce ( ICEBURG LETTUCE??!) didn't even have a slice of tomato. The service was horrendous. The best part of the meal was the key lime pie. For almost $50 per person - there are 10 other high end restaurants that I would rather go to. WIldfire, Ruth Chris and Mortons to name a few. Don't waste your money. You will get a better meal across the street at McCormick and Schmidts or Cheescake Factory!
(1)
Katie G.
Oh EJ's Place, my first "real" steakhouse experience! Once I figured out that you have to order sides at real steakhouses, I have slowly started to relax and truly enjoy the experience of eating here. (The first time I came, I ordered a big ol' hunk o' meat ... and that's exactly what I got: a big ol' hunk o' meat, on a plate, nothing else.) Now I know better and usually order some delicious steamed broccoli (or more recently, because it's coming into season: grilled zucchini!) to go with my "small filet" (which is definitely 2+ meals ...) ... or sometimes sit next to my father-in-law to snatch a handful of his cottage fries! Pastas here are also very satisfying and taste just as good heated up the next day. Service is friendly and attentive and atmosphere is cozy and nice! Portions are incredibly generous. Whatever you order and regardless of how delicious it is and how hungry you are ... you will almost certainly be taking home a size-able part of your meal to eat for lunch or dinner the next day. Best part: the doggie bags are these old school paper bags with cute little poodles printed on them. So great!
(4)
Mary G.
EJs Place never disappoints. Sure, it's pricey, but worth it. That's why we save it for special occasions. Johnny is our favorite waiter. The service attentive, generous and delicious portions, and you feel very special every minute you are there. The Prime steaks are mouth watering and the shrimp cocktail is an oxymoron. They are colossal, meaty and chilled perfectly and enough to share. I love the old-school doggie bags as another reviewer mentioned, it's classy. No reason to fix what ain't broke. Looking forward to another visit to EJs. Keep up the excellent work! I tell everyone about EJs Place!
(5)
Bernie M.
I went to EJ's last night to play music for a birthday party in their backroom. The staff was terrific and could not have been more accommodating. The owner EJ went out of his way to make me feel very welcome in his restaurant. I sat at the bar while I was waiting to perform and EJ brought me an appetizer with two of the most delicious huge gulf shrimp. Okay I get the oxymoron" huge shrimp" but I can tell you they were just out of this world, really fresh and flavorful. I've been to EJ's several times in past with my family and always had a great experience from the food to the service and really like the warming Wisconsin atmosphere without the hour and a half drive. My wife and I actually enjoy the non-pretentious atmosphere at EJ's and order our steaks medium rare to medium out of respect for the excellent cut of meat they serve there. So to sum it up go to EJ's relax and enjoy the food atmosphere and the service and will definitely recommend it to friends and family. Thanks again EJ you have a great place and you're a class act. Cheers!
(5)
Deborah E.
Cat sitting for 12 days in your non-cat home for your good friend Lauren = zero dollars Clean out litter box (whilst gagging) for said Persian cat twice per day for 12 days = zero dollars Administer liquid Pepcid via syringe for said Persian cat every morning due to cat's Irritable Bowel Syndrome = zero dollars Administer liquid Prednisone via syringe for said Persian cat every other day = zero dollars Feed cat some dry food (non-gag inducing) every day = zero dollars Feed cat 1 tsp of GAG INDUCING wet food twice per day = zero dollars Put up with massive amounts of long haired Persian cat hair on clothes and furniture for 12 days = zero dollars Being take to EJ's for steak as a reward for our cat sitting adventure = PRICELESS My friend has been bugging me to go to EJ's for ages. And what a dumbass I am for not going sooner. We had a fabulous dinner last night - here are the highlights: 1. Huge unlimited amounts of assorted breads and breadsticks 2. FABULOUS bone-in Ribeye steak - I bet this puppy weighed over 20 ozs! So huge in fact that I have another complete leftover meal for tonight. YUM! 3. Creamy garlic mashed potatoes with just the right amount of garlic so I am not burping them up today, thank you. 4. Homer's Spumoni ice cream - orgasmic............. 5. Attentive friendly service 6. FREE valet parking 7. Very cozy ski lodge-like ambiance Other items highly recommended by other members of our party: Minestrone soup Fresh Lake Superior Whitefish Chicken Vesuvio FYI - EJ's also has a number of veal, seafood and pasta dishes, and they have a variety of side dishes which sound great including "Broiled Slab Bacon" - which greatly piqued our interest being the PIG eaters, that we are - next time perhaps. Lauren, drop off Ruddi the cat whenever you want - when are you going away again? We will cat sit ANY TIME you want! Seriously. Can't WAIT to go back to EJ's!
(4)
kim s.
Great classic Italian steakhouse, service was perfect considering it was a very busy Saturday night. I have read some of the negative reviews and I find it very hard to believe them, we dine here 3-4 times a year and have never had a bad meal or bad service. Yes, it's not cheap but keep in mind everything is huge and you can share most meals !
(5)
Joe Y.
all i can say about this place is if you like to eat a shoe order there steak!!!!!!!! horrible. i would not recommend this place to anyone!!!!!!!!
(1)
Carolyn G.
I attended a team dinner that was hosted at EJ's Place because they are sponsors of our cycling team. This was my first time at the restaurant, and I was amazed at how great everything was! The food was amazing (well spiced, perfectly flavored) and the service was outstanding. My water glass was never empty, and we had more food than we could possibly eat. Thanks, EJ, for such a great dinner!
(5)
Liz M.
"WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN HERE IN AWHILE?!?" My husband and I are still asking ourselves that question. Maybe it's because we've been trying new places... or maybe it's because the last time we went here ... we were attempting to play "cupid" and "trying to fix up" two of our friends... well, that didn't work...soooo...that being said we went back on this past Valentine's Day. YUMMMMIEEEE...so glad did!!! We starting with delicious Lobster Bisque...mmmmm. My husband had his favorite Prime Rib. Folks...I am not exaggerating, it covered the WHOLE entire plate with very little fat! I had the most delicate, flavorful, buttery Dover Sole served with Almond Butter, filleted table-side. We finished with chocolate dipped strawberries and creamy vanilla ice-cream. I think it was a V-Day special dessert, but on previous occasions we've had their Creme Brulee and Cheesecake desserts....oh just unbutton my pants now!! This place has a great, cozy, fireside, ski lodge/cabin-esque atmosphere. Inviting bar, great wine list, fantastic service, valet parking. I recommend the Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Dover Sole and the Chilean Sea Bass. NOTE: "Alex" is THE best waiter EVER!!! He even remembered us and asked us where have we've been! "Don't worry, Alex we won't take so long to see you next time!!"
(5)
Kevin M.
The old sage says that you get what you pay for. Well, I sure paid at EJ's, but I'm still waiting for something worth the coin I laid out. About the worst service I've experienced; food along the lines of a Longhorn or Outback (gag); ambience like a Denny's. All in all a total waste of time and money.
(2)
Sherry R.
Eat here often and have never had a bad meal Aside from the huge steaks, I love their fish. Simple, fresh and always delicious. It is pricey but in Chicago, ALL steakhouses are over overpriced.
(4)
Fred Z.
I come here for business dinners about 3 times a year. Never disappointed! Reasonable prices and quality steaks. The veal chop is exceptional as is the GRILLED calamari (not breaded). Salad and potato side is included which is rare for a shop house in the Chicago area. Good wine list at moderate (dare I say "cheap") prices.
(4)
christopher m.
First, let me start off saying the service here is impeccable, our waiter was standing by ready to serve our every need, never did we have to wait for a thing. The food, however, was not so impressive. I had the T-bone steak and ordered a lobster tail to go with it. I ordered my steak rare, and it was cooked medium rare, not the end of the world but you figure they would cook a $42 steak the way the customer ordered it. My girlfriend ordered hers medium rare and my steak looked more cooked than her steak. Next was the lobster tail, which was very tough. I would guess that it was cooked way to long, and you would think the chef would pay a bit more attention when cooking a $95 lobster tail. I didn't even finish the whole tail as i got sick of chewing lobster flavored rubber. I would give the waiters here 5 stars but the food was very mediocre. Large portions but the quality was lacking.
(3)
Mary T.
OK, it's a Friday night after a very hard week at work. The hubby and I are just looking for a decent place for drinks and food. We want to find something close to the Edens expressway where we can relax, have a cocktail and a decent meal. I've passed by this place for years and thought why not give it a try? I wish we hadn't. 1. Prices are insane. I mean insane. Wine list was limited and very pricey. Pasta dishes roll in at 24.00 to start. Grilled or fried calamari is 17.00 as an appetizer, strip steak is 44.00. Come on, this is Skokie and the joint is decked out like a resort place from the 60's. This is not downtown. 2. Waitstaff is rude and can hardly be bothered to talk to you. That actually goes for everyone who works there. As I pulled in, the valet screamed at me to stop. I did and told him I didn't need valet. He informed quite rudely that it was required due to high volume. No sign indicating anything about valet service, just a young guy screaming at me....nice, very nice. I knew at that point I should have just left. 3. If you don't know these owners then just forget about it. You are nothing to them. I watched the owner EJ schmooze his regulars and give the bare minimum to new people. I realized as the treatment continued all evening long that THAT was what EJ's was all about. If you are in the in crowd it's fab, but if not then who cares? This is one of those places that could be a case study on poor management. Watch the guy in charge and how he treats others. The rest of his team follows his lead. I left that behavior far behind when I graduated from high school. Too bad EJ's didn't. We will never go back. To be fair, our dinner Chicken Vesuvio, was good and it was plentiful but it just didn't make up for how unwelcoming everyone was in this place.
(1)
Jessica N.
Food was decent but definitely not worth the insane price. Service was also slow since nearly every worker there was like 60 years old! The only thing that was bothersome about the food was the butter. Not sure why such an expensive place would serve cold butter. How do you spread cold butter on bread? Also, parking was horrendous. All valet and no regular parking at all? Wow that's a first! So we were pretty much forced to valet the car and tip the guy. 3 thumb down!!! Never going back.
(2)
mimi r.
Seated one hour and 45 minutes late! Yelp took down my previous review because they said it wasn't a true update. It wasn't 45 minutes after my reservation-- it was one hour and 45 minutes after my reservation. Just know that if you make a reservation here, you may not be seated anywhere near that time.
(1)
Dean H.
My "Go To" place for client dinners and special events with my Skokie-based business. Atmosphere is similar to that seen at old school steakhouses such as Chicago Chop House, Ben & Jacks (my fav in NYC!) and Smith and Wollensky. Steaks are exceptional as is the service. Wine list is good with affordable pricing. The grilled calamari appetizer is simply outstanding. My clients are always pleased with the meals we have there and not uncommon for them to ask that we eat at EJ's again during return visits.
(5)
Angela S.
My husband and I recently moved to the area, and while I've had family in the area for decades (driven by this place a thousand times) we have been super excited about trying local restaurants. We realize it says 'Fine dining' but we love a nice dinner and aren't afraid to spend $ if it's worth a great meal. Let me set the mood... It's Friday night, exhausting work week over, been running errands but purposely threw on a nice outfit because a nice dinner would be the perfect end to the night! At 8:45 pm we walk drive by EJs and I say, hey! Let's go there! I've always wanted to try it! We head in and while it takes 5 mins for a waiter to come by, we have to ask for a drink menu (no I can't read your mind) and settle on an expensive glass of wine (weak pour) and a beer. Still haven't seen the menu yet. Ten minutes later we get the menu. While we weren't aware it was a steakhouse before we entered, it apparently is, and there is not much on the menu to order other than a 40-55 steak. I am somewhat disappointed that there aren't a little better options for meals, and regretfully settle on a mostaccioli pasta for 24 and my husband orders chopped steak and peppers for 29. HUGE FAIL. I receive the most disgusting ground beef and red sauce thrown over penne pasta ever and my husband receives a humongous dish of MEATLOAF. Seriously, we just paid all that for cafeteria pasta and meatloaf ?! The only positive of the experience was our laugh when our dishes were placed in front of us. The waiter who cared less about us stopped over after we had taken two bites and when I said its uhh... Okay.... I'm done... He rolled his eyes and took it away. When I didn't touch my meal and didn't want a box, he should have gotten a clue. He knew we were very unhappy and made no attempt to right it. My biggest frustration with a restaurant like this is that we love supporting local and trying unique places, but, what a disappointment all around. McCormick and Schmitts is two blocks away and had seemed unnecessary in a town with so many options. Maybe we will revert back to places like that for consistency. Ejs needs to step it up and not serve garbage.
(1)
L H.
I loved the ambiance of this place - Wisconsin supper club. The service wasn't very good though, and the price was insanely high for the quality. They said we could be seated right away, then made us wait 40 minutes. The cheapest steak dinner was in the high 40s/50s and it would have cost $8 for my friend to substitute a Caesar salad for the included one. Seriously, at that price, you can't let someone have romaine? The filet looked good, but was tasteless; I don't even know how such a nice cut for that price could have so little flavor. The home/cottage fries were awesome!
(1)
Mrs. F.
Boring, expen$ive, and in desperate need of updating (lest I say, cleaning) have been my experiences at EJ's. There's nothing special here, except the downtown prices for the food, that is served with no frills or care. The salad is a couple of handfuls of iceberg lettuce with one translucent slice of tomato, and dressing poured on top; no cucumbers, croutons, or even ground pepper (which wasn't offered) to make it visually appealing. Who wants a pound of whitefish for $28, with no seasoning (except paprika), on a plate, and a medium-sized, scrubbed baked potato? Not even a sprig of parsley to add some color! Or a plateful of plain (again, little seasoning except capers), beige veal limone for $32, again with a plain baked potato? BTW, did I mention that side dishes, like vegetables, are extra? Entree salads are costly ($17.95), so if you want an alternative to steak-chicken-fish, your choice is...no choice--not even a burger appears on the worn menu. Looking at the food at neighboring tables, I saw equally unappealing entrees and heard a few comments about the diners' disappointment. There's valet parking--big deal--the parking lot is so small that your great-grandmother could make it to the front door from the car in a snowstorm. And pushy waiters, who are not there so much to serve you as to get you out the door so they can turn over the table; ours ignored our request for salad dressing on the side and forgot the ground pepper, but he kept asking us whether we had finished and then started hovering over us after dinner. The bottom line: instead of looking at a TV, as is visible in main the dining room instead of the bar area, go to McCormick & Schmick's in Old Orchard or Pete Miller's in Evanston for really good food and ambiance.
(2)
Jaime h.
the worst experience ever! sat down, was not given a menu. we asked to see a beer menu.. he mumbled a few selections. we asked to see a wine menu.. recieved our drinks and sat, and sat and sat. 29 min later (i had checked into 4square when i sat down so i knew the exact time) we watched as at least 1/2 a dozen waiters walked around.. finally our waiter came over and asked "are you ready to order or do you need more time".. i couldnt help it.. i broke out in laughter.. he walked away. we asked for a manager, who appologized and said he would give us a new waiter. we asked for the check for our two drinks. Instead of comp'ing the drinks and urging us to give them another try, they brought over the check (and shorted us a dollar in the change) when we were leaving the manager again asked us what happened.. he then told us that there was no way we were waiting 1/2 hr because i hadnt finished my wine.. really?!? he wanted to argue with us.. now i know why everyone looked so old.. they probably just aged at their tables..
(1)
Cris G.
Hmmm.. where do I start .. came here for Valentines dinner..place was packed and I said to myself, maybe this place has good food.. not until they served us with cold bread and frozen butter. .. and that's not all, menu was given , no recommendation from server , just gave us a laminated menu ...for the price of their food , I would think they can do a better presentation of the menu .. ordered steak and baked potato .. order came and they served us the fried potatoes .. ww called the attention of our waiter about the potato , he saud they ran out of baked .. we asked mashed and they ran out of it too.. ok.. they put these food on our table without even apologizing that they ran out of the ones we ordered .. we had to call their attention for that .. what amazed me is that , they would assume it's ok for us to eat those fried potatoes. .. nothing special with the steak.. with the price of it.. nahhh... wouldn't step foot on this place again ... I'll stick with capital grille and bavettes for the price I'm paying !
(1)
Michelle B.
Food was good (not great) but the service was horrible!! The waiter had issues and could not figure out how to give separate checks, meanwhile there was only 6 of us! He actually asked me 5 different times if I was sure I knew what I ordered!! Then after getting it correct, he complained about us in front of our table.. we had to wait 2 hours for the correct check.. we should have walked out. And where was the manager during this fiasco??? Never again, over priced for no service...
Best martinis ever. Romeo is the friendliest and nicest bartender who can concoct all imaginable libations. Try grilled calamari or sausage and peppers. Alpine steak salad is great too. Sit at the bar.
(4)
Breezy Q.
Epic fail. (1) The ambiance was awful -- like someone's musty old basement after some old Christmas decorations had thrown up all over it . (2) The food was pretty gross -- tasteless, over-salted, and served lukewarm. (3) The prices were OUTRAGEOUS (think $30 for ordinary plates of pasta -- in Skokie). While the portions were pretty generous, none of it seemed particularly fresh or tasty; for instance, in the spaghetti and ravioli dishes, both the noodles and the sauce seemed to come from cans/bottles. So... totally not worth it. All in all, it was an overpriced and unpleasant dinner experience. A friend recommended this place, which is how we ended up here, but honestly, I don't know how she or anyone could give this place a good review.
(1)
Hunter R.
One of the best restaurants on the North Shore. Very cool, dimly lit interior. Almost like a log cabin/hunting lodge. Great wine selection and good prices. There's not many places where you can get a good bottle of Brunello for $85. The house and garbage salads are perfect. Some of the best calamari I've ever had. Good steaks. Make sure to get the thick slab of bacon as a side. BUT, the best dish on the menu is.......the CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS! Just get it. You'll have enough to take home for lunch the next day.
(5)
Tony C.
EJ's Place is an anachronism and it's almost curious to see that places like this are still in business with the advances in food quality, service and presentation. This place is obviously an institution here in the skokie suburbs since there can't be any tourist business to speak of. The atmosphere is rustic midwest with a loud and raucous dining area. It's actually difficult to hear your tablemates with people seated so close to you bellowing out their conversations as if at a Foghorn Leghorn convention. Service is professional if a bit brusque and robotic. My chair was bumped so many times over the evening by waiters that I left with a mild case of PTSD. As for the food itselt, it's fine if unremarkable. I get it that this place is a throwback to the 1950's and if that's the atmosphere desired, great. However, I prefer places with some charm to the atmosphere. The only thing not from the 1950's are the prices. Yikes! they are astronomical for the quality of food offered.
(2)
john k.
If you like oysters start with a dozen fresh, as good as any seafood place around. Ironically two of their best entree's are fish as well (Dover sole and Chilean sea bass) However the steak is phenomenal. Suggest the bone in ribeye medium rare with a char (Pittsburgh style). Sitting at the bar provides dinner and a "show". Be sure to ask for George Enjoy!
(5)
Vince C.
I have driven by here a million times and read the reviews and knew it was expensive so I was apprehensive about trying it. I finally went and we loved loved loved it. The atmosphere is great and the waiters are totally classic. It is expensive but not anything unusual for good steaks and service. My wife had the veal chop and although I really liked my NY strip the veal was like butter. My advice is if you are not in the mood to spend money then skip it but if you want a good bottle of Cabernet and some carnivorous delights in an old school clubby atmosphere with some beautiful characters for waiters this is the place.
(5)
John N.
Ate here last Thursday and it was wonderful. I love coming here. My wife and I and our baby girl flew into town and had a nice meal with friends and family. And we got to see EJ, a wonderful friend. Can't wait to eat here again!!!!
(5)
Eve V.
Food is always good here. Always ask for Johny he is the best! The restaurant offers a variety of foods from pasta to chicken, steaks and seafood. They have the chicken vesuvio that is really yummy (you can order it boneless). They have this crunchy cottage fries that so good and it comes with your entree if you want it or not. Their skirt steak is really good too so don't miss out on that one. Over all they offer good food and great service but it gets loud though. But who cares as long as you're enjoying your food that is all matters most.
(4)
Padma A.
My company booked a private party room for an official dinner today. Easily valet parked, we were seated, the appetizers came bang on time. The order included crab cakes,fried calamari and grilled calamari all of which were excellent. Then came the humungous salad plates, the main course was grilled slamon chicken with garlic potatoes, pasta, baked potato, mushroom in wine sauce and side of home made chips. Overall good experience and waitstaff was very polite!
(4)
Bob W.
NOPE ! NOPE ! Alleged Prime steak isn' supposed to be tough and chewy ,is it ? Waiter inattentive to our TablePricey for quality and atmosphere Forced valet parking Nice bread basket.
(1)
Pete M.
Ate here on 9/5/15. Will definatley go again. Shrimp Cocktail very fresh. Crab cakes-delicious. Bone in Sirloin cooked medium rare and the meat tasted as good as anything I;ve had at Morton's or Ruth;s Chris No loud annoying music so , it's possible to have a nice conversation with your guest without screaming. Nice place. Excellent Service . Wife had Breaded shrimp which were huge in a flavorful batter. Salads were crisp- not drowned in dressing The cottage fries were just OK- kind of potato chippy. I liked it a lot.
(4)
Christina N.
EJs is one of my family's favorite places to go for special family dinners. The food is typically very good and it's a little expensive but worth it. The sausage and pepper appetizer is a favorite amongst the family, I also recall a very amazing key lime pie if you're looking for dessert suggestions!
(4)
Cathy S.
This place is very clean and has excellent service! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good steak and comfortable atmosphere!
(5)
Edgar R.
I had a fantastic dinner here this week with a colleague from work and an international guest. With respect to the concerns expressed by some of the other reviewers, I didn't experience any of that. First, we arrived early, around 5:30 and there was plenty of parking available around the back. Nobody forced us to use the valet service, which incidentally is complementary (except for tip). When you walk in, the place has the ambiance of a supper club of perhaps 50 years ago. It has a very rustic feel. You would almost imagine that Al Capone could walk through the door with a couple buddies and take a table over in the corner away from the bright lights. Yes there are a few television screens up on the wall, but they are not huge and they didn't make any noise. They didn't bother us at all. The bartender was very attentive while I and my friends had a few drinks before dinner. When we were ready, we were ushered to a cozy table on the side. Our main server was Jose, and he did an outstanding job. Every few minutes somebody would come by and fill up our drinks without disturbing the conversation. For dinner, my colleague ordered a NY Strip Steak and I had the Lake Superior Whitefish with a baked potato. I can tell you, that fish was done perfectly and it was delicious. Did I mention that the portions are enormous? By all means, take some home to enjoy later. For dessert we had a piece of chocolate cake that was big enough for the three of us to share. We just had them bring us 3 small plates and forks. Yes, it is a little more expensive than the average restaurant you might visit in this area. But you get great food, and lots of it, along with excellent service. If you're looking for an inexpensive meal, then by all means go elsewhere. But if you appreciate the atmosphere, you will have a very enjoyable experience at EJ's.
(5)
Cory K.
This place has some pretty mixed reviews, so I was hesitant going in, but I wound up liking it overall. I'm an old man at heart, so whenever I see liver and onions on a menu, I can't help but order it. This did not disappoint. It was delicious, with the liver cooked a perfect medium, two gigantic pieces of thick-cut bacon. It was without a doubt the largest portion of food I've ever been served in a restaurant. I was ravenous when I sat down yet was only able to eat half of what was on my plate. I'm a pretty big eater in general, so that was pretty impressive on their part. It was definitely on the pricy side, but between the great supper club atmosphere and massive portions, I think it was worthwhile. I could definitely see this being a "special occasions" place.
I should have know this was not going to be a good dining experience when I wasn't allowed to park my own car even though there were multiple open spots. The "complimentary valet" told me there were no spots and I could park across the street (which I did then had to cross busy Skokie Blvd). We had reservations and were seated promptly but it took a good 20 minutes after we sat to even get a menu. The food was bland and astronomically over priced for the quality. Service was so so but nothing to write home about. I had high hopes for EJs but it was a huge disappointment.
(1)
Joel A.
Want to know why I'll never go to EJ's again? Not the food. The steaks are plenty and fine. Not the old fashioned wait staff. They are a little uptight but acceptable for an old fashioned dinner place. Nope. It's the valet parker who honked and flagged down my wife and myself because we parked our own car. This is the second time I've left the restaurant because valet out front demands that customers valet park and sometimes I don't want anyone inside my car. So tonight we pull around the side of the building away from the valet zone and the guy comes after us honking at is in another customers car and then tried to wave down my wife. We walk inside the restaurant and the staff tells us if we park on the south side of the building it is ok to self park but I'm pretty upset to be honked at by a valet so we leave - for the last time. This was 5:15 on a Tuesday and the place was empty and they lost my $200 check because of the parking lot attendant. Previously the valet told us we had to give him our car or we couldn't eat there so we left. No one is going to demand my car to park it anywhere so this place needs to wake up because it's not a good way to greet customers honking at them in the parking lot.
(1)
Michael C.
Based on their web site, you'd think this was one of the finest supper clubs/steak houses on the North Shore. Judging from the parking lot, packed with Cadillacs, Benzes and Porsches, you'd have to believe it's true. Based on our experience, it's one of the all-time great rip-offs. We arrived before six and were seated immediately. Someone brought out a sad basket of dry breadsticks and took our drink orders, which arrived promptly enough. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, two Caesar salads, veal piccata and their full-size filet mignon, medium. The place filled up quickly, and I was surprised to notice that everyone else was getting these beautiful, heaping bread baskets. Seemed strange, so I asked our waiter about it. He explained that the bread delivery had just come in, and graciously offered to bring us another basket, but by then our appetizer had arrived and it was too late. The crab cake was fine, but seemed to have a lot of filler in it. The Caesar salads were oily and flavorless, with two little croutons arranged at the edge of each plate. (Must have been due to the bread shortage.) Things really went downhill when the steak arrived. It was like a lump of charcoal. The inside was gray, dry and the whole thing was completely inedible. When the waiter came back to check on things I explained the situation. He offered to bring another steak, butterflied this time, but when it arrived it was completely raw. He offered to take it back a third time, but my companion had finished his meal by then, and we had a show to catch. I had him box it up and figured I would finish cooking it at home. Our waiter did his best to handle the situation, and comped our desserts. But even then the check for two people was almost $200. I've had meals three times as good for half the price at places that were much more on point than EJ's. I left hungry, angry and feeling ripped off. Maybe they were having an off-night. The joint was packed by the time we left. It was obvious some of the waiters knew their customers well. At the table in front of us, the waiter stopped by constantly to shake hands and pat backs. When he left, there was a long and lingering hug. The prices are high, but the quality and presentation of the food sure don't justify them. We won't be back.
(1)
David R.
Wow, who knew?? I've been driving past this place for over a decade with no idea what was inside: the classic steak house format set inside a Northwoods lodge. After the initial shock of being two levels under-dressed and thirty years underage, I enjoyed the meal. Everything was Old School. We got a bread basket with white, multigrain, breadsticks, and raisin bread. The house salad was 95% iceberg lettuce, and the dressing on the side came in a bowl the size of my palm. When three of us ordered garlic mashed potatoes, they brought a large bowl for the table. Other reviewers have mentioned sticker shock, and it's true that the prices seem high for the quality--but not for the quantity. I ordered the pork chops (noting the plural quizzically) and what they delivered were two inch-thick chops each the size of my hand. Good lord! One filled me up handily while the other came home with me. A couple of nitpicks: 1. Mandatory valet parking. Actually, this isn't a nitpick--I detest this policy. They get very busy on a Saturday night and want to pack the cars like sardines into their tiny parking lot. But they should just pony up to expand the parking lot. Or else charter a few shuttle buses to make a circuit through Skokie, Glenview, and Wilmette. It would probably tickle the shit out of the regulars to leave their Buicks in their garages for the night. 2. The busser who cleared our plates mumblingly asked "Coffee? Dessert?" as he leaned over the table. Only half of our group heard him, and up to then we had dealt only with our main waiter, so we were confused whether we were being offered the full range of end-of-meal options and whether this would be our only opportunity to order something else. As it turns out, we did order coffee from him and then our regular waiter came by with dessert menus. But it was awkward and annoying. If you want to offer us something, stand still, address the entire table, and communicate clearly instead of treating the entire thing like an afterthought. Better still, let the waiter handle it. Minor service snafus notwithstanding, we had an enjoyable evening. Now that I know what to expect (dress up a little and fast for 24 hours beforehand), I would be happy to return. They don't make 'em like E.J.'s anymore.
(3)
Lisa A.
I live walking distance to this restaurant so we chose it for our New Year's eve dinner place and it was good but overpriced food. You can get comparable quality at Jameson's or Wildfire in this neighborhood. I ordered the fish special, Dover sole, which was done perfectly and my husband ordered the skirt steak which was hearty but not spectacular. My son had the veal parmesan with the bone and he really enjoyed that. His girlfriend ordered the chicken vesuvio which was good and plentiful. I was disappointed in the bread pudding dessert but coffee is good. It's a decent restaurant, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(3)
Willis F.
Very good steak, skip the mushrooms (too peppery) and onions (too greasy). I like the creamed spinach and the mashed potatoes and the steaks are huge and always super juicy ( I order mines just past medium rare). It's really pricey, not sure if it's worth it, but it is a fantastic place to impress a date. Minus one star cause I thought the sides are over peppered and greasy, but the calamari was good and I look forward to having the soups and other appetizers, would HIGHLY recommend any of their steaks.
(4)
Samantha S.
WOW. What a disappointment! Did the old lady die or did she just have a profoundly bad night. We have coming here for years as a special occasion place. When you spend 10 bucks for a bowl of spinach you expect it to be great every time even if it a busy night. Last night was valentines days so our usual 7 pm reservation was pushed to 8:30. We were finally seated at 9:15. The waiter was mediocre which is not their usual MO. Appetizers arrived 30 minutes after being ordered and salad 15 minutes later. The lamb chop was tough--it's my favorite and the reason we came to begin with. My potato never arrived. When spending north of a hundred dollars a person for dinner we expect things to be great. They were well below average. My boyfriend nicely mentioned to the waiter who was absent most of the night that the lamb was tough and overcooked. 20 minutes later he came back and offered us dessert. Hardly a resolution when only one of the two chops had been consumed. So it was a bummer of a night. We won't be back as we have better ways to spend our money and our date night!
(1)
tammy m.
Food was good but it was ruined by horrible service!!! Waiter goofed everything up took over 45 min to get our food. Told manager not much was done. To expensive for it not to be excellent..... So sad when a bad waiter could ruin it!!!!
Very, very disappointing. Have been to EJ's many times before and enjoyed it. Decided to go this year for Valentine's day. WHAT A MISTAKE. EJ's totally overbooked...obviously hoping to capitalize on the holiday. "Could not find" our reservation, though it was made a week before. After waiting for 30 minutes (past our reservation...with several other couples from our time slot and SEVERAL from an earlier time slot), we inquired again about our table. "Two minutes." As we had heard that many times before, I said that I wanted an honest estimate as we were thinking of leaving. "10 to 15 minutes." As there were several folks still waiting from an earlier time slot, we had no confidence with the revised estimate. So we left. As we were walking out they asked "what was your name again?" My wife said, "it doesn't matter; we won't be back." They didn't seem to care. I guess they get enough one-time-diners, many of which only come on holidays, that they can afford to lose clients. As she said, "we won't be back." Would have given zero stars if Yelp had allowed.
(1)
Benjamin K.
They served me a burned NY steak for $50.00. Not worth it. Never coming back to EJ's Place.
(1)
Mc B.
Overpriced and terrible service. Five of us went to EJ's on a Monday night. The place was less than half full yet we waited over 40 minutes for our food -- 4 salads and an order of calamari. 40 minutes! I tried to ask our rude waiter (his name tag said Adam 12) when our food would be arriving and he wouldn't even answer me. Finally the salads came but not the calamari. We waited another ten minutes for that! The waiter offered us a free dessert to make up for the long wait but no one wanted a dessert. He tried to talk us into it but we insisted he take the calamari off the bill instead. He was arrogant and totally unapologetic about the situation. The final bill -- $225 for a few drinks and mediocre salads. I don't know how those place stays in business. I will not go back. Terrible dining experience.
(1)
Manny B.
EJ's is our go to place to meet our friends from the north burbs, located in between them and us. Good solid restaurant. The food is good for steaks, chicken, and seafood. I love the roasted chicken, or the skirt steak smothered in roasted green, red, and spicy peppers. The wine list is adequate, the bar selection of whisky and spirits is robust, they have some of my favorite bourbons and tequilas. Service is very good, the waitstaff is experienced and work hard. Good steakhouse with reasonable prices.
(3)
Ed S.
This is a classic old school dining experience done well. Sat at the bar and had a wonderful night. Fantastic service and tasty italian food. Wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, fire place cracking and the grandson of Gene & Georgetti's founder as the proprietor all work together to create something of a lost era of dining. I recommend you give it a try.
(4)
Tom D.
Took a friend here for her birthday. The server was slow to greet us or take our drink order, and we had to flag him down for the entree order. He forgot to bring my drink, and when he did it was wrong. We both ordered lobster tail, the most expensive item on the menu at 88.00. Unfortunately it was a bit overcooked and dry.
(3)
Anthony C.
Sorry EJs but after our last visit you've lost us. We avoided the place for a couple of years because the beer on tap has been old and undrinkable. However, it was our anniversary so we decided to give it another try. While the food is still good and the portions are generous, the beer was even worse which leads me to believe that nobody here drinks beer and the kegs sit for months. I had to send two different kinds back and ended up drinking bottled beer. Our server was also a real wet noodle - just going through the motions and totally unattentive, which was very dissappointing considering the prices of the food and the tip he stands to gain from good service. You feel like an outsider if you're not part of the regulars club - which is what this place seems to be. However, considering the age demographic of most of the patrons I don't think this place will be open in ten years. Most of them will be in nursing homes and the owner is doing nothing to attract a new generation of customers. Being an avid cyclist I have always tried to patronize EJs because they have sponsored cycling in the area for years. But this visit was our last.
(1)
Michael A.
Let me preface this by saying I'm a former server/waiter. First time going here and was looking forward to it. Went with my wife and two kids (6 and 8). The atmosphere was what I would call upscale casual. The host was very nice and gave us a great table...then the waiter arrived. I can't say for certain but it seemed he was immediately put off when no alcohol was ordered and was asked about "kids meals". The drinks (water, iced tea, and juices) came quickly enough and then we waited much longer than usual to place our order. Keep in mind the server (S. Alex from the receipt) never once smiled or made us feel welcomed. Once the food arrived my wife had questions about her order. This is when S. Alex literally waved off her question with his hand said "eh!" and seemingly walked away in disgust. In my opinion the food was good although, a bit overpriced. Bottom line, I might go back, but I would ask for a different server if placed in S. Alex's section. Maybe he was having a bad day, but you don't bring that to the table.
(2)
Stevie J.
I've been coming to EJ's since they opened. Same terrific staff who remembers me from when I was a child, same magnificent quality and portions. I love EJ's!
(5)
Tim G.
Hmm...the fact that it's located next to a funeral home is not just a coincidence because once its clientele "moves on" the place will cease to exist. If they'd spend as much money on the food and its preparation as they do with the number of staff who work there, then there might be a fighting chance for this neighborhood institution could survive, unlike those who are patrons next door. The food was bland, over-priced and the potatoes were instant, not to mention the chewy cottage-fried potatoes. Great for entertaining your grandparents, not so great for a nice dinner with your mate! This, by far, was one of our worst experiences in Chicago, let alone a suburb of it. Better off eating at a chance if you are in Skokie.
(1)
Diane S.
I don't believe there is a restaurant I enjoy more than EJ's. I get a kiss from Tony, my favorite waiter, and the meal kicks into gear from there: the grilled calimari, first and foremost, is not to be missed. I then proceed to the salad, and never fail to order it with the bleu cheese dressing, which is thick and extremely flavorful. This is where it gets hard: the no-miss Chicken Vesuvio, or do I try something else? I usually default to the chicken because it is always ALWAYS spectacular, and I get to enjoy it for at least two more meals at home because it is served on a plate about the size of a snow saucer. The sides are all fantastic, but I especially like the thin-sliced home fries and creamed spinach. I am not much of a dessert person, but always make an exception for EJ's. I think my last of many prior favorites was the cheesecake, but will confess that by that time in the meal, I am nearly in a food coma, so I cannot say for sure....
(5)
George S.
After years of driving by this place, I finally gave it a shot, and boy was I glad I did! This was a classic Chicago Style Chop House Experience! Outstanding Table Service, with those classic straight forward five star waiters that we all love so much. You ask, "What's good?" and They ask, "What Do You Like?". I love it! This isn't a high turn over type joint where they're going to rush you in and rush you out, and that may be a little hard for some people to grasp, especially if your dining outside of your regular dinner hour. Don't Come to this place Starving, the fantastic aromas will drive you crazy while you wait. Trust me, make a reservation. This place is a special night out, come and celebrate a milestone, host your in-laws to the best, type of restaurant. The Steaks Are Amazing! So flavorful and Juicy that my mouth is watering just thinking of it. I mean it's a 12 step program just waiting to happen! The owner or at least the Guy in charge is a real restaurateur who knows his stuff, trust me I can tell. My wife had an issue with her veal, and the waiter and the host Eugene were on it like white on rice! I love that. They knew what I was paying for and they were gonna make sure we left satisfied. I can honestly say I will be taking my wife here again, and again, and again, well you get the pic! Are we Good? Good... Now, Go EAT! Cheers!
(5)
L. F.
Expected so much more from this place especially for the price and packed parking lot. Dined here on a Friday night with reservation, had to wait 15 or so minutes so my husband and I sat at the bar but it took forever to get a drink and there were even two bartenders and no more than four other customers seated there. They tried seating us in their back room by ourselves. Actually every group that arrived after us was taken to the back room and all refused to sit there. Place is old school in every way and food is average at best. Go elsewhere, don't waste your money.
(2)
Marnie B.
Was not expecting such great food and service. Fun place, great wine and desert. Loved the overall feel.
(5)
S K.
After hearing of this place and driving by for years, we decided to finally check it out. I had always heard that this place had a loyal following much like L. Woods in Lincolnwood and Myron & Phil's on Devon. Those places I understand, EJ's I do not. It must just be family tradition or nostalgia that bring them back to EJ's because it is not the steaks. The prices are right up there with Joe's Prime Steak and Seafood and Gibson's. I mean come on - $25 for chicken vesuvio and $95 for lobster tail in Skokie. I had the bone-in ribeye medium rare ($44) and it was a very large piece of meat. Unfortunately, it was very tough and was so chargrilled on the outside that the table shook when I cut it. My husband had the sirloin al forno special and the meat was tasteless. The onions were undercooked and it really was a disappointment. The bread, salad and blue cheese dressing and the service were the only things good about our experience. If you are going to charge downtown steakhouse prices, you should at least deliver a good quality steak. Service was top-notch and that is the only reason for the two stars.
(2)
kim b.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars Good neighborhood steak place and great service. If you're in the suburbs/Old Orchard shopping and want to get a nice bite to eat, but not fast food...this is a nice spot. We've always had fantastic service. Lots of choices even if you don't want steak. Rarely have to make a reservation.
(3)
Steve F.
First time customer, VERY happy with EJ's. We ordered the sea bass, the food was fantastic, very tasty, fish melted in your mouth. The place reminds me of an upper Wisconsin supper club which is fun and different. The bread that comes out at the beginning of the meal was great, the salad with blue cheese dressing was amazing. We had the side broccoli also good. The service was top quality, very attentive. The wine by the glass also was tasty, Malbec, very nice. Overall, great place, the only downside is it is a bit on the pricier side, not for every Friday night (at least for us).
(5)
C P.
Cool atmosphere and attentive service (although several of the waiters are difficult to understand with their accents). Very pricey for a lodge atmosphere. I asked where they got their steaks and it was confusing, they brought over other waiters to help answer. They kept saying, "the steaks are the best, very good". I asked if the beef was corn fed or grass fed. Then they brought over the manager who was surrounded by a gaggle of waiters, he says in a loud voice: "What seems to be the problem?". Suddenly I'm the bad guy. He tells me the steaks are from Stock Yard Steaks. I ask if they are grass fed and he says yes. So then he and his posse leave the table and I order a filet. It was huge (nice) but dry. When I got home I looked up Stock Yard steaks and find that all their steaks are corn fed. (Watch the movie Food Inc. and see why it matters) The steamed spinach was only ok, two of my guests wouldn't eat it. For dessert we shared a fruit tart. It was so cold you could barely cut the crust. For the money, I won't return, you can get better food, value and attitude elsewhere.
(2)
Melinda B.
If zero were a rating that is what I would give. The only one who liked the steak was my dog. This place was highly recommended, by neighbors, it was a disappointment for sure. Packed parking lot started us off thinking we were in for a good meal. They must have a discount through AARP. There were no children and for that matter, we in our 40's were probably the youngest there. Our meal was awful. My husband ordered a filet ($45), my son ordered a strip steak ($45) and I had the chilean sea bass ($40). The filet was enormous but tasted like liver; it isn't possible to properly cook a steak that is so big. My son, who can put away a lot of steak filled up on the cottage fries that tasted like bacon grease (best part of the meal). I feel bad for the sea bass who gave his life to be served up so dry and crispy. In order to swallow, I had to take it down with a glass of water. More importantly, no one cared! I hope as I get older my taste buds or expectations don't go so much that EJs becomes good. Don't waste your money, go to Gibsons, Capital Grill, Ruth's Chris.
(1)
Deborah G.
We were here for my husband's work holiday party. The food was excellent and the staff was very attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was nice. We were served salmon and chicken along with asparagus and potatoes. The food was excellent . My favorite was the salmon. Later a dessert assortment was served and each item was better than the next. Everything was delicious and I would definitely return on our next visit to Illinois to try some of the other menu items.
(5)
Leslie K.
I never before took the time to write a restaurant review either positive or negative. But in this economy, I felt compelled to share my experience so others will not waste their hard earned money at EJ's. This is BY FAR the worst meal I ever had in a high end restaurant. The steak was tough, whitefish was fishy tasting, salmon over cooked, calamari greasy and limp. The iceberg lettuce ( ICEBURG LETTUCE??!) didn't even have a slice of tomato. The service was horrendous. The best part of the meal was the key lime pie. For almost $50 per person - there are 10 other high end restaurants that I would rather go to. WIldfire, Ruth Chris and Mortons to name a few. Don't waste your money. You will get a better meal across the street at McCormick and Schmidts or Cheescake Factory!
(1)
Katie G.
Oh EJ's Place, my first "real" steakhouse experience! Once I figured out that you have to order sides at real steakhouses, I have slowly started to relax and truly enjoy the experience of eating here. (The first time I came, I ordered a big ol' hunk o' meat ... and that's exactly what I got: a big ol' hunk o' meat, on a plate, nothing else.) Now I know better and usually order some delicious steamed broccoli (or more recently, because it's coming into season: grilled zucchini!) to go with my "small filet" (which is definitely 2+ meals ...) ... or sometimes sit next to my father-in-law to snatch a handful of his cottage fries! Pastas here are also very satisfying and taste just as good heated up the next day. Service is friendly and attentive and atmosphere is cozy and nice! Portions are incredibly generous. Whatever you order and regardless of how delicious it is and how hungry you are ... you will almost certainly be taking home a size-able part of your meal to eat for lunch or dinner the next day. Best part: the doggie bags are these old school paper bags with cute little poodles printed on them. So great!
(4)
Mary G.
EJs Place never disappoints. Sure, it's pricey, but worth it. That's why we save it for special occasions. Johnny is our favorite waiter. The service attentive, generous and delicious portions, and you feel very special every minute you are there. The Prime steaks are mouth watering and the shrimp cocktail is an oxymoron. They are colossal, meaty and chilled perfectly and enough to share. I love the old-school doggie bags as another reviewer mentioned, it's classy. No reason to fix what ain't broke. Looking forward to another visit to EJs. Keep up the excellent work! I tell everyone about EJs Place!
(5)
Bernie M.
I went to EJ's last night to play music for a birthday party in their backroom. The staff was terrific and could not have been more accommodating. The owner EJ went out of his way to make me feel very welcome in his restaurant. I sat at the bar while I was waiting to perform and EJ brought me an appetizer with two of the most delicious huge gulf shrimp. Okay I get the oxymoron" huge shrimp" but I can tell you they were just out of this world, really fresh and flavorful. I've been to EJ's several times in past with my family and always had a great experience from the food to the service and really like the warming Wisconsin atmosphere without the hour and a half drive. My wife and I actually enjoy the non-pretentious atmosphere at EJ's and order our steaks medium rare to medium out of respect for the excellent cut of meat they serve there. So to sum it up go to EJ's relax and enjoy the food atmosphere and the service and will definitely recommend it to friends and family. Thanks again EJ you have a great place and you're a class act. Cheers!
(5)
Deborah E.
Cat sitting for 12 days in your non-cat home for your good friend Lauren = zero dollars Clean out litter box (whilst gagging) for said Persian cat twice per day for 12 days = zero dollars Administer liquid Pepcid via syringe for said Persian cat every morning due to cat's Irritable Bowel Syndrome = zero dollars Administer liquid Prednisone via syringe for said Persian cat every other day = zero dollars Feed cat some dry food (non-gag inducing) every day = zero dollars Feed cat 1 tsp of GAG INDUCING wet food twice per day = zero dollars Put up with massive amounts of long haired Persian cat hair on clothes and furniture for 12 days = zero dollars Being take to EJ's for steak as a reward for our cat sitting adventure = PRICELESS My friend has been bugging me to go to EJ's for ages. And what a dumbass I am for not going sooner. We had a fabulous dinner last night - here are the highlights: 1. Huge unlimited amounts of assorted breads and breadsticks 2. FABULOUS bone-in Ribeye steak - I bet this puppy weighed over 20 ozs! So huge in fact that I have another complete leftover meal for tonight. YUM! 3. Creamy garlic mashed potatoes with just the right amount of garlic so I am not burping them up today, thank you. 4. Homer's Spumoni ice cream - orgasmic............. 5. Attentive friendly service 6. FREE valet parking 7. Very cozy ski lodge-like ambiance Other items highly recommended by other members of our party: Minestrone soup Fresh Lake Superior Whitefish Chicken Vesuvio FYI - EJ's also has a number of veal, seafood and pasta dishes, and they have a variety of side dishes which sound great including "Broiled Slab Bacon" - which greatly piqued our interest being the PIG eaters, that we are - next time perhaps. Lauren, drop off Ruddi the cat whenever you want - when are you going away again? We will cat sit ANY TIME you want! Seriously. Can't WAIT to go back to EJ's!
(4)
kim s.
Great classic Italian steakhouse, service was perfect considering it was a very busy Saturday night. I have read some of the negative reviews and I find it very hard to believe them, we dine here 3-4 times a year and have never had a bad meal or bad service. Yes, it's not cheap but keep in mind everything is huge and you can share most meals !
(5)
Joe Y.
all i can say about this place is if you like to eat a shoe order there steak!!!!!!!! horrible. i would not recommend this place to anyone!!!!!!!!
(1)
Carolyn G.
I attended a team dinner that was hosted at EJ's Place because they are sponsors of our cycling team. This was my first time at the restaurant, and I was amazed at how great everything was! The food was amazing (well spiced, perfectly flavored) and the service was outstanding. My water glass was never empty, and we had more food than we could possibly eat. Thanks, EJ, for such a great dinner!
(5)
Liz M.
"WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN HERE IN AWHILE?!?" My husband and I are still asking ourselves that question. Maybe it's because we've been trying new places... or maybe it's because the last time we went here ... we were attempting to play "cupid" and "trying to fix up" two of our friends... well, that didn't work...soooo...that being said we went back on this past Valentine's Day. YUMMMMIEEEE...so glad did!!! We starting with delicious Lobster Bisque...mmmmm. My husband had his favorite Prime Rib. Folks...I am not exaggerating, it covered the WHOLE entire plate with very little fat! I had the most delicate, flavorful, buttery Dover Sole served with Almond Butter, filleted table-side. We finished with chocolate dipped strawberries and creamy vanilla ice-cream. I think it was a V-Day special dessert, but on previous occasions we've had their Creme Brulee and Cheesecake desserts....oh just unbutton my pants now!! This place has a great, cozy, fireside, ski lodge/cabin-esque atmosphere. Inviting bar, great wine list, fantastic service, valet parking. I recommend the Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Dover Sole and the Chilean Sea Bass. NOTE: "Alex" is THE best waiter EVER!!! He even remembered us and asked us where have we've been! "Don't worry, Alex we won't take so long to see you next time!!"
(5)
Kevin M.
The old sage says that you get what you pay for. Well, I sure paid at EJ's, but I'm still waiting for something worth the coin I laid out. About the worst service I've experienced; food along the lines of a Longhorn or Outback (gag); ambience like a Denny's. All in all a total waste of time and money.
(2)
Sherry R.
Eat here often and have never had a bad meal Aside from the huge steaks, I love their fish. Simple, fresh and always delicious. It is pricey but in Chicago, ALL steakhouses are over overpriced.
(4)
Fred Z.
I come here for business dinners about 3 times a year. Never disappointed! Reasonable prices and quality steaks. The veal chop is exceptional as is the GRILLED calamari (not breaded). Salad and potato side is included which is rare for a shop house in the Chicago area. Good wine list at moderate (dare I say "cheap") prices.
(4)
christopher m.
First, let me start off saying the service here is impeccable, our waiter was standing by ready to serve our every need, never did we have to wait for a thing. The food, however, was not so impressive. I had the T-bone steak and ordered a lobster tail to go with it. I ordered my steak rare, and it was cooked medium rare, not the end of the world but you figure they would cook a $42 steak the way the customer ordered it. My girlfriend ordered hers medium rare and my steak looked more cooked than her steak. Next was the lobster tail, which was very tough. I would guess that it was cooked way to long, and you would think the chef would pay a bit more attention when cooking a $95 lobster tail. I didn't even finish the whole tail as i got sick of chewing lobster flavored rubber. I would give the waiters here 5 stars but the food was very mediocre. Large portions but the quality was lacking.
(3)
Barry P.
Why would anyone except the most regular regulars eat here? Prices are in the sky, more than a great majority of Chicago restaurants, but they probably justify by saying we give huge portions, and they do, but so what. Who needs to eat like that anymore, but the kicker is the very indifferent service. Recognize me when i come in. We sat for a good ten minutes or more before even seeing our waiter, in his white outfit. Finally, after having another person summon him, he made his way over, took our wine order then disappeared again. Finally brought the wine and left. Finally came back to take our order. Giant skirt steak, and broiled salmon. Who broils anymore? No grill in a steak house? Big old veggies with the steak, at $35.50, and well done cottage fries for two of us. Decent wine, Hitching Post at $40. Had a gift card making that the only reason for going there and will not go back under any circumstances, even if offered a free meal.
(2)
Greg B.
just perfect !!!!!!!!!! i started with ice cold stiegel and cob salad - after this you dont care any steak just named its perfect . ! all stuff treat you like your fam. perfect to take close family for dinner . doggie bags are perfect ! recommended
(5)
kb j.
We've been to this restaurant many times and, on a weekend evening, went again for the first time in a few months. The setting is pleasant, the food is always plentiful and very good and the experienced staff (bartenders and waiters) provides efficient service. The crowd for the most part appeared to be in the 40-60 age bracket. On balance, the restaurant provides a comfortable dining experience. On Saturday evenings, this place is always packed at dinner as it was when we last attended. We had reservations, but many times, I think the restaurant views reservations as suggestions rather than a commitment and with reservations we waited about 20 minutes for our table (we've waited as long as 40+ minutes for a table on occasion even with reservations). The decor has a rustic feel to it. There is a large room that includes the bar area and a couple of side rooms as well. The main room includes (as noted) the bar area. We usually wait at the crowded bar for our table. Sometimes we stand at the bar as we did last night (other times we can find a chair at the bar) dodging servers and other customers. The restaurant is known as a steak place, but also has pasta dishes as well. However, the best thing on the menu is the chicken with peppers. This is a large portion that can be easily shared and includes chicken that is smothered in red, green and yellow peppers as well as hot banana peppers. It's very spicy and is highly recommended. Other things that are recommended include the cottage fries and shrimp cocktail. The shrimp cocktail features large firm shrimp and may the best shrimp cocktail in the Chicago area. The Caesar salad is always good. Our meals were accompanied by crisp delicious cottage fries (you always want more even if they give you an enormous serving). We also ordered sauteed broccoli (sauteed with garlic) which provided a nice accompanying side dish to the chicken. The portions are enormous and accordingly, I skipped desert. The wine list is not extensive (only about a page long) with lots of reds, but, for a steak place, its not as deep into reds as other steak places in the Chicago area.
Hmmm.. where do I start .. came here for Valentines dinner..place was packed and I said to myself, maybe this place has good food.. not until they served us with cold bread and frozen butter. .. and that's not all, menu was given , no recommendation from server , just gave us a laminated menu ...for the price of their food , I would think they can do a better presentation of the menu .. ordered steak and baked potato .. order came and they served us the fried potatoes .. ww called the attention of our waiter about the potato , he saud they ran out of baked .. we asked mashed and they ran out of it too.. ok.. they put these food on our table without even apologizing that they ran out of the ones we ordered .. we had to call their attention for that .. what amazed me is that , they would assume it's ok for us to eat those fried potatoes. .. nothing special with the steak.. with the price of it.. nahhh... wouldn't step foot on this place again ... I'll stick with capital grille and bavettes for the price I'm paying !
(1)
Michelle B.
Food was good (not great) but the service was horrible!! The waiter had issues and could not figure out how to give separate checks, meanwhile there was only 6 of us! He actually asked me 5 different times if I was sure I knew what I ordered!! Then after getting it correct, he complained about us in front of our table.. we had to wait 2 hours for the correct check.. we should have walked out. And where was the manager during this fiasco??? Never again, over priced for no service...
I should have know this was not going to be a good dining experience when I wasn't allowed to park my own car even though there were multiple open spots. The "complimentary valet" told me there were no spots and I could park across the street (which I did then had to cross busy Skokie Blvd). We had reservations and were seated promptly but it took a good 20 minutes after we sat to even get a menu. The food was bland and astronomically over priced for the quality. Service was so so but nothing to write home about. I had high hopes for EJs but it was a huge disappointment.
(1)
Mirela G.
Best martinis ever. Romeo is the friendliest and nicest bartender who can concoct all imaginable libations. Try grilled calamari or sausage and peppers. Alpine steak salad is great too. Sit at the bar.
(4)
Mc B.
Overpriced and terrible service. Five of us went to EJ's on a Monday night. The place was less than half full yet we waited over 40 minutes for our food -- 4 salads and an order of calamari. 40 minutes! I tried to ask our rude waiter (his name tag said Adam 12) when our food would be arriving and he wouldn't even answer me. Finally the salads came but not the calamari. We waited another ten minutes for that! The waiter offered us a free dessert to make up for the long wait but no one wanted a dessert. He tried to talk us into it but we insisted he take the calamari off the bill instead. He was arrogant and totally unapologetic about the situation. The final bill -- $225 for a few drinks and mediocre salads. I don't know how those place stays in business. I will not go back. Terrible dining experience.
(1)
Manny B.
EJ's is our go to place to meet our friends from the north burbs, located in between them and us. Good solid restaurant. The food is good for steaks, chicken, and seafood. I love the roasted chicken, or the skirt steak smothered in roasted green, red, and spicy peppers. The wine list is adequate, the bar selection of whisky and spirits is robust, they have some of my favorite bourbons and tequilas. Service is very good, the waitstaff is experienced and work hard. Good steakhouse with reasonable prices.
(3)
Ed S.
This is a classic old school dining experience done well. Sat at the bar and had a wonderful night. Fantastic service and tasty italian food. Wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, fire place cracking and the grandson of Gene & Georgetti's founder as the proprietor all work together to create something of a lost era of dining. I recommend you give it a try.
(4)
Tom D.
Took a friend here for her birthday. The server was slow to greet us or take our drink order, and we had to flag him down for the entree order. He forgot to bring my drink, and when he did it was wrong. We both ordered lobster tail, the most expensive item on the menu at 88.00. Unfortunately it was a bit overcooked and dry.
(3)
Breezy Q.
Epic fail. (1) The ambiance was awful -- like someone's musty old basement after some old Christmas decorations had thrown up all over it . (2) The food was pretty gross -- tasteless, over-salted, and served lukewarm. (3) The prices were OUTRAGEOUS (think $30 for ordinary plates of pasta -- in Skokie). While the portions were pretty generous, none of it seemed particularly fresh or tasty; for instance, in the spaghetti and ravioli dishes, both the noodles and the sauce seemed to come from cans/bottles. So... totally not worth it. All in all, it was an overpriced and unpleasant dinner experience. A friend recommended this place, which is how we ended up here, but honestly, I don't know how she or anyone could give this place a good review.
(1)
Hunter R.
One of the best restaurants on the North Shore. Very cool, dimly lit interior. Almost like a log cabin/hunting lodge. Great wine selection and good prices. There's not many places where you can get a good bottle of Brunello for $85. The house and garbage salads are perfect. Some of the best calamari I've ever had. Good steaks. Make sure to get the thick slab of bacon as a side. BUT, the best dish on the menu is.......the CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS! Just get it. You'll have enough to take home for lunch the next day.
(5)
Tony C.
EJ's Place is an anachronism and it's almost curious to see that places like this are still in business with the advances in food quality, service and presentation. This place is obviously an institution here in the skokie suburbs since there can't be any tourist business to speak of. The atmosphere is rustic midwest with a loud and raucous dining area. It's actually difficult to hear your tablemates with people seated so close to you bellowing out their conversations as if at a Foghorn Leghorn convention. Service is professional if a bit brusque and robotic. My chair was bumped so many times over the evening by waiters that I left with a mild case of PTSD. As for the food itselt, it's fine if unremarkable. I get it that this place is a throwback to the 1950's and if that's the atmosphere desired, great. However, I prefer places with some charm to the atmosphere. The only thing not from the 1950's are the prices. Yikes! they are astronomical for the quality of food offered.
(2)
Mary G.
EJs Place never disappoints. Sure, it's pricey, but worth it. That's why we save it for special occasions. Johnny is our favorite waiter. The service attentive, generous and delicious portions, and you feel very special every minute you are there. The Prime steaks are mouth watering and the shrimp cocktail is an oxymoron. They are colossal, meaty and chilled perfectly and enough to share. I love the old-school doggie bags as another reviewer mentioned, it's classy. No reason to fix what ain't broke. Looking forward to another visit to EJs. Keep up the excellent work! I tell everyone about EJs Place!
(5)
Mary T.
OK, it's a Friday night after a very hard week at work. The hubby and I are just looking for a decent place for drinks and food. We want to find something close to the Edens expressway where we can relax, have a cocktail and a decent meal. I've passed by this place for years and thought why not give it a try? I wish we hadn't. 1. Prices are insane. I mean insane. Wine list was limited and very pricey. Pasta dishes roll in at 24.00 to start. Grilled or fried calamari is 17.00 as an appetizer, strip steak is 44.00. Come on, this is Skokie and the joint is decked out like a resort place from the 60's. This is not downtown. 2. Waitstaff is rude and can hardly be bothered to talk to you. That actually goes for everyone who works there. As I pulled in, the valet screamed at me to stop. I did and told him I didn't need valet. He informed quite rudely that it was required due to high volume. No sign indicating anything about valet service, just a young guy screaming at me....nice, very nice. I knew at that point I should have just left. 3. If you don't know these owners then just forget about it. You are nothing to them. I watched the owner EJ schmooze his regulars and give the bare minimum to new people. I realized as the treatment continued all evening long that THAT was what EJ's was all about. If you are in the in crowd it's fab, but if not then who cares? This is one of those places that could be a case study on poor management. Watch the guy in charge and how he treats others. The rest of his team follows his lead. I left that behavior far behind when I graduated from high school. Too bad EJ's didn't. We will never go back. To be fair, our dinner Chicken Vesuvio, was good and it was plentiful but it just didn't make up for how unwelcoming everyone was in this place.
(1)
Jessica N.
Food was decent but definitely not worth the insane price. Service was also slow since nearly every worker there was like 60 years old! The only thing that was bothersome about the food was the butter. Not sure why such an expensive place would serve cold butter. How do you spread cold butter on bread? Also, parking was horrendous. All valet and no regular parking at all? Wow that's a first! So we were pretty much forced to valet the car and tip the guy. 3 thumb down!!! Never going back.
(2)
mimi r.
Seated one hour and 45 minutes late! Yelp took down my previous review because they said it wasn't a true update. It wasn't 45 minutes after my reservation-- it was one hour and 45 minutes after my reservation. Just know that if you make a reservation here, you may not be seated anywhere near that time.
(1)
Dean H.
My "Go To" place for client dinners and special events with my Skokie-based business. Atmosphere is similar to that seen at old school steakhouses such as Chicago Chop House, Ben & Jacks (my fav in NYC!) and Smith and Wollensky. Steaks are exceptional as is the service. Wine list is good with affordable pricing. The grilled calamari appetizer is simply outstanding. My clients are always pleased with the meals we have there and not uncommon for them to ask that we eat at EJ's again during return visits.
(5)
Angela S.
My husband and I recently moved to the area, and while I've had family in the area for decades (driven by this place a thousand times) we have been super excited about trying local restaurants. We realize it says 'Fine dining' but we love a nice dinner and aren't afraid to spend $ if it's worth a great meal. Let me set the mood... It's Friday night, exhausting work week over, been running errands but purposely threw on a nice outfit because a nice dinner would be the perfect end to the night! At 8:45 pm we walk drive by EJs and I say, hey! Let's go there! I've always wanted to try it! We head in and while it takes 5 mins for a waiter to come by, we have to ask for a drink menu (no I can't read your mind) and settle on an expensive glass of wine (weak pour) and a beer. Still haven't seen the menu yet. Ten minutes later we get the menu. While we weren't aware it was a steakhouse before we entered, it apparently is, and there is not much on the menu to order other than a 40-55 steak. I am somewhat disappointed that there aren't a little better options for meals, and regretfully settle on a mostaccioli pasta for 24 and my husband orders chopped steak and peppers for 29. HUGE FAIL. I receive the most disgusting ground beef and red sauce thrown over penne pasta ever and my husband receives a humongous dish of MEATLOAF. Seriously, we just paid all that for cafeteria pasta and meatloaf ?! The only positive of the experience was our laugh when our dishes were placed in front of us. The waiter who cared less about us stopped over after we had taken two bites and when I said its uhh... Okay.... I'm done... He rolled his eyes and took it away. When I didn't touch my meal and didn't want a box, he should have gotten a clue. He knew we were very unhappy and made no attempt to right it. My biggest frustration with a restaurant like this is that we love supporting local and trying unique places, but, what a disappointment all around. McCormick and Schmitts is two blocks away and had seemed unnecessary in a town with so many options. Maybe we will revert back to places like that for consistency. Ejs needs to step it up and not serve garbage.
(1)
L H.
I loved the ambiance of this place - Wisconsin supper club. The service wasn't very good though, and the price was insanely high for the quality. They said we could be seated right away, then made us wait 40 minutes. The cheapest steak dinner was in the high 40s/50s and it would have cost $8 for my friend to substitute a Caesar salad for the included one. Seriously, at that price, you can't let someone have romaine? The filet looked good, but was tasteless; I don't even know how such a nice cut for that price could have so little flavor. The home/cottage fries were awesome!
(1)
Carolyn G.
I attended a team dinner that was hosted at EJ's Place because they are sponsors of our cycling team. This was my first time at the restaurant, and I was amazed at how great everything was! The food was amazing (well spiced, perfectly flavored) and the service was outstanding. My water glass was never empty, and we had more food than we could possibly eat. Thanks, EJ, for such a great dinner!
(5)
Anthony C.
Sorry EJs but after our last visit you've lost us. We avoided the place for a couple of years because the beer on tap has been old and undrinkable. However, it was our anniversary so we decided to give it another try. While the food is still good and the portions are generous, the beer was even worse which leads me to believe that nobody here drinks beer and the kegs sit for months. I had to send two different kinds back and ended up drinking bottled beer. Our server was also a real wet noodle - just going through the motions and totally unattentive, which was very dissappointing considering the prices of the food and the tip he stands to gain from good service. You feel like an outsider if you're not part of the regulars club - which is what this place seems to be. However, considering the age demographic of most of the patrons I don't think this place will be open in ten years. Most of them will be in nursing homes and the owner is doing nothing to attract a new generation of customers. Being an avid cyclist I have always tried to patronize EJs because they have sponsored cycling in the area for years. But this visit was our last.
(1)
Michael A.
Let me preface this by saying I'm a former server/waiter. First time going here and was looking forward to it. Went with my wife and two kids (6 and 8). The atmosphere was what I would call upscale casual. The host was very nice and gave us a great table...then the waiter arrived. I can't say for certain but it seemed he was immediately put off when no alcohol was ordered and was asked about "kids meals". The drinks (water, iced tea, and juices) came quickly enough and then we waited much longer than usual to place our order. Keep in mind the server (S. Alex from the receipt) never once smiled or made us feel welcomed. Once the food arrived my wife had questions about her order. This is when S. Alex literally waved off her question with his hand said "eh!" and seemingly walked away in disgust. In my opinion the food was good although, a bit overpriced. Bottom line, I might go back, but I would ask for a different server if placed in S. Alex's section. Maybe he was having a bad day, but you don't bring that to the table.
(2)
Stevie J.
I've been coming to EJ's since they opened. Same terrific staff who remembers me from when I was a child, same magnificent quality and portions. I love EJ's!
(5)
Tim G.
Hmm...the fact that it's located next to a funeral home is not just a coincidence because once its clientele "moves on" the place will cease to exist. If they'd spend as much money on the food and its preparation as they do with the number of staff who work there, then there might be a fighting chance for this neighborhood institution could survive, unlike those who are patrons next door. The food was bland, over-priced and the potatoes were instant, not to mention the chewy cottage-fried potatoes. Great for entertaining your grandparents, not so great for a nice dinner with your mate! This, by far, was one of our worst experiences in Chicago, let alone a suburb of it. Better off eating at a chance if you are in Skokie.
(1)
Diane S.
I don't believe there is a restaurant I enjoy more than EJ's. I get a kiss from Tony, my favorite waiter, and the meal kicks into gear from there: the grilled calimari, first and foremost, is not to be missed. I then proceed to the salad, and never fail to order it with the bleu cheese dressing, which is thick and extremely flavorful. This is where it gets hard: the no-miss Chicken Vesuvio, or do I try something else? I usually default to the chicken because it is always ALWAYS spectacular, and I get to enjoy it for at least two more meals at home because it is served on a plate about the size of a snow saucer. The sides are all fantastic, but I especially like the thin-sliced home fries and creamed spinach. I am not much of a dessert person, but always make an exception for EJ's. I think my last of many prior favorites was the cheesecake, but will confess that by that time in the meal, I am nearly in a food coma, so I cannot say for sure....
(5)
George S.
After years of driving by this place, I finally gave it a shot, and boy was I glad I did! This was a classic Chicago Style Chop House Experience! Outstanding Table Service, with those classic straight forward five star waiters that we all love so much. You ask, "What's good?" and They ask, "What Do You Like?". I love it! This isn't a high turn over type joint where they're going to rush you in and rush you out, and that may be a little hard for some people to grasp, especially if your dining outside of your regular dinner hour. Don't Come to this place Starving, the fantastic aromas will drive you crazy while you wait. Trust me, make a reservation. This place is a special night out, come and celebrate a milestone, host your in-laws to the best, type of restaurant. The Steaks Are Amazing! So flavorful and Juicy that my mouth is watering just thinking of it. I mean it's a 12 step program just waiting to happen! The owner or at least the Guy in charge is a real restaurateur who knows his stuff, trust me I can tell. My wife had an issue with her veal, and the waiter and the host Eugene were on it like white on rice! I love that. They knew what I was paying for and they were gonna make sure we left satisfied. I can honestly say I will be taking my wife here again, and again, and again, well you get the pic! Are we Good? Good... Now, Go EAT! Cheers!
(5)
L. F.
Expected so much more from this place especially for the price and packed parking lot. Dined here on a Friday night with reservation, had to wait 15 or so minutes so my husband and I sat at the bar but it took forever to get a drink and there were even two bartenders and no more than four other customers seated there. They tried seating us in their back room by ourselves. Actually every group that arrived after us was taken to the back room and all refused to sit there. Place is old school in every way and food is average at best. Go elsewhere, don't waste your money.
(2)
Marnie B.
Was not expecting such great food and service. Fun place, great wine and desert. Loved the overall feel.
(5)
S K.
After hearing of this place and driving by for years, we decided to finally check it out. I had always heard that this place had a loyal following much like L. Woods in Lincolnwood and Myron & Phil's on Devon. Those places I understand, EJ's I do not. It must just be family tradition or nostalgia that bring them back to EJ's because it is not the steaks. The prices are right up there with Joe's Prime Steak and Seafood and Gibson's. I mean come on - $25 for chicken vesuvio and $95 for lobster tail in Skokie. I had the bone-in ribeye medium rare ($44) and it was a very large piece of meat. Unfortunately, it was very tough and was so chargrilled on the outside that the table shook when I cut it. My husband had the sirloin al forno special and the meat was tasteless. The onions were undercooked and it really was a disappointment. The bread, salad and blue cheese dressing and the service were the only things good about our experience. If you are going to charge downtown steakhouse prices, you should at least deliver a good quality steak. Service was top-notch and that is the only reason for the two stars.
(2)
kim b.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars Good neighborhood steak place and great service. If you're in the suburbs/Old Orchard shopping and want to get a nice bite to eat, but not fast food...this is a nice spot. We've always had fantastic service. Lots of choices even if you don't want steak. Rarely have to make a reservation.
(3)
Steve F.
First time customer, VERY happy with EJ's. We ordered the sea bass, the food was fantastic, very tasty, fish melted in your mouth. The place reminds me of an upper Wisconsin supper club which is fun and different. The bread that comes out at the beginning of the meal was great, the salad with blue cheese dressing was amazing. We had the side broccoli also good. The service was top quality, very attentive. The wine by the glass also was tasty, Malbec, very nice. Overall, great place, the only downside is it is a bit on the pricier side, not for every Friday night (at least for us).
(5)
C P.
Cool atmosphere and attentive service (although several of the waiters are difficult to understand with their accents). Very pricey for a lodge atmosphere. I asked where they got their steaks and it was confusing, they brought over other waiters to help answer. They kept saying, "the steaks are the best, very good". I asked if the beef was corn fed or grass fed. Then they brought over the manager who was surrounded by a gaggle of waiters, he says in a loud voice: "What seems to be the problem?". Suddenly I'm the bad guy. He tells me the steaks are from Stock Yard Steaks. I ask if they are grass fed and he says yes. So then he and his posse leave the table and I order a filet. It was huge (nice) but dry. When I got home I looked up Stock Yard steaks and find that all their steaks are corn fed. (Watch the movie Food Inc. and see why it matters) The steamed spinach was only ok, two of my guests wouldn't eat it. For dessert we shared a fruit tart. It was so cold you could barely cut the crust. For the money, I won't return, you can get better food, value and attitude elsewhere.
(2)
Melinda B.
If zero were a rating that is what I would give. The only one who liked the steak was my dog. This place was highly recommended, by neighbors, it was a disappointment for sure. Packed parking lot started us off thinking we were in for a good meal. They must have a discount through AARP. There were no children and for that matter, we in our 40's were probably the youngest there. Our meal was awful. My husband ordered a filet ($45), my son ordered a strip steak ($45) and I had the chilean sea bass ($40). The filet was enormous but tasted like liver; it isn't possible to properly cook a steak that is so big. My son, who can put away a lot of steak filled up on the cottage fries that tasted like bacon grease (best part of the meal). I feel bad for the sea bass who gave his life to be served up so dry and crispy. In order to swallow, I had to take it down with a glass of water. More importantly, no one cared! I hope as I get older my taste buds or expectations don't go so much that EJs becomes good. Don't waste your money, go to Gibsons, Capital Grill, Ruth's Chris.
(1)
Deborah G.
We were here for my husband's work holiday party. The food was excellent and the staff was very attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was nice. We were served salmon and chicken along with asparagus and potatoes. The food was excellent . My favorite was the salmon. Later a dessert assortment was served and each item was better than the next. Everything was delicious and I would definitely return on our next visit to Illinois to try some of the other menu items.
(5)
Leslie K.
I never before took the time to write a restaurant review either positive or negative. But in this economy, I felt compelled to share my experience so others will not waste their hard earned money at EJ's. This is BY FAR the worst meal I ever had in a high end restaurant. The steak was tough, whitefish was fishy tasting, salmon over cooked, calamari greasy and limp. The iceberg lettuce ( ICEBURG LETTUCE??!) didn't even have a slice of tomato. The service was horrendous. The best part of the meal was the key lime pie. For almost $50 per person - there are 10 other high end restaurants that I would rather go to. WIldfire, Ruth Chris and Mortons to name a few. Don't waste your money. You will get a better meal across the street at McCormick and Schmidts or Cheescake Factory!
(1)
Katie G.
Oh EJ's Place, my first "real" steakhouse experience! Once I figured out that you have to order sides at real steakhouses, I have slowly started to relax and truly enjoy the experience of eating here. (The first time I came, I ordered a big ol' hunk o' meat ... and that's exactly what I got: a big ol' hunk o' meat, on a plate, nothing else.) Now I know better and usually order some delicious steamed broccoli (or more recently, because it's coming into season: grilled zucchini!) to go with my "small filet" (which is definitely 2+ meals ...) ... or sometimes sit next to my father-in-law to snatch a handful of his cottage fries! Pastas here are also very satisfying and taste just as good heated up the next day. Service is friendly and attentive and atmosphere is cozy and nice! Portions are incredibly generous. Whatever you order and regardless of how delicious it is and how hungry you are ... you will almost certainly be taking home a size-able part of your meal to eat for lunch or dinner the next day. Best part: the doggie bags are these old school paper bags with cute little poodles printed on them. So great!
(4)
Bernie M.
I went to EJ's last night to play music for a birthday party in their backroom. The staff was terrific and could not have been more accommodating. The owner EJ went out of his way to make me feel very welcome in his restaurant. I sat at the bar while I was waiting to perform and EJ brought me an appetizer with two of the most delicious huge gulf shrimp. Okay I get the oxymoron" huge shrimp" but I can tell you they were just out of this world, really fresh and flavorful. I've been to EJ's several times in past with my family and always had a great experience from the food to the service and really like the warming Wisconsin atmosphere without the hour and a half drive. My wife and I actually enjoy the non-pretentious atmosphere at EJ's and order our steaks medium rare to medium out of respect for the excellent cut of meat they serve there. So to sum it up go to EJ's relax and enjoy the food atmosphere and the service and will definitely recommend it to friends and family. Thanks again EJ you have a great place and you're a class act. Cheers!
(5)
Deborah E.
Cat sitting for 12 days in your non-cat home for your good friend Lauren = zero dollars Clean out litter box (whilst gagging) for said Persian cat twice per day for 12 days = zero dollars Administer liquid Pepcid via syringe for said Persian cat every morning due to cat's Irritable Bowel Syndrome = zero dollars Administer liquid Prednisone via syringe for said Persian cat every other day = zero dollars Feed cat some dry food (non-gag inducing) every day = zero dollars Feed cat 1 tsp of GAG INDUCING wet food twice per day = zero dollars Put up with massive amounts of long haired Persian cat hair on clothes and furniture for 12 days = zero dollars Being take to EJ's for steak as a reward for our cat sitting adventure = PRICELESS My friend has been bugging me to go to EJ's for ages. And what a dumbass I am for not going sooner. We had a fabulous dinner last night - here are the highlights: 1. Huge unlimited amounts of assorted breads and breadsticks 2. FABULOUS bone-in Ribeye steak - I bet this puppy weighed over 20 ozs! So huge in fact that I have another complete leftover meal for tonight. YUM! 3. Creamy garlic mashed potatoes with just the right amount of garlic so I am not burping them up today, thank you. 4. Homer's Spumoni ice cream - orgasmic............. 5. Attentive friendly service 6. FREE valet parking 7. Very cozy ski lodge-like ambiance Other items highly recommended by other members of our party: Minestrone soup Fresh Lake Superior Whitefish Chicken Vesuvio FYI - EJ's also has a number of veal, seafood and pasta dishes, and they have a variety of side dishes which sound great including "Broiled Slab Bacon" - which greatly piqued our interest being the PIG eaters, that we are - next time perhaps. Lauren, drop off Ruddi the cat whenever you want - when are you going away again? We will cat sit ANY TIME you want! Seriously. Can't WAIT to go back to EJ's!
(4)
kim s.
Great classic Italian steakhouse, service was perfect considering it was a very busy Saturday night. I have read some of the negative reviews and I find it very hard to believe them, we dine here 3-4 times a year and have never had a bad meal or bad service. Yes, it's not cheap but keep in mind everything is huge and you can share most meals !
(5)
Joe Y.
all i can say about this place is if you like to eat a shoe order there steak!!!!!!!! horrible. i would not recommend this place to anyone!!!!!!!!
(1)
Liz M.
"WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN HERE IN AWHILE?!?" My husband and I are still asking ourselves that question. Maybe it's because we've been trying new places... or maybe it's because the last time we went here ... we were attempting to play "cupid" and "trying to fix up" two of our friends... well, that didn't work...soooo...that being said we went back on this past Valentine's Day. YUMMMMIEEEE...so glad did!!! We starting with delicious Lobster Bisque...mmmmm. My husband had his favorite Prime Rib. Folks...I am not exaggerating, it covered the WHOLE entire plate with very little fat! I had the most delicate, flavorful, buttery Dover Sole served with Almond Butter, filleted table-side. We finished with chocolate dipped strawberries and creamy vanilla ice-cream. I think it was a V-Day special dessert, but on previous occasions we've had their Creme Brulee and Cheesecake desserts....oh just unbutton my pants now!! This place has a great, cozy, fireside, ski lodge/cabin-esque atmosphere. Inviting bar, great wine list, fantastic service, valet parking. I recommend the Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Dover Sole and the Chilean Sea Bass. NOTE: "Alex" is THE best waiter EVER!!! He even remembered us and asked us where have we've been! "Don't worry, Alex we won't take so long to see you next time!!"
(5)
Kevin M.
The old sage says that you get what you pay for. Well, I sure paid at EJ's, but I'm still waiting for something worth the coin I laid out. About the worst service I've experienced; food along the lines of a Longhorn or Outback (gag); ambience like a Denny's. All in all a total waste of time and money.
(2)
Sherry R.
Eat here often and have never had a bad meal Aside from the huge steaks, I love their fish. Simple, fresh and always delicious. It is pricey but in Chicago, ALL steakhouses are over overpriced.
(4)
Fred Z.
I come here for business dinners about 3 times a year. Never disappointed! Reasonable prices and quality steaks. The veal chop is exceptional as is the GRILLED calamari (not breaded). Salad and potato side is included which is rare for a shop house in the Chicago area. Good wine list at moderate (dare I say "cheap") prices.
(4)
christopher m.
First, let me start off saying the service here is impeccable, our waiter was standing by ready to serve our every need, never did we have to wait for a thing. The food, however, was not so impressive. I had the T-bone steak and ordered a lobster tail to go with it. I ordered my steak rare, and it was cooked medium rare, not the end of the world but you figure they would cook a $42 steak the way the customer ordered it. My girlfriend ordered hers medium rare and my steak looked more cooked than her steak. Next was the lobster tail, which was very tough. I would guess that it was cooked way to long, and you would think the chef would pay a bit more attention when cooking a $95 lobster tail. I didn't even finish the whole tail as i got sick of chewing lobster flavored rubber. I would give the waiters here 5 stars but the food was very mediocre. Large portions but the quality was lacking.
(3)
Barry P.
Why would anyone except the most regular regulars eat here? Prices are in the sky, more than a great majority of Chicago restaurants, but they probably justify by saying we give huge portions, and they do, but so what. Who needs to eat like that anymore, but the kicker is the very indifferent service. Recognize me when i come in. We sat for a good ten minutes or more before even seeing our waiter, in his white outfit. Finally, after having another person summon him, he made his way over, took our wine order then disappeared again. Finally brought the wine and left. Finally came back to take our order. Giant skirt steak, and broiled salmon. Who broils anymore? No grill in a steak house? Big old veggies with the steak, at $35.50, and well done cottage fries for two of us. Decent wine, Hitching Post at $40. Had a gift card making that the only reason for going there and will not go back under any circumstances, even if offered a free meal.
(2)
Greg B.
just perfect !!!!!!!!!! i started with ice cold stiegel and cob salad - after this you dont care any steak just named its perfect . ! all stuff treat you like your fam. perfect to take close family for dinner . doggie bags are perfect ! recommended
(5)
kb j.
We've been to this restaurant many times and, on a weekend evening, went again for the first time in a few months. The setting is pleasant, the food is always plentiful and very good and the experienced staff (bartenders and waiters) provides efficient service. The crowd for the most part appeared to be in the 40-60 age bracket. On balance, the restaurant provides a comfortable dining experience. On Saturday evenings, this place is always packed at dinner as it was when we last attended. We had reservations, but many times, I think the restaurant views reservations as suggestions rather than a commitment and with reservations we waited about 20 minutes for our table (we've waited as long as 40+ minutes for a table on occasion even with reservations). The decor has a rustic feel to it. There is a large room that includes the bar area and a couple of side rooms as well. The main room includes (as noted) the bar area. We usually wait at the crowded bar for our table. Sometimes we stand at the bar as we did last night (other times we can find a chair at the bar) dodging servers and other customers. The restaurant is known as a steak place, but also has pasta dishes as well. However, the best thing on the menu is the chicken with peppers. This is a large portion that can be easily shared and includes chicken that is smothered in red, green and yellow peppers as well as hot banana peppers. It's very spicy and is highly recommended. Other things that are recommended include the cottage fries and shrimp cocktail. The shrimp cocktail features large firm shrimp and may the best shrimp cocktail in the Chicago area. The Caesar salad is always good. Our meals were accompanied by crisp delicious cottage fries (you always want more even if they give you an enormous serving). We also ordered sauteed broccoli (sauteed with garlic) which provided a nice accompanying side dish to the chicken. The portions are enormous and accordingly, I skipped desert. The wine list is not extensive (only about a page long) with lots of reds, but, for a steak place, its not as deep into reds as other steak places in the Chicago area.
Boring, expen$ive, and in desperate need of updating (lest I say, cleaning) have been my experiences at EJ's. There's nothing special here, except the downtown prices for the food, that is served with no frills or care. The salad is a couple of handfuls of iceberg lettuce with one translucent slice of tomato, and dressing poured on top; no cucumbers, croutons, or even ground pepper (which wasn't offered) to make it visually appealing. Who wants a pound of whitefish for $28, with no seasoning (except paprika), on a plate, and a medium-sized, scrubbed baked potato? Not even a sprig of parsley to add some color! Or a plateful of plain (again, little seasoning except capers), beige veal limone for $32, again with a plain baked potato? BTW, did I mention that side dishes, like vegetables, are extra? Entree salads are costly ($17.95), so if you want an alternative to steak-chicken-fish, your choice is...no choice--not even a burger appears on the worn menu. Looking at the food at neighboring tables, I saw equally unappealing entrees and heard a few comments about the diners' disappointment. There's valet parking--big deal--the parking lot is so small that your great-grandmother could make it to the front door from the car in a snowstorm. And pushy waiters, who are not there so much to serve you as to get you out the door so they can turn over the table; ours ignored our request for salad dressing on the side and forgot the ground pepper, but he kept asking us whether we had finished and then started hovering over us after dinner. The bottom line: instead of looking at a TV, as is visible in main the dining room instead of the bar area, go to McCormick & Schmick's in Old Orchard or Pete Miller's in Evanston for really good food and ambiance.
(2)
Jaime h.
the worst experience ever! sat down, was not given a menu. we asked to see a beer menu.. he mumbled a few selections. we asked to see a wine menu.. recieved our drinks and sat, and sat and sat. 29 min later (i had checked into 4square when i sat down so i knew the exact time) we watched as at least 1/2 a dozen waiters walked around.. finally our waiter came over and asked "are you ready to order or do you need more time".. i couldnt help it.. i broke out in laughter.. he walked away. we asked for a manager, who appologized and said he would give us a new waiter. we asked for the check for our two drinks. Instead of comp'ing the drinks and urging us to give them another try, they brought over the check (and shorted us a dollar in the change) when we were leaving the manager again asked us what happened.. he then told us that there was no way we were waiting 1/2 hr because i hadnt finished my wine.. really?!? he wanted to argue with us.. now i know why everyone looked so old.. they probably just aged at their tables..
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Samantha S.
WOW. What a disappointment! Did the old lady die or did she just have a profoundly bad night. We have coming here for years as a special occasion place. When you spend 10 bucks for a bowl of spinach you expect it to be great every time even if it a busy night. Last night was valentines days so our usual 7 pm reservation was pushed to 8:30. We were finally seated at 9:15. The waiter was mediocre which is not their usual MO. Appetizers arrived 30 minutes after being ordered and salad 15 minutes later. The lamb chop was tough--it's my favorite and the reason we came to begin with. My potato never arrived. When spending north of a hundred dollars a person for dinner we expect things to be great. They were well below average. My boyfriend nicely mentioned to the waiter who was absent most of the night that the lamb was tough and overcooked. 20 minutes later he came back and offered us dessert. Hardly a resolution when only one of the two chops had been consumed. So it was a bummer of a night. We won't be back as we have better ways to spend our money and our date night!
(1)tammy m.
Food was good but it was ruined by horrible service!!! Waiter goofed everything up took over 45 min to get our food. Told manager not much was done. To expensive for it not to be excellent..... So sad when a bad waiter could ruin it!!!!
(2)Paul K.
I had the NY steak which was slightly overcooked. I didn't send it back because I didn't want the brain damage. We also had a chicken dish with vegetables & the chicken was way over cooked and a shrimp a la Leslie. The shrimp dish was the best we are there but a bit pricey at $43. However they give large portions and all the entrées include a soup or salad & a potato. For me, this place is a less well executed version of Wild Fire.
(3)Andrew B.
Very, very disappointing. Have been to EJ's many times before and enjoyed it. Decided to go this year for Valentine's day. WHAT A MISTAKE. EJ's totally overbooked...obviously hoping to capitalize on the holiday. "Could not find" our reservation, though it was made a week before. After waiting for 30 minutes (past our reservation...with several other couples from our time slot and SEVERAL from an earlier time slot), we inquired again about our table. "Two minutes." As we had heard that many times before, I said that I wanted an honest estimate as we were thinking of leaving. "10 to 15 minutes." As there were several folks still waiting from an earlier time slot, we had no confidence with the revised estimate. So we left. As we were walking out they asked "what was your name again?" My wife said, "it doesn't matter; we won't be back." They didn't seem to care. I guess they get enough one-time-diners, many of which only come on holidays, that they can afford to lose clients. As she said, "we won't be back." Would have given zero stars if Yelp had allowed.
(1)Benjamin K.
They served me a burned NY steak for $50.00. Not worth it. Never coming back to EJ's Place.
(1)Barry P.
Why would anyone except the most regular regulars eat here? Prices are in the sky, more than a great majority of Chicago restaurants, but they probably justify by saying we give huge portions, and they do, but so what. Who needs to eat like that anymore, but the kicker is the very indifferent service. Recognize me when i come in. We sat for a good ten minutes or more before even seeing our waiter, in his white outfit. Finally, after having another person summon him, he made his way over, took our wine order then disappeared again. Finally brought the wine and left. Finally came back to take our order. Giant skirt steak, and broiled salmon. Who broils anymore? No grill in a steak house? Big old veggies with the steak, at $35.50, and well done cottage fries for two of us. Decent wine, Hitching Post at $40. Had a gift card making that the only reason for going there and will not go back under any circumstances, even if offered a free meal.
(2)Greg B.
just perfect !!!!!!!!!! i started with ice cold stiegel and cob salad - after this you dont care any steak just named its perfect . ! all stuff treat you like your fam. perfect to take close family for dinner . doggie bags are perfect ! recommended
(5)kb j.
We've been to this restaurant many times and, on a weekend evening, went again for the first time in a few months. The setting is pleasant, the food is always plentiful and very good and the experienced staff (bartenders and waiters) provides efficient service. The crowd for the most part appeared to be in the 40-60 age bracket. On balance, the restaurant provides a comfortable dining experience. On Saturday evenings, this place is always packed at dinner as it was when we last attended. We had reservations, but many times, I think the restaurant views reservations as suggestions rather than a commitment and with reservations we waited about 20 minutes for our table (we've waited as long as 40+ minutes for a table on occasion even with reservations). The decor has a rustic feel to it. There is a large room that includes the bar area and a couple of side rooms as well. The main room includes (as noted) the bar area. We usually wait at the crowded bar for our table. Sometimes we stand at the bar as we did last night (other times we can find a chair at the bar) dodging servers and other customers. The restaurant is known as a steak place, but also has pasta dishes as well. However, the best thing on the menu is the chicken with peppers. This is a large portion that can be easily shared and includes chicken that is smothered in red, green and yellow peppers as well as hot banana peppers. It's very spicy and is highly recommended. Other things that are recommended include the cottage fries and shrimp cocktail. The shrimp cocktail features large firm shrimp and may the best shrimp cocktail in the Chicago area. The Caesar salad is always good. Our meals were accompanied by crisp delicious cottage fries (you always want more even if they give you an enormous serving). We also ordered sauteed broccoli (sauteed with garlic) which provided a nice accompanying side dish to the chicken. The portions are enormous and accordingly, I skipped desert. The wine list is not extensive (only about a page long) with lots of reds, but, for a steak place, its not as deep into reds as other steak places in the Chicago area.
(4)Hunter R.
Fantastic spot. Dimly lit. Awesome food. Great wine list. Garbage salad. Garlic mashed potatoes. Calamari. Oysters. Prime steaks. Dover sole. Coconut ice cream.
(5)Christina N.
EJs is one of my family's favorite places to go for special family dinners. The food is typically very good and it's a little expensive but worth it. The sausage and pepper appetizer is a favorite amongst the family, I also recall a very amazing key lime pie if you're looking for dessert suggestions!
(4)Cathy S.
This place is very clean and has excellent service! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good steak and comfortable atmosphere!
(5)Padma A.
My company booked a private party room for an official dinner today. Easily valet parked, we were seated, the appetizers came bang on time. The order included crab cakes,fried calamari and grilled calamari all of which were excellent. Then came the humungous salad plates, the main course was grilled slamon chicken with garlic potatoes, pasta, baked potato, mushroom in wine sauce and side of home made chips. Overall good experience and waitstaff was very polite!
(4)Bob W.
NOPE ! NOPE ! Alleged Prime steak isn' supposed to be tough and chewy ,is it ? Waiter inattentive to our TablePricey for quality and atmosphere Forced valet parking Nice bread basket.
(1)Eve V.
Food is always good here. Always ask for Johny he is the best! The restaurant offers a variety of foods from pasta to chicken, steaks and seafood. They have the chicken vesuvio that is really yummy (you can order it boneless). They have this crunchy cottage fries that so good and it comes with your entree if you want it or not. Their skirt steak is really good too so don't miss out on that one. Over all they offer good food and great service but it gets loud though. But who cares as long as you're enjoying your food that is all matters most.
(4)john k.
If you like oysters start with a dozen fresh, as good as any seafood place around. Ironically two of their best entree's are fish as well (Dover sole and Chilean sea bass) However the steak is phenomenal. Suggest the bone in ribeye medium rare with a char (Pittsburgh style). Sitting at the bar provides dinner and a "show". Be sure to ask for George Enjoy!
(5)Vince C.
I have driven by here a million times and read the reviews and knew it was expensive so I was apprehensive about trying it. I finally went and we loved loved loved it. The atmosphere is great and the waiters are totally classic. It is expensive but not anything unusual for good steaks and service. My wife had the veal chop and although I really liked my NY strip the veal was like butter. My advice is if you are not in the mood to spend money then skip it but if you want a good bottle of Cabernet and some carnivorous delights in an old school clubby atmosphere with some beautiful characters for waiters this is the place.
(5)John N.
Ate here last Thursday and it was wonderful. I love coming here. My wife and I and our baby girl flew into town and had a nice meal with friends and family. And we got to see EJ, a wonderful friend. Can't wait to eat here again!!!!
(5)Pete M.
Ate here on 9/5/15. Will definatley go again. Shrimp Cocktail very fresh. Crab cakes-delicious. Bone in Sirloin cooked medium rare and the meat tasted as good as anything I;ve had at Morton's or Ruth;s Chris No loud annoying music so , it's possible to have a nice conversation with your guest without screaming. Nice place. Excellent Service . Wife had Breaded shrimp which were huge in a flavorful batter. Salads were crisp- not drowned in dressing The cottage fries were just OK- kind of potato chippy. I liked it a lot.
(4)Edgar R.
I had a fantastic dinner here this week with a colleague from work and an international guest. With respect to the concerns expressed by some of the other reviewers, I didn't experience any of that. First, we arrived early, around 5:30 and there was plenty of parking available around the back. Nobody forced us to use the valet service, which incidentally is complementary (except for tip). When you walk in, the place has the ambiance of a supper club of perhaps 50 years ago. It has a very rustic feel. You would almost imagine that Al Capone could walk through the door with a couple buddies and take a table over in the corner away from the bright lights. Yes there are a few television screens up on the wall, but they are not huge and they didn't make any noise. They didn't bother us at all. The bartender was very attentive while I and my friends had a few drinks before dinner. When we were ready, we were ushered to a cozy table on the side. Our main server was Jose, and he did an outstanding job. Every few minutes somebody would come by and fill up our drinks without disturbing the conversation. For dinner, my colleague ordered a NY Strip Steak and I had the Lake Superior Whitefish with a baked potato. I can tell you, that fish was done perfectly and it was delicious. Did I mention that the portions are enormous? By all means, take some home to enjoy later. For dessert we had a piece of chocolate cake that was big enough for the three of us to share. We just had them bring us 3 small plates and forks. Yes, it is a little more expensive than the average restaurant you might visit in this area. But you get great food, and lots of it, along with excellent service. If you're looking for an inexpensive meal, then by all means go elsewhere. But if you appreciate the atmosphere, you will have a very enjoyable experience at EJ's.
(5)Cory K.
This place has some pretty mixed reviews, so I was hesitant going in, but I wound up liking it overall. I'm an old man at heart, so whenever I see liver and onions on a menu, I can't help but order it. This did not disappoint. It was delicious, with the liver cooked a perfect medium, two gigantic pieces of thick-cut bacon. It was without a doubt the largest portion of food I've ever been served in a restaurant. I was ravenous when I sat down yet was only able to eat half of what was on my plate. I'm a pretty big eater in general, so that was pretty impressive on their part. It was definitely on the pricy side, but between the great supper club atmosphere and massive portions, I think it was worthwhile. I could definitely see this being a "special occasions" place.
(4)Joel A.
Want to know why I'll never go to EJ's again? Not the food. The steaks are plenty and fine. Not the old fashioned wait staff. They are a little uptight but acceptable for an old fashioned dinner place. Nope. It's the valet parker who honked and flagged down my wife and myself because we parked our own car. This is the second time I've left the restaurant because valet out front demands that customers valet park and sometimes I don't want anyone inside my car. So tonight we pull around the side of the building away from the valet zone and the guy comes after us honking at is in another customers car and then tried to wave down my wife. We walk inside the restaurant and the staff tells us if we park on the south side of the building it is ok to self park but I'm pretty upset to be honked at by a valet so we leave - for the last time. This was 5:15 on a Tuesday and the place was empty and they lost my $200 check because of the parking lot attendant. Previously the valet told us we had to give him our car or we couldn't eat there so we left. No one is going to demand my car to park it anywhere so this place needs to wake up because it's not a good way to greet customers honking at them in the parking lot.
(1)Michael C.
Based on their web site, you'd think this was one of the finest supper clubs/steak houses on the North Shore. Judging from the parking lot, packed with Cadillacs, Benzes and Porsches, you'd have to believe it's true. Based on our experience, it's one of the all-time great rip-offs. We arrived before six and were seated immediately. Someone brought out a sad basket of dry breadsticks and took our drink orders, which arrived promptly enough. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, two Caesar salads, veal piccata and their full-size filet mignon, medium. The place filled up quickly, and I was surprised to notice that everyone else was getting these beautiful, heaping bread baskets. Seemed strange, so I asked our waiter about it. He explained that the bread delivery had just come in, and graciously offered to bring us another basket, but by then our appetizer had arrived and it was too late. The crab cake was fine, but seemed to have a lot of filler in it. The Caesar salads were oily and flavorless, with two little croutons arranged at the edge of each plate. (Must have been due to the bread shortage.) Things really went downhill when the steak arrived. It was like a lump of charcoal. The inside was gray, dry and the whole thing was completely inedible. When the waiter came back to check on things I explained the situation. He offered to bring another steak, butterflied this time, but when it arrived it was completely raw. He offered to take it back a third time, but my companion had finished his meal by then, and we had a show to catch. I had him box it up and figured I would finish cooking it at home. Our waiter did his best to handle the situation, and comped our desserts. But even then the check for two people was almost $200. I've had meals three times as good for half the price at places that were much more on point than EJ's. I left hungry, angry and feeling ripped off. Maybe they were having an off-night. The joint was packed by the time we left. It was obvious some of the waiters knew their customers well. At the table in front of us, the waiter stopped by constantly to shake hands and pat backs. When he left, there was a long and lingering hug. The prices are high, but the quality and presentation of the food sure don't justify them. We won't be back.
(1)David R.
Wow, who knew?? I've been driving past this place for over a decade with no idea what was inside: the classic steak house format set inside a Northwoods lodge. After the initial shock of being two levels under-dressed and thirty years underage, I enjoyed the meal. Everything was Old School. We got a bread basket with white, multigrain, breadsticks, and raisin bread. The house salad was 95% iceberg lettuce, and the dressing on the side came in a bowl the size of my palm. When three of us ordered garlic mashed potatoes, they brought a large bowl for the table. Other reviewers have mentioned sticker shock, and it's true that the prices seem high for the quality--but not for the quantity. I ordered the pork chops (noting the plural quizzically) and what they delivered were two inch-thick chops each the size of my hand. Good lord! One filled me up handily while the other came home with me. A couple of nitpicks: 1. Mandatory valet parking. Actually, this isn't a nitpick--I detest this policy. They get very busy on a Saturday night and want to pack the cars like sardines into their tiny parking lot. But they should just pony up to expand the parking lot. Or else charter a few shuttle buses to make a circuit through Skokie, Glenview, and Wilmette. It would probably tickle the shit out of the regulars to leave their Buicks in their garages for the night. 2. The busser who cleared our plates mumblingly asked "Coffee? Dessert?" as he leaned over the table. Only half of our group heard him, and up to then we had dealt only with our main waiter, so we were confused whether we were being offered the full range of end-of-meal options and whether this would be our only opportunity to order something else. As it turns out, we did order coffee from him and then our regular waiter came by with dessert menus. But it was awkward and annoying. If you want to offer us something, stand still, address the entire table, and communicate clearly instead of treating the entire thing like an afterthought. Better still, let the waiter handle it. Minor service snafus notwithstanding, we had an enjoyable evening. Now that I know what to expect (dress up a little and fast for 24 hours beforehand), I would be happy to return. They don't make 'em like E.J.'s anymore.
(3)Lisa A.
I live walking distance to this restaurant so we chose it for our New Year's eve dinner place and it was good but overpriced food. You can get comparable quality at Jameson's or Wildfire in this neighborhood. I ordered the fish special, Dover sole, which was done perfectly and my husband ordered the skirt steak which was hearty but not spectacular. My son had the veal parmesan with the bone and he really enjoyed that. His girlfriend ordered the chicken vesuvio which was good and plentiful. I was disappointed in the bread pudding dessert but coffee is good. It's a decent restaurant, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(3)Willis F.
Very good steak, skip the mushrooms (too peppery) and onions (too greasy). I like the creamed spinach and the mashed potatoes and the steaks are huge and always super juicy ( I order mines just past medium rare). It's really pricey, not sure if it's worth it, but it is a fantastic place to impress a date. Minus one star cause I thought the sides are over peppered and greasy, but the calamari was good and I look forward to having the soups and other appetizers, would HIGHLY recommend any of their steaks.
(4)john k.
If you like oysters start with a dozen fresh, as good as any seafood place around. Ironically two of their best entree's are fish as well (Dover sole and Chilean sea bass) However the steak is phenomenal. Suggest the bone in ribeye medium rare with a char (Pittsburgh style). Sitting at the bar provides dinner and a "show". Be sure to ask for George Enjoy!
(5)Vince C.
I have driven by here a million times and read the reviews and knew it was expensive so I was apprehensive about trying it. I finally went and we loved loved loved it. The atmosphere is great and the waiters are totally classic. It is expensive but not anything unusual for good steaks and service. My wife had the veal chop and although I really liked my NY strip the veal was like butter. My advice is if you are not in the mood to spend money then skip it but if you want a good bottle of Cabernet and some carnivorous delights in an old school clubby atmosphere with some beautiful characters for waiters this is the place.
(5)Michael C.
Based on their web site, you'd think this was one of the finest supper clubs/steak houses on the North Shore. Judging from the parking lot, packed with Cadillacs, Benzes and Porsches, you'd have to believe it's true. Based on our experience, it's one of the all-time great rip-offs. We arrived before six and were seated immediately. Someone brought out a sad basket of dry breadsticks and took our drink orders, which arrived promptly enough. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, two Caesar salads, veal piccata and their full-size filet mignon, medium. The place filled up quickly, and I was surprised to notice that everyone else was getting these beautiful, heaping bread baskets. Seemed strange, so I asked our waiter about it. He explained that the bread delivery had just come in, and graciously offered to bring us another basket, but by then our appetizer had arrived and it was too late. The crab cake was fine, but seemed to have a lot of filler in it. The Caesar salads were oily and flavorless, with two little croutons arranged at the edge of each plate. (Must have been due to the bread shortage.) Things really went downhill when the steak arrived. It was like a lump of charcoal. The inside was gray, dry and the whole thing was completely inedible. When the waiter came back to check on things I explained the situation. He offered to bring another steak, butterflied this time, but when it arrived it was completely raw. He offered to take it back a third time, but my companion had finished his meal by then, and we had a show to catch. I had him box it up and figured I would finish cooking it at home. Our waiter did his best to handle the situation, and comped our desserts. But even then the check for two people was almost $200. I've had meals three times as good for half the price at places that were much more on point than EJ's. I left hungry, angry and feeling ripped off. Maybe they were having an off-night. The joint was packed by the time we left. It was obvious some of the waiters knew their customers well. At the table in front of us, the waiter stopped by constantly to shake hands and pat backs. When he left, there was a long and lingering hug. The prices are high, but the quality and presentation of the food sure don't justify them. We won't be back.
(1)David R.
Wow, who knew?? I've been driving past this place for over a decade with no idea what was inside: the classic steak house format set inside a Northwoods lodge. After the initial shock of being two levels under-dressed and thirty years underage, I enjoyed the meal. Everything was Old School. We got a bread basket with white, multigrain, breadsticks, and raisin bread. The house salad was 95% iceberg lettuce, and the dressing on the side came in a bowl the size of my palm. When three of us ordered garlic mashed potatoes, they brought a large bowl for the table. Other reviewers have mentioned sticker shock, and it's true that the prices seem high for the quality--but not for the quantity. I ordered the pork chops (noting the plural quizzically) and what they delivered were two inch-thick chops each the size of my hand. Good lord! One filled me up handily while the other came home with me. A couple of nitpicks: 1. Mandatory valet parking. Actually, this isn't a nitpick--I detest this policy. They get very busy on a Saturday night and want to pack the cars like sardines into their tiny parking lot. But they should just pony up to expand the parking lot. Or else charter a few shuttle buses to make a circuit through Skokie, Glenview, and Wilmette. It would probably tickle the shit out of the regulars to leave their Buicks in their garages for the night. 2. The busser who cleared our plates mumblingly asked "Coffee? Dessert?" as he leaned over the table. Only half of our group heard him, and up to then we had dealt only with our main waiter, so we were confused whether we were being offered the full range of end-of-meal options and whether this would be our only opportunity to order something else. As it turns out, we did order coffee from him and then our regular waiter came by with dessert menus. But it was awkward and annoying. If you want to offer us something, stand still, address the entire table, and communicate clearly instead of treating the entire thing like an afterthought. Better still, let the waiter handle it. Minor service snafus notwithstanding, we had an enjoyable evening. Now that I know what to expect (dress up a little and fast for 24 hours beforehand), I would be happy to return. They don't make 'em like E.J.'s anymore.
(3)Lisa A.
I live walking distance to this restaurant so we chose it for our New Year's eve dinner place and it was good but overpriced food. You can get comparable quality at Jameson's or Wildfire in this neighborhood. I ordered the fish special, Dover sole, which was done perfectly and my husband ordered the skirt steak which was hearty but not spectacular. My son had the veal parmesan with the bone and he really enjoyed that. His girlfriend ordered the chicken vesuvio which was good and plentiful. I was disappointed in the bread pudding dessert but coffee is good. It's a decent restaurant, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(3)Willis F.
Very good steak, skip the mushrooms (too peppery) and onions (too greasy). I like the creamed spinach and the mashed potatoes and the steaks are huge and always super juicy ( I order mines just past medium rare). It's really pricey, not sure if it's worth it, but it is a fantastic place to impress a date. Minus one star cause I thought the sides are over peppered and greasy, but the calamari was good and I look forward to having the soups and other appetizers, would HIGHLY recommend any of their steaks.
(4)Cris G.
Hmmm.. where do I start .. came here for Valentines dinner..place was packed and I said to myself, maybe this place has good food.. not until they served us with cold bread and frozen butter. .. and that's not all, menu was given , no recommendation from server , just gave us a laminated menu ...for the price of their food , I would think they can do a better presentation of the menu .. ordered steak and baked potato .. order came and they served us the fried potatoes .. ww called the attention of our waiter about the potato , he saud they ran out of baked .. we asked mashed and they ran out of it too.. ok.. they put these food on our table without even apologizing that they ran out of the ones we ordered .. we had to call their attention for that .. what amazed me is that , they would assume it's ok for us to eat those fried potatoes. .. nothing special with the steak.. with the price of it.. nahhh... wouldn't step foot on this place again ... I'll stick with capital grille and bavettes for the price I'm paying !
(1)Michelle B.
Food was good (not great) but the service was horrible!! The waiter had issues and could not figure out how to give separate checks, meanwhile there was only 6 of us! He actually asked me 5 different times if I was sure I knew what I ordered!! Then after getting it correct, he complained about us in front of our table.. we had to wait 2 hours for the correct check.. we should have walked out. And where was the manager during this fiasco??? Never again, over priced for no service...
(1)Ed S.
This is a classic old school dining experience done well. Sat at the bar and had a wonderful night. Fantastic service and tasty italian food. Wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, fire place cracking and the grandson of Gene & Georgetti's founder as the proprietor all work together to create something of a lost era of dining. I recommend you give it a try.
(4)Tom D.
Took a friend here for her birthday. The server was slow to greet us or take our drink order, and we had to flag him down for the entree order. He forgot to bring my drink, and when he did it was wrong. We both ordered lobster tail, the most expensive item on the menu at 88.00. Unfortunately it was a bit overcooked and dry.
(3)Alex B.
EJ's is a perfectly fine casual dining family steak kind of place, which is priced like it a fancy high end steak place. High end it ain't, and I don't need to pay these kind of prices to eat dinner with families with screaming kids and TVs with sports on all over the dining room. For that kind of experience I should be paying a lot less. But then again, plenty of people seemed to be willing to pay these kind of prices for an average restaurant experience when we were there. I am continually surprised at how the mediocre get ahead, but then again it looks like EJ's is laughing all the way to the bank, so what do I know? The food and service are all fine. Not great, but certainly very good. Food is well prepared, if familiar Italian steak house classics. I had a Veal Chop which was tender and well grilled. Cottage fries were also crispy and good. Broccolli Rabe was very nice. Garabge Salad to start was, once again, fine. Nothing special but it did everything it was supposed to. Big fail on the cocktail - my Manhattan was weak and lacking in flavor. If you are serving big steaks you better know how to mix a cocktail. Service was prompt and attentive, and they even handled the typical high maintenance requests for special food/drinks with aplomb. So the food is fine and the service fine. So why don't I rate it higher? It's boring - you've been to this kind of restaurant a million times and EJ's executes it well but is undistinguished. The room is awful - this is a casual dining place with TVs playing sports, no décor or ambiance, plenty of screaming kids, and an awful '70s paneling kind of thing going on. It's just bad. Finally, it's the prices. At Chicago Cut I'd pay these prices, but that's a real restaurant. EJ's is a restaurant where you take your cousin Phyllis when she is in town from Boca. For that, I should pay less.
(2)Mirela G.
Best martinis ever. Romeo is the friendliest and nicest bartender who can concoct all imaginable libations. Try grilled calamari or sausage and peppers. Alpine steak salad is great too. Sit at the bar.
(4)Mc B.
Overpriced and terrible service. Five of us went to EJ's on a Monday night. The place was less than half full yet we waited over 40 minutes for our food -- 4 salads and an order of calamari. 40 minutes! I tried to ask our rude waiter (his name tag said Adam 12) when our food would be arriving and he wouldn't even answer me. Finally the salads came but not the calamari. We waited another ten minutes for that! The waiter offered us a free dessert to make up for the long wait but no one wanted a dessert. He tried to talk us into it but we insisted he take the calamari off the bill instead. He was arrogant and totally unapologetic about the situation. The final bill -- $225 for a few drinks and mediocre salads. I don't know how those place stays in business. I will not go back. Terrible dining experience.
(1)Manny B.
EJ's is our go to place to meet our friends from the north burbs, located in between them and us. Good solid restaurant. The food is good for steaks, chicken, and seafood. I love the roasted chicken, or the skirt steak smothered in roasted green, red, and spicy peppers. The wine list is adequate, the bar selection of whisky and spirits is robust, they have some of my favorite bourbons and tequilas. Service is very good, the waitstaff is experienced and work hard. Good steakhouse with reasonable prices.
(3)Breezy Q.
Epic fail. (1) The ambiance was awful -- like someone's musty old basement after some old Christmas decorations had thrown up all over it . (2) The food was pretty gross -- tasteless, over-salted, and served lukewarm. (3) The prices were OUTRAGEOUS (think $30 for ordinary plates of pasta -- in Skokie). While the portions were pretty generous, none of it seemed particularly fresh or tasty; for instance, in the spaghetti and ravioli dishes, both the noodles and the sauce seemed to come from cans/bottles. So... totally not worth it. All in all, it was an overpriced and unpleasant dinner experience. A friend recommended this place, which is how we ended up here, but honestly, I don't know how she or anyone could give this place a good review.
(1)Hunter R.
One of the best restaurants on the North Shore. Very cool, dimly lit interior. Almost like a log cabin/hunting lodge. Great wine selection and good prices. There's not many places where you can get a good bottle of Brunello for $85. The house and garbage salads are perfect. Some of the best calamari I've ever had. Good steaks. Make sure to get the thick slab of bacon as a side. BUT, the best dish on the menu is.......the CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS! Just get it. You'll have enough to take home for lunch the next day.
(5)Tony C.
EJ's Place is an anachronism and it's almost curious to see that places like this are still in business with the advances in food quality, service and presentation. This place is obviously an institution here in the skokie suburbs since there can't be any tourist business to speak of. The atmosphere is rustic midwest with a loud and raucous dining area. It's actually difficult to hear your tablemates with people seated so close to you bellowing out their conversations as if at a Foghorn Leghorn convention. Service is professional if a bit brusque and robotic. My chair was bumped so many times over the evening by waiters that I left with a mild case of PTSD. As for the food itselt, it's fine if unremarkable. I get it that this place is a throwback to the 1950's and if that's the atmosphere desired, great. However, I prefer places with some charm to the atmosphere. The only thing not from the 1950's are the prices. Yikes! they are astronomical for the quality of food offered.
(2)Padma A.
My company booked a private party room for an official dinner today. Easily valet parked, we were seated, the appetizers came bang on time. The order included crab cakes,fried calamari and grilled calamari all of which were excellent. Then came the humungous salad plates, the main course was grilled slamon chicken with garlic potatoes, pasta, baked potato, mushroom in wine sauce and side of home made chips. Overall good experience and waitstaff was very polite!
(4)Bob W.
NOPE ! NOPE ! Alleged Prime steak isn' supposed to be tough and chewy ,is it ? Waiter inattentive to our TablePricey for quality and atmosphere Forced valet parking Nice bread basket.
(1)Mary T.
OK, it's a Friday night after a very hard week at work. The hubby and I are just looking for a decent place for drinks and food. We want to find something close to the Edens expressway where we can relax, have a cocktail and a decent meal. I've passed by this place for years and thought why not give it a try? I wish we hadn't. 1. Prices are insane. I mean insane. Wine list was limited and very pricey. Pasta dishes roll in at 24.00 to start. Grilled or fried calamari is 17.00 as an appetizer, strip steak is 44.00. Come on, this is Skokie and the joint is decked out like a resort place from the 60's. This is not downtown. 2. Waitstaff is rude and can hardly be bothered to talk to you. That actually goes for everyone who works there. As I pulled in, the valet screamed at me to stop. I did and told him I didn't need valet. He informed quite rudely that it was required due to high volume. No sign indicating anything about valet service, just a young guy screaming at me....nice, very nice. I knew at that point I should have just left. 3. If you don't know these owners then just forget about it. You are nothing to them. I watched the owner EJ schmooze his regulars and give the bare minimum to new people. I realized as the treatment continued all evening long that THAT was what EJ's was all about. If you are in the in crowd it's fab, but if not then who cares? This is one of those places that could be a case study on poor management. Watch the guy in charge and how he treats others. The rest of his team follows his lead. I left that behavior far behind when I graduated from high school. Too bad EJ's didn't. We will never go back. To be fair, our dinner Chicken Vesuvio, was good and it was plentiful but it just didn't make up for how unwelcoming everyone was in this place.
(1)Jessica N.
Food was decent but definitely not worth the insane price. Service was also slow since nearly every worker there was like 60 years old! The only thing that was bothersome about the food was the butter. Not sure why such an expensive place would serve cold butter. How do you spread cold butter on bread? Also, parking was horrendous. All valet and no regular parking at all? Wow that's a first! So we were pretty much forced to valet the car and tip the guy. 3 thumb down!!! Never going back.
(2)John N.
Ate here last Thursday and it was wonderful. I love coming here. My wife and I and our baby girl flew into town and had a nice meal with friends and family. And we got to see EJ, a wonderful friend. Can't wait to eat here again!!!!
(5)Eve V.
Food is always good here. Always ask for Johny he is the best! The restaurant offers a variety of foods from pasta to chicken, steaks and seafood. They have the chicken vesuvio that is really yummy (you can order it boneless). They have this crunchy cottage fries that so good and it comes with your entree if you want it or not. Their skirt steak is really good too so don't miss out on that one. Over all they offer good food and great service but it gets loud though. But who cares as long as you're enjoying your food that is all matters most.
(4)Pete M.
Ate here on 9/5/15. Will definatley go again. Shrimp Cocktail very fresh. Crab cakes-delicious. Bone in Sirloin cooked medium rare and the meat tasted as good as anything I;ve had at Morton's or Ruth;s Chris No loud annoying music so , it's possible to have a nice conversation with your guest without screaming. Nice place. Excellent Service . Wife had Breaded shrimp which were huge in a flavorful batter. Salads were crisp- not drowned in dressing The cottage fries were just OK- kind of potato chippy. I liked it a lot.
(4)Christina N.
EJs is one of my family's favorite places to go for special family dinners. The food is typically very good and it's a little expensive but worth it. The sausage and pepper appetizer is a favorite amongst the family, I also recall a very amazing key lime pie if you're looking for dessert suggestions!
(4)Cathy S.
This place is very clean and has excellent service! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good steak and comfortable atmosphere!
(5)Edgar R.
I had a fantastic dinner here this week with a colleague from work and an international guest. With respect to the concerns expressed by some of the other reviewers, I didn't experience any of that. First, we arrived early, around 5:30 and there was plenty of parking available around the back. Nobody forced us to use the valet service, which incidentally is complementary (except for tip). When you walk in, the place has the ambiance of a supper club of perhaps 50 years ago. It has a very rustic feel. You would almost imagine that Al Capone could walk through the door with a couple buddies and take a table over in the corner away from the bright lights. Yes there are a few television screens up on the wall, but they are not huge and they didn't make any noise. They didn't bother us at all. The bartender was very attentive while I and my friends had a few drinks before dinner. When we were ready, we were ushered to a cozy table on the side. Our main server was Jose, and he did an outstanding job. Every few minutes somebody would come by and fill up our drinks without disturbing the conversation. For dinner, my colleague ordered a NY Strip Steak and I had the Lake Superior Whitefish with a baked potato. I can tell you, that fish was done perfectly and it was delicious. Did I mention that the portions are enormous? By all means, take some home to enjoy later. For dessert we had a piece of chocolate cake that was big enough for the three of us to share. We just had them bring us 3 small plates and forks. Yes, it is a little more expensive than the average restaurant you might visit in this area. But you get great food, and lots of it, along with excellent service. If you're looking for an inexpensive meal, then by all means go elsewhere. But if you appreciate the atmosphere, you will have a very enjoyable experience at EJ's.
(5)Cory K.
This place has some pretty mixed reviews, so I was hesitant going in, but I wound up liking it overall. I'm an old man at heart, so whenever I see liver and onions on a menu, I can't help but order it. This did not disappoint. It was delicious, with the liver cooked a perfect medium, two gigantic pieces of thick-cut bacon. It was without a doubt the largest portion of food I've ever been served in a restaurant. I was ravenous when I sat down yet was only able to eat half of what was on my plate. I'm a pretty big eater in general, so that was pretty impressive on their part. It was definitely on the pricy side, but between the great supper club atmosphere and massive portions, I think it was worthwhile. I could definitely see this being a "special occasions" place.
(4)Zachary H.
Ate here last night with some friends from Lake Forest. It was a birthday evening and quite a bit of fun. Ordered the T-Bone steak with salad and home chips. They nailed the medium rare cook temp and the black label was flowing. Overall the experience was good. Same family that has Erie Café.
(4)Michelle B.
I should have know this was not going to be a good dining experience when I wasn't allowed to park my own car even though there were multiple open spots. The "complimentary valet" told me there were no spots and I could park across the street (which I did then had to cross busy Skokie Blvd). We had reservations and were seated promptly but it took a good 20 minutes after we sat to even get a menu. The food was bland and astronomically over priced for the quality. Service was so so but nothing to write home about. I had high hopes for EJs but it was a huge disappointment.
(1)Joel A.
Want to know why I'll never go to EJ's again? Not the food. The steaks are plenty and fine. Not the old fashioned wait staff. They are a little uptight but acceptable for an old fashioned dinner place. Nope. It's the valet parker who honked and flagged down my wife and myself because we parked our own car. This is the second time I've left the restaurant because valet out front demands that customers valet park and sometimes I don't want anyone inside my car. So tonight we pull around the side of the building away from the valet zone and the guy comes after us honking at is in another customers car and then tried to wave down my wife. We walk inside the restaurant and the staff tells us if we park on the south side of the building it is ok to self park but I'm pretty upset to be honked at by a valet so we leave - for the last time. This was 5:15 on a Tuesday and the place was empty and they lost my $200 check because of the parking lot attendant. Previously the valet told us we had to give him our car or we couldn't eat there so we left. No one is going to demand my car to park it anywhere so this place needs to wake up because it's not a good way to greet customers honking at them in the parking lot.
(1)mimi r.
Seated one hour and 45 minutes late! Yelp took down my previous review because they said it wasn't a true update. It wasn't 45 minutes after my reservation-- it was one hour and 45 minutes after my reservation. Just know that if you make a reservation here, you may not be seated anywhere near that time.
(1)Steve F.
First time customer, VERY happy with EJ's. We ordered the sea bass, the food was fantastic, very tasty, fish melted in your mouth. The place reminds me of an upper Wisconsin supper club which is fun and different. The bread that comes out at the beginning of the meal was great, the salad with blue cheese dressing was amazing. We had the side broccoli also good. The service was top quality, very attentive. The wine by the glass also was tasty, Malbec, very nice. Overall, great place, the only downside is it is a bit on the pricier side, not for every Friday night (at least for us).
(5)Dean H.
My "Go To" place for client dinners and special events with my Skokie-based business. Atmosphere is similar to that seen at old school steakhouses such as Chicago Chop House, Ben & Jacks (my fav in NYC!) and Smith and Wollensky. Steaks are exceptional as is the service. Wine list is good with affordable pricing. The grilled calamari appetizer is simply outstanding. My clients are always pleased with the meals we have there and not uncommon for them to ask that we eat at EJ's again during return visits.
(5)Samantha S.
WOW. What a disappointment! Did the old lady die or did she just have a profoundly bad night. We have coming here for years as a special occasion place. When you spend 10 bucks for a bowl of spinach you expect it to be great every time even if it a busy night. Last night was valentines days so our usual 7 pm reservation was pushed to 8:30. We were finally seated at 9:15. The waiter was mediocre which is not their usual MO. Appetizers arrived 30 minutes after being ordered and salad 15 minutes later. The lamb chop was tough--it's my favorite and the reason we came to begin with. My potato never arrived. When spending north of a hundred dollars a person for dinner we expect things to be great. They were well below average. My boyfriend nicely mentioned to the waiter who was absent most of the night that the lamb was tough and overcooked. 20 minutes later he came back and offered us dessert. Hardly a resolution when only one of the two chops had been consumed. So it was a bummer of a night. We won't be back as we have better ways to spend our money and our date night!
(1)tammy m.
Food was good but it was ruined by horrible service!!! Waiter goofed everything up took over 45 min to get our food. Told manager not much was done. To expensive for it not to be excellent..... So sad when a bad waiter could ruin it!!!!
(2)Paul K.
I had the NY steak which was slightly overcooked. I didn't send it back because I didn't want the brain damage. We also had a chicken dish with vegetables & the chicken was way over cooked and a shrimp a la Leslie. The shrimp dish was the best we are there but a bit pricey at $43. However they give large portions and all the entrées include a soup or salad & a potato. For me, this place is a less well executed version of Wild Fire.
(3)Andrew B.
Very, very disappointing. Have been to EJ's many times before and enjoyed it. Decided to go this year for Valentine's day. WHAT A MISTAKE. EJ's totally overbooked...obviously hoping to capitalize on the holiday. "Could not find" our reservation, though it was made a week before. After waiting for 30 minutes (past our reservation...with several other couples from our time slot and SEVERAL from an earlier time slot), we inquired again about our table. "Two minutes." As we had heard that many times before, I said that I wanted an honest estimate as we were thinking of leaving. "10 to 15 minutes." As there were several folks still waiting from an earlier time slot, we had no confidence with the revised estimate. So we left. As we were walking out they asked "what was your name again?" My wife said, "it doesn't matter; we won't be back." They didn't seem to care. I guess they get enough one-time-diners, many of which only come on holidays, that they can afford to lose clients. As she said, "we won't be back." Would have given zero stars if Yelp had allowed.
(1)Benjamin K.
They served me a burned NY steak for $50.00. Not worth it. Never coming back to EJ's Place.
(1)Angela S.
My husband and I recently moved to the area, and while I've had family in the area for decades (driven by this place a thousand times) we have been super excited about trying local restaurants. We realize it says 'Fine dining' but we love a nice dinner and aren't afraid to spend $ if it's worth a great meal. Let me set the mood... It's Friday night, exhausting work week over, been running errands but purposely threw on a nice outfit because a nice dinner would be the perfect end to the night! At 8:45 pm we walk drive by EJs and I say, hey! Let's go there! I've always wanted to try it! We head in and while it takes 5 mins for a waiter to come by, we have to ask for a drink menu (no I can't read your mind) and settle on an expensive glass of wine (weak pour) and a beer. Still haven't seen the menu yet. Ten minutes later we get the menu. While we weren't aware it was a steakhouse before we entered, it apparently is, and there is not much on the menu to order other than a 40-55 steak. I am somewhat disappointed that there aren't a little better options for meals, and regretfully settle on a mostaccioli pasta for 24 and my husband orders chopped steak and peppers for 29. HUGE FAIL. I receive the most disgusting ground beef and red sauce thrown over penne pasta ever and my husband receives a humongous dish of MEATLOAF. Seriously, we just paid all that for cafeteria pasta and meatloaf ?! The only positive of the experience was our laugh when our dishes were placed in front of us. The waiter who cared less about us stopped over after we had taken two bites and when I said its uhh... Okay.... I'm done... He rolled his eyes and took it away. When I didn't touch my meal and didn't want a box, he should have gotten a clue. He knew we were very unhappy and made no attempt to right it. My biggest frustration with a restaurant like this is that we love supporting local and trying unique places, but, what a disappointment all around. McCormick and Schmitts is two blocks away and had seemed unnecessary in a town with so many options. Maybe we will revert back to places like that for consistency. Ejs needs to step it up and not serve garbage.
(1)L H.
I loved the ambiance of this place - Wisconsin supper club. The service wasn't very good though, and the price was insanely high for the quality. They said we could be seated right away, then made us wait 40 minutes. The cheapest steak dinner was in the high 40s/50s and it would have cost $8 for my friend to substitute a Caesar salad for the included one. Seriously, at that price, you can't let someone have romaine? The filet looked good, but was tasteless; I don't even know how such a nice cut for that price could have so little flavor. The home/cottage fries were awesome!
(1)Mrs. F.
Boring, expen$ive, and in desperate need of updating (lest I say, cleaning) have been my experiences at EJ's. There's nothing special here, except the downtown prices for the food, that is served with no frills or care. The salad is a couple of handfuls of iceberg lettuce with one translucent slice of tomato, and dressing poured on top; no cucumbers, croutons, or even ground pepper (which wasn't offered) to make it visually appealing. Who wants a pound of whitefish for $28, with no seasoning (except paprika), on a plate, and a medium-sized, scrubbed baked potato? Not even a sprig of parsley to add some color! Or a plateful of plain (again, little seasoning except capers), beige veal limone for $32, again with a plain baked potato? BTW, did I mention that side dishes, like vegetables, are extra? Entree salads are costly ($17.95), so if you want an alternative to steak-chicken-fish, your choice is...no choice--not even a burger appears on the worn menu. Looking at the food at neighboring tables, I saw equally unappealing entrees and heard a few comments about the diners' disappointment. There's valet parking--big deal--the parking lot is so small that your great-grandmother could make it to the front door from the car in a snowstorm. And pushy waiters, who are not there so much to serve you as to get you out the door so they can turn over the table; ours ignored our request for salad dressing on the side and forgot the ground pepper, but he kept asking us whether we had finished and then started hovering over us after dinner. The bottom line: instead of looking at a TV, as is visible in main the dining room instead of the bar area, go to McCormick & Schmick's in Old Orchard or Pete Miller's in Evanston for really good food and ambiance.
(2)Jaime h.
the worst experience ever! sat down, was not given a menu. we asked to see a beer menu.. he mumbled a few selections. we asked to see a wine menu.. recieved our drinks and sat, and sat and sat. 29 min later (i had checked into 4square when i sat down so i knew the exact time) we watched as at least 1/2 a dozen waiters walked around.. finally our waiter came over and asked "are you ready to order or do you need more time".. i couldnt help it.. i broke out in laughter.. he walked away. we asked for a manager, who appologized and said he would give us a new waiter. we asked for the check for our two drinks. Instead of comp'ing the drinks and urging us to give them another try, they brought over the check (and shorted us a dollar in the change) when we were leaving the manager again asked us what happened.. he then told us that there was no way we were waiting 1/2 hr because i hadnt finished my wine.. really?!? he wanted to argue with us.. now i know why everyone looked so old.. they probably just aged at their tables..
(1)Anthony C.
Sorry EJs but after our last visit you've lost us. We avoided the place for a couple of years because the beer on tap has been old and undrinkable. However, it was our anniversary so we decided to give it another try. While the food is still good and the portions are generous, the beer was even worse which leads me to believe that nobody here drinks beer and the kegs sit for months. I had to send two different kinds back and ended up drinking bottled beer. Our server was also a real wet noodle - just going through the motions and totally unattentive, which was very dissappointing considering the prices of the food and the tip he stands to gain from good service. You feel like an outsider if you're not part of the regulars club - which is what this place seems to be. However, considering the age demographic of most of the patrons I don't think this place will be open in ten years. Most of them will be in nursing homes and the owner is doing nothing to attract a new generation of customers. Being an avid cyclist I have always tried to patronize EJs because they have sponsored cycling in the area for years. But this visit was our last.
(1)Michael A.
Let me preface this by saying I'm a former server/waiter. First time going here and was looking forward to it. Went with my wife and two kids (6 and 8). The atmosphere was what I would call upscale casual. The host was very nice and gave us a great table...then the waiter arrived. I can't say for certain but it seemed he was immediately put off when no alcohol was ordered and was asked about "kids meals". The drinks (water, iced tea, and juices) came quickly enough and then we waited much longer than usual to place our order. Keep in mind the server (S. Alex from the receipt) never once smiled or made us feel welcomed. Once the food arrived my wife had questions about her order. This is when S. Alex literally waved off her question with his hand said "eh!" and seemingly walked away in disgust. In my opinion the food was good although, a bit overpriced. Bottom line, I might go back, but I would ask for a different server if placed in S. Alex's section. Maybe he was having a bad day, but you don't bring that to the table.
(2)Stevie J.
I've been coming to EJ's since they opened. Same terrific staff who remembers me from when I was a child, same magnificent quality and portions. I love EJ's!
(5)Tim G.
Hmm...the fact that it's located next to a funeral home is not just a coincidence because once its clientele "moves on" the place will cease to exist. If they'd spend as much money on the food and its preparation as they do with the number of staff who work there, then there might be a fighting chance for this neighborhood institution could survive, unlike those who are patrons next door. The food was bland, over-priced and the potatoes were instant, not to mention the chewy cottage-fried potatoes. Great for entertaining your grandparents, not so great for a nice dinner with your mate! This, by far, was one of our worst experiences in Chicago, let alone a suburb of it. Better off eating at a chance if you are in Skokie.
(1)Diane S.
I don't believe there is a restaurant I enjoy more than EJ's. I get a kiss from Tony, my favorite waiter, and the meal kicks into gear from there: the grilled calimari, first and foremost, is not to be missed. I then proceed to the salad, and never fail to order it with the bleu cheese dressing, which is thick and extremely flavorful. This is where it gets hard: the no-miss Chicken Vesuvio, or do I try something else? I usually default to the chicken because it is always ALWAYS spectacular, and I get to enjoy it for at least two more meals at home because it is served on a plate about the size of a snow saucer. The sides are all fantastic, but I especially like the thin-sliced home fries and creamed spinach. I am not much of a dessert person, but always make an exception for EJ's. I think my last of many prior favorites was the cheesecake, but will confess that by that time in the meal, I am nearly in a food coma, so I cannot say for sure....
(5)George S.
After years of driving by this place, I finally gave it a shot, and boy was I glad I did! This was a classic Chicago Style Chop House Experience! Outstanding Table Service, with those classic straight forward five star waiters that we all love so much. You ask, "What's good?" and They ask, "What Do You Like?". I love it! This isn't a high turn over type joint where they're going to rush you in and rush you out, and that may be a little hard for some people to grasp, especially if your dining outside of your regular dinner hour. Don't Come to this place Starving, the fantastic aromas will drive you crazy while you wait. Trust me, make a reservation. This place is a special night out, come and celebrate a milestone, host your in-laws to the best, type of restaurant. The Steaks Are Amazing! So flavorful and Juicy that my mouth is watering just thinking of it. I mean it's a 12 step program just waiting to happen! The owner or at least the Guy in charge is a real restaurateur who knows his stuff, trust me I can tell. My wife had an issue with her veal, and the waiter and the host Eugene were on it like white on rice! I love that. They knew what I was paying for and they were gonna make sure we left satisfied. I can honestly say I will be taking my wife here again, and again, and again, well you get the pic! Are we Good? Good... Now, Go EAT! Cheers!
(5)L. F.
Expected so much more from this place especially for the price and packed parking lot. Dined here on a Friday night with reservation, had to wait 15 or so minutes so my husband and I sat at the bar but it took forever to get a drink and there were even two bartenders and no more than four other customers seated there. They tried seating us in their back room by ourselves. Actually every group that arrived after us was taken to the back room and all refused to sit there. Place is old school in every way and food is average at best. Go elsewhere, don't waste your money.
(2)Marnie B.
Was not expecting such great food and service. Fun place, great wine and desert. Loved the overall feel.
(5)S K.
After hearing of this place and driving by for years, we decided to finally check it out. I had always heard that this place had a loyal following much like L. Woods in Lincolnwood and Myron & Phil's on Devon. Those places I understand, EJ's I do not. It must just be family tradition or nostalgia that bring them back to EJ's because it is not the steaks. The prices are right up there with Joe's Prime Steak and Seafood and Gibson's. I mean come on - $25 for chicken vesuvio and $95 for lobster tail in Skokie. I had the bone-in ribeye medium rare ($44) and it was a very large piece of meat. Unfortunately, it was very tough and was so chargrilled on the outside that the table shook when I cut it. My husband had the sirloin al forno special and the meat was tasteless. The onions were undercooked and it really was a disappointment. The bread, salad and blue cheese dressing and the service were the only things good about our experience. If you are going to charge downtown steakhouse prices, you should at least deliver a good quality steak. Service was top-notch and that is the only reason for the two stars.
(2)kim b.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars Good neighborhood steak place and great service. If you're in the suburbs/Old Orchard shopping and want to get a nice bite to eat, but not fast food...this is a nice spot. We've always had fantastic service. Lots of choices even if you don't want steak. Rarely have to make a reservation.
(3)C P.
Cool atmosphere and attentive service (although several of the waiters are difficult to understand with their accents). Very pricey for a lodge atmosphere. I asked where they got their steaks and it was confusing, they brought over other waiters to help answer. They kept saying, "the steaks are the best, very good". I asked if the beef was corn fed or grass fed. Then they brought over the manager who was surrounded by a gaggle of waiters, he says in a loud voice: "What seems to be the problem?". Suddenly I'm the bad guy. He tells me the steaks are from Stock Yard Steaks. I ask if they are grass fed and he says yes. So then he and his posse leave the table and I order a filet. It was huge (nice) but dry. When I got home I looked up Stock Yard steaks and find that all their steaks are corn fed. (Watch the movie Food Inc. and see why it matters) The steamed spinach was only ok, two of my guests wouldn't eat it. For dessert we shared a fruit tart. It was so cold you could barely cut the crust. For the money, I won't return, you can get better food, value and attitude elsewhere.
(2)Melinda B.
If zero were a rating that is what I would give. The only one who liked the steak was my dog. This place was highly recommended, by neighbors, it was a disappointment for sure. Packed parking lot started us off thinking we were in for a good meal. They must have a discount through AARP. There were no children and for that matter, we in our 40's were probably the youngest there. Our meal was awful. My husband ordered a filet ($45), my son ordered a strip steak ($45) and I had the chilean sea bass ($40). The filet was enormous but tasted like liver; it isn't possible to properly cook a steak that is so big. My son, who can put away a lot of steak filled up on the cottage fries that tasted like bacon grease (best part of the meal). I feel bad for the sea bass who gave his life to be served up so dry and crispy. In order to swallow, I had to take it down with a glass of water. More importantly, no one cared! I hope as I get older my taste buds or expectations don't go so much that EJs becomes good. Don't waste your money, go to Gibsons, Capital Grill, Ruth's Chris.
(1)Deborah G.
We were here for my husband's work holiday party. The food was excellent and the staff was very attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was nice. We were served salmon and chicken along with asparagus and potatoes. The food was excellent . My favorite was the salmon. Later a dessert assortment was served and each item was better than the next. Everything was delicious and I would definitely return on our next visit to Illinois to try some of the other menu items.
(5)Leslie K.
I never before took the time to write a restaurant review either positive or negative. But in this economy, I felt compelled to share my experience so others will not waste their hard earned money at EJ's. This is BY FAR the worst meal I ever had in a high end restaurant. The steak was tough, whitefish was fishy tasting, salmon over cooked, calamari greasy and limp. The iceberg lettuce ( ICEBURG LETTUCE??!) didn't even have a slice of tomato. The service was horrendous. The best part of the meal was the key lime pie. For almost $50 per person - there are 10 other high end restaurants that I would rather go to. WIldfire, Ruth Chris and Mortons to name a few. Don't waste your money. You will get a better meal across the street at McCormick and Schmidts or Cheescake Factory!
(1)Katie G.
Oh EJ's Place, my first "real" steakhouse experience! Once I figured out that you have to order sides at real steakhouses, I have slowly started to relax and truly enjoy the experience of eating here. (The first time I came, I ordered a big ol' hunk o' meat ... and that's exactly what I got: a big ol' hunk o' meat, on a plate, nothing else.) Now I know better and usually order some delicious steamed broccoli (or more recently, because it's coming into season: grilled zucchini!) to go with my "small filet" (which is definitely 2+ meals ...) ... or sometimes sit next to my father-in-law to snatch a handful of his cottage fries! Pastas here are also very satisfying and taste just as good heated up the next day. Service is friendly and attentive and atmosphere is cozy and nice! Portions are incredibly generous. Whatever you order and regardless of how delicious it is and how hungry you are ... you will almost certainly be taking home a size-able part of your meal to eat for lunch or dinner the next day. Best part: the doggie bags are these old school paper bags with cute little poodles printed on them. So great!
(4)Mary G.
EJs Place never disappoints. Sure, it's pricey, but worth it. That's why we save it for special occasions. Johnny is our favorite waiter. The service attentive, generous and delicious portions, and you feel very special every minute you are there. The Prime steaks are mouth watering and the shrimp cocktail is an oxymoron. They are colossal, meaty and chilled perfectly and enough to share. I love the old-school doggie bags as another reviewer mentioned, it's classy. No reason to fix what ain't broke. Looking forward to another visit to EJs. Keep up the excellent work! I tell everyone about EJs Place!
(5)Bernie M.
I went to EJ's last night to play music for a birthday party in their backroom. The staff was terrific and could not have been more accommodating. The owner EJ went out of his way to make me feel very welcome in his restaurant. I sat at the bar while I was waiting to perform and EJ brought me an appetizer with two of the most delicious huge gulf shrimp. Okay I get the oxymoron" huge shrimp" but I can tell you they were just out of this world, really fresh and flavorful. I've been to EJ's several times in past with my family and always had a great experience from the food to the service and really like the warming Wisconsin atmosphere without the hour and a half drive. My wife and I actually enjoy the non-pretentious atmosphere at EJ's and order our steaks medium rare to medium out of respect for the excellent cut of meat they serve there. So to sum it up go to EJ's relax and enjoy the food atmosphere and the service and will definitely recommend it to friends and family. Thanks again EJ you have a great place and you're a class act. Cheers!
(5)Deborah E.
Cat sitting for 12 days in your non-cat home for your good friend Lauren = zero dollars Clean out litter box (whilst gagging) for said Persian cat twice per day for 12 days = zero dollars Administer liquid Pepcid via syringe for said Persian cat every morning due to cat's Irritable Bowel Syndrome = zero dollars Administer liquid Prednisone via syringe for said Persian cat every other day = zero dollars Feed cat some dry food (non-gag inducing) every day = zero dollars Feed cat 1 tsp of GAG INDUCING wet food twice per day = zero dollars Put up with massive amounts of long haired Persian cat hair on clothes and furniture for 12 days = zero dollars Being take to EJ's for steak as a reward for our cat sitting adventure = PRICELESS My friend has been bugging me to go to EJ's for ages. And what a dumbass I am for not going sooner. We had a fabulous dinner last night - here are the highlights: 1. Huge unlimited amounts of assorted breads and breadsticks 2. FABULOUS bone-in Ribeye steak - I bet this puppy weighed over 20 ozs! So huge in fact that I have another complete leftover meal for tonight. YUM! 3. Creamy garlic mashed potatoes with just the right amount of garlic so I am not burping them up today, thank you. 4. Homer's Spumoni ice cream - orgasmic............. 5. Attentive friendly service 6. FREE valet parking 7. Very cozy ski lodge-like ambiance Other items highly recommended by other members of our party: Minestrone soup Fresh Lake Superior Whitefish Chicken Vesuvio FYI - EJ's also has a number of veal, seafood and pasta dishes, and they have a variety of side dishes which sound great including "Broiled Slab Bacon" - which greatly piqued our interest being the PIG eaters, that we are - next time perhaps. Lauren, drop off Ruddi the cat whenever you want - when are you going away again? We will cat sit ANY TIME you want! Seriously. Can't WAIT to go back to EJ's!
(4)kim s.
Great classic Italian steakhouse, service was perfect considering it was a very busy Saturday night. I have read some of the negative reviews and I find it very hard to believe them, we dine here 3-4 times a year and have never had a bad meal or bad service. Yes, it's not cheap but keep in mind everything is huge and you can share most meals !
(5)Joe Y.
all i can say about this place is if you like to eat a shoe order there steak!!!!!!!! horrible. i would not recommend this place to anyone!!!!!!!!
(1)Carolyn G.
I attended a team dinner that was hosted at EJ's Place because they are sponsors of our cycling team. This was my first time at the restaurant, and I was amazed at how great everything was! The food was amazing (well spiced, perfectly flavored) and the service was outstanding. My water glass was never empty, and we had more food than we could possibly eat. Thanks, EJ, for such a great dinner!
(5)Liz M.
"WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN HERE IN AWHILE?!?" My husband and I are still asking ourselves that question. Maybe it's because we've been trying new places... or maybe it's because the last time we went here ... we were attempting to play "cupid" and "trying to fix up" two of our friends... well, that didn't work...soooo...that being said we went back on this past Valentine's Day. YUMMMMIEEEE...so glad did!!! We starting with delicious Lobster Bisque...mmmmm. My husband had his favorite Prime Rib. Folks...I am not exaggerating, it covered the WHOLE entire plate with very little fat! I had the most delicate, flavorful, buttery Dover Sole served with Almond Butter, filleted table-side. We finished with chocolate dipped strawberries and creamy vanilla ice-cream. I think it was a V-Day special dessert, but on previous occasions we've had their Creme Brulee and Cheesecake desserts....oh just unbutton my pants now!! This place has a great, cozy, fireside, ski lodge/cabin-esque atmosphere. Inviting bar, great wine list, fantastic service, valet parking. I recommend the Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Dover Sole and the Chilean Sea Bass. NOTE: "Alex" is THE best waiter EVER!!! He even remembered us and asked us where have we've been! "Don't worry, Alex we won't take so long to see you next time!!"
(5)Kevin M.
The old sage says that you get what you pay for. Well, I sure paid at EJ's, but I'm still waiting for something worth the coin I laid out. About the worst service I've experienced; food along the lines of a Longhorn or Outback (gag); ambience like a Denny's. All in all a total waste of time and money.
(2)Sherry R.
Eat here often and have never had a bad meal Aside from the huge steaks, I love their fish. Simple, fresh and always delicious. It is pricey but in Chicago, ALL steakhouses are over overpriced.
(4)Fred Z.
I come here for business dinners about 3 times a year. Never disappointed! Reasonable prices and quality steaks. The veal chop is exceptional as is the GRILLED calamari (not breaded). Salad and potato side is included which is rare for a shop house in the Chicago area. Good wine list at moderate (dare I say "cheap") prices.
(4)christopher m.
First, let me start off saying the service here is impeccable, our waiter was standing by ready to serve our every need, never did we have to wait for a thing. The food, however, was not so impressive. I had the T-bone steak and ordered a lobster tail to go with it. I ordered my steak rare, and it was cooked medium rare, not the end of the world but you figure they would cook a $42 steak the way the customer ordered it. My girlfriend ordered hers medium rare and my steak looked more cooked than her steak. Next was the lobster tail, which was very tough. I would guess that it was cooked way to long, and you would think the chef would pay a bit more attention when cooking a $95 lobster tail. I didn't even finish the whole tail as i got sick of chewing lobster flavored rubber. I would give the waiters here 5 stars but the food was very mediocre. Large portions but the quality was lacking.
(3)Mary T.
OK, it's a Friday night after a very hard week at work. The hubby and I are just looking for a decent place for drinks and food. We want to find something close to the Edens expressway where we can relax, have a cocktail and a decent meal. I've passed by this place for years and thought why not give it a try? I wish we hadn't. 1. Prices are insane. I mean insane. Wine list was limited and very pricey. Pasta dishes roll in at 24.00 to start. Grilled or fried calamari is 17.00 as an appetizer, strip steak is 44.00. Come on, this is Skokie and the joint is decked out like a resort place from the 60's. This is not downtown. 2. Waitstaff is rude and can hardly be bothered to talk to you. That actually goes for everyone who works there. As I pulled in, the valet screamed at me to stop. I did and told him I didn't need valet. He informed quite rudely that it was required due to high volume. No sign indicating anything about valet service, just a young guy screaming at me....nice, very nice. I knew at that point I should have just left. 3. If you don't know these owners then just forget about it. You are nothing to them. I watched the owner EJ schmooze his regulars and give the bare minimum to new people. I realized as the treatment continued all evening long that THAT was what EJ's was all about. If you are in the in crowd it's fab, but if not then who cares? This is one of those places that could be a case study on poor management. Watch the guy in charge and how he treats others. The rest of his team follows his lead. I left that behavior far behind when I graduated from high school. Too bad EJ's didn't. We will never go back. To be fair, our dinner Chicken Vesuvio, was good and it was plentiful but it just didn't make up for how unwelcoming everyone was in this place.
(1)Jessica N.
Food was decent but definitely not worth the insane price. Service was also slow since nearly every worker there was like 60 years old! The only thing that was bothersome about the food was the butter. Not sure why such an expensive place would serve cold butter. How do you spread cold butter on bread? Also, parking was horrendous. All valet and no regular parking at all? Wow that's a first! So we were pretty much forced to valet the car and tip the guy. 3 thumb down!!! Never going back.
(2)mimi r.
Seated one hour and 45 minutes late! Yelp took down my previous review because they said it wasn't a true update. It wasn't 45 minutes after my reservation-- it was one hour and 45 minutes after my reservation. Just know that if you make a reservation here, you may not be seated anywhere near that time.
(1)Dean H.
My "Go To" place for client dinners and special events with my Skokie-based business. Atmosphere is similar to that seen at old school steakhouses such as Chicago Chop House, Ben & Jacks (my fav in NYC!) and Smith and Wollensky. Steaks are exceptional as is the service. Wine list is good with affordable pricing. The grilled calamari appetizer is simply outstanding. My clients are always pleased with the meals we have there and not uncommon for them to ask that we eat at EJ's again during return visits.
(5)Angela S.
My husband and I recently moved to the area, and while I've had family in the area for decades (driven by this place a thousand times) we have been super excited about trying local restaurants. We realize it says 'Fine dining' but we love a nice dinner and aren't afraid to spend $ if it's worth a great meal. Let me set the mood... It's Friday night, exhausting work week over, been running errands but purposely threw on a nice outfit because a nice dinner would be the perfect end to the night! At 8:45 pm we walk drive by EJs and I say, hey! Let's go there! I've always wanted to try it! We head in and while it takes 5 mins for a waiter to come by, we have to ask for a drink menu (no I can't read your mind) and settle on an expensive glass of wine (weak pour) and a beer. Still haven't seen the menu yet. Ten minutes later we get the menu. While we weren't aware it was a steakhouse before we entered, it apparently is, and there is not much on the menu to order other than a 40-55 steak. I am somewhat disappointed that there aren't a little better options for meals, and regretfully settle on a mostaccioli pasta for 24 and my husband orders chopped steak and peppers for 29. HUGE FAIL. I receive the most disgusting ground beef and red sauce thrown over penne pasta ever and my husband receives a humongous dish of MEATLOAF. Seriously, we just paid all that for cafeteria pasta and meatloaf ?! The only positive of the experience was our laugh when our dishes were placed in front of us. The waiter who cared less about us stopped over after we had taken two bites and when I said its uhh... Okay.... I'm done... He rolled his eyes and took it away. When I didn't touch my meal and didn't want a box, he should have gotten a clue. He knew we were very unhappy and made no attempt to right it. My biggest frustration with a restaurant like this is that we love supporting local and trying unique places, but, what a disappointment all around. McCormick and Schmitts is two blocks away and had seemed unnecessary in a town with so many options. Maybe we will revert back to places like that for consistency. Ejs needs to step it up and not serve garbage.
(1)L H.
I loved the ambiance of this place - Wisconsin supper club. The service wasn't very good though, and the price was insanely high for the quality. They said we could be seated right away, then made us wait 40 minutes. The cheapest steak dinner was in the high 40s/50s and it would have cost $8 for my friend to substitute a Caesar salad for the included one. Seriously, at that price, you can't let someone have romaine? The filet looked good, but was tasteless; I don't even know how such a nice cut for that price could have so little flavor. The home/cottage fries were awesome!
(1)Mrs. F.
Boring, expen$ive, and in desperate need of updating (lest I say, cleaning) have been my experiences at EJ's. There's nothing special here, except the downtown prices for the food, that is served with no frills or care. The salad is a couple of handfuls of iceberg lettuce with one translucent slice of tomato, and dressing poured on top; no cucumbers, croutons, or even ground pepper (which wasn't offered) to make it visually appealing. Who wants a pound of whitefish for $28, with no seasoning (except paprika), on a plate, and a medium-sized, scrubbed baked potato? Not even a sprig of parsley to add some color! Or a plateful of plain (again, little seasoning except capers), beige veal limone for $32, again with a plain baked potato? BTW, did I mention that side dishes, like vegetables, are extra? Entree salads are costly ($17.95), so if you want an alternative to steak-chicken-fish, your choice is...no choice--not even a burger appears on the worn menu. Looking at the food at neighboring tables, I saw equally unappealing entrees and heard a few comments about the diners' disappointment. There's valet parking--big deal--the parking lot is so small that your great-grandmother could make it to the front door from the car in a snowstorm. And pushy waiters, who are not there so much to serve you as to get you out the door so they can turn over the table; ours ignored our request for salad dressing on the side and forgot the ground pepper, but he kept asking us whether we had finished and then started hovering over us after dinner. The bottom line: instead of looking at a TV, as is visible in main the dining room instead of the bar area, go to McCormick & Schmick's in Old Orchard or Pete Miller's in Evanston for really good food and ambiance.
(2)Jaime h.
the worst experience ever! sat down, was not given a menu. we asked to see a beer menu.. he mumbled a few selections. we asked to see a wine menu.. recieved our drinks and sat, and sat and sat. 29 min later (i had checked into 4square when i sat down so i knew the exact time) we watched as at least 1/2 a dozen waiters walked around.. finally our waiter came over and asked "are you ready to order or do you need more time".. i couldnt help it.. i broke out in laughter.. he walked away. we asked for a manager, who appologized and said he would give us a new waiter. we asked for the check for our two drinks. Instead of comp'ing the drinks and urging us to give them another try, they brought over the check (and shorted us a dollar in the change) when we were leaving the manager again asked us what happened.. he then told us that there was no way we were waiting 1/2 hr because i hadnt finished my wine.. really?!? he wanted to argue with us.. now i know why everyone looked so old.. they probably just aged at their tables..
(1)Cris G.
Hmmm.. where do I start .. came here for Valentines dinner..place was packed and I said to myself, maybe this place has good food.. not until they served us with cold bread and frozen butter. .. and that's not all, menu was given , no recommendation from server , just gave us a laminated menu ...for the price of their food , I would think they can do a better presentation of the menu .. ordered steak and baked potato .. order came and they served us the fried potatoes .. ww called the attention of our waiter about the potato , he saud they ran out of baked .. we asked mashed and they ran out of it too.. ok.. they put these food on our table without even apologizing that they ran out of the ones we ordered .. we had to call their attention for that .. what amazed me is that , they would assume it's ok for us to eat those fried potatoes. .. nothing special with the steak.. with the price of it.. nahhh... wouldn't step foot on this place again ... I'll stick with capital grille and bavettes for the price I'm paying !
(1)Michelle B.
Food was good (not great) but the service was horrible!! The waiter had issues and could not figure out how to give separate checks, meanwhile there was only 6 of us! He actually asked me 5 different times if I was sure I knew what I ordered!! Then after getting it correct, he complained about us in front of our table.. we had to wait 2 hours for the correct check.. we should have walked out. And where was the manager during this fiasco??? Never again, over priced for no service...
(1)Alex B.
EJ's is a perfectly fine casual dining family steak kind of place, which is priced like it a fancy high end steak place. High end it ain't, and I don't need to pay these kind of prices to eat dinner with families with screaming kids and TVs with sports on all over the dining room. For that kind of experience I should be paying a lot less. But then again, plenty of people seemed to be willing to pay these kind of prices for an average restaurant experience when we were there. I am continually surprised at how the mediocre get ahead, but then again it looks like EJ's is laughing all the way to the bank, so what do I know? The food and service are all fine. Not great, but certainly very good. Food is well prepared, if familiar Italian steak house classics. I had a Veal Chop which was tender and well grilled. Cottage fries were also crispy and good. Broccolli Rabe was very nice. Garabge Salad to start was, once again, fine. Nothing special but it did everything it was supposed to. Big fail on the cocktail - my Manhattan was weak and lacking in flavor. If you are serving big steaks you better know how to mix a cocktail. Service was prompt and attentive, and they even handled the typical high maintenance requests for special food/drinks with aplomb. So the food is fine and the service fine. So why don't I rate it higher? It's boring - you've been to this kind of restaurant a million times and EJ's executes it well but is undistinguished. The room is awful - this is a casual dining place with TVs playing sports, no décor or ambiance, plenty of screaming kids, and an awful '70s paneling kind of thing going on. It's just bad. Finally, it's the prices. At Chicago Cut I'd pay these prices, but that's a real restaurant. EJ's is a restaurant where you take your cousin Phyllis when she is in town from Boca. For that, I should pay less.
(2)Mirela G.
Best martinis ever. Romeo is the friendliest and nicest bartender who can concoct all imaginable libations. Try grilled calamari or sausage and peppers. Alpine steak salad is great too. Sit at the bar.
(4)Breezy Q.
Epic fail. (1) The ambiance was awful -- like someone's musty old basement after some old Christmas decorations had thrown up all over it . (2) The food was pretty gross -- tasteless, over-salted, and served lukewarm. (3) The prices were OUTRAGEOUS (think $30 for ordinary plates of pasta -- in Skokie). While the portions were pretty generous, none of it seemed particularly fresh or tasty; for instance, in the spaghetti and ravioli dishes, both the noodles and the sauce seemed to come from cans/bottles. So... totally not worth it. All in all, it was an overpriced and unpleasant dinner experience. A friend recommended this place, which is how we ended up here, but honestly, I don't know how she or anyone could give this place a good review.
(1)Hunter R.
One of the best restaurants on the North Shore. Very cool, dimly lit interior. Almost like a log cabin/hunting lodge. Great wine selection and good prices. There's not many places where you can get a good bottle of Brunello for $85. The house and garbage salads are perfect. Some of the best calamari I've ever had. Good steaks. Make sure to get the thick slab of bacon as a side. BUT, the best dish on the menu is.......the CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS! Just get it. You'll have enough to take home for lunch the next day.
(5)Tony C.
EJ's Place is an anachronism and it's almost curious to see that places like this are still in business with the advances in food quality, service and presentation. This place is obviously an institution here in the skokie suburbs since there can't be any tourist business to speak of. The atmosphere is rustic midwest with a loud and raucous dining area. It's actually difficult to hear your tablemates with people seated so close to you bellowing out their conversations as if at a Foghorn Leghorn convention. Service is professional if a bit brusque and robotic. My chair was bumped so many times over the evening by waiters that I left with a mild case of PTSD. As for the food itselt, it's fine if unremarkable. I get it that this place is a throwback to the 1950's and if that's the atmosphere desired, great. However, I prefer places with some charm to the atmosphere. The only thing not from the 1950's are the prices. Yikes! they are astronomical for the quality of food offered.
(2)john k.
If you like oysters start with a dozen fresh, as good as any seafood place around. Ironically two of their best entree's are fish as well (Dover sole and Chilean sea bass) However the steak is phenomenal. Suggest the bone in ribeye medium rare with a char (Pittsburgh style). Sitting at the bar provides dinner and a "show". Be sure to ask for George Enjoy!
(5)Vince C.
I have driven by here a million times and read the reviews and knew it was expensive so I was apprehensive about trying it. I finally went and we loved loved loved it. The atmosphere is great and the waiters are totally classic. It is expensive but not anything unusual for good steaks and service. My wife had the veal chop and although I really liked my NY strip the veal was like butter. My advice is if you are not in the mood to spend money then skip it but if you want a good bottle of Cabernet and some carnivorous delights in an old school clubby atmosphere with some beautiful characters for waiters this is the place.
(5)John N.
Ate here last Thursday and it was wonderful. I love coming here. My wife and I and our baby girl flew into town and had a nice meal with friends and family. And we got to see EJ, a wonderful friend. Can't wait to eat here again!!!!
(5)Eve V.
Food is always good here. Always ask for Johny he is the best! The restaurant offers a variety of foods from pasta to chicken, steaks and seafood. They have the chicken vesuvio that is really yummy (you can order it boneless). They have this crunchy cottage fries that so good and it comes with your entree if you want it or not. Their skirt steak is really good too so don't miss out on that one. Over all they offer good food and great service but it gets loud though. But who cares as long as you're enjoying your food that is all matters most.
(4)Padma A.
My company booked a private party room for an official dinner today. Easily valet parked, we were seated, the appetizers came bang on time. The order included crab cakes,fried calamari and grilled calamari all of which were excellent. Then came the humungous salad plates, the main course was grilled slamon chicken with garlic potatoes, pasta, baked potato, mushroom in wine sauce and side of home made chips. Overall good experience and waitstaff was very polite!
(4)Bob W.
NOPE ! NOPE ! Alleged Prime steak isn' supposed to be tough and chewy ,is it ? Waiter inattentive to our TablePricey for quality and atmosphere Forced valet parking Nice bread basket.
(1)Pete M.
Ate here on 9/5/15. Will definatley go again. Shrimp Cocktail very fresh. Crab cakes-delicious. Bone in Sirloin cooked medium rare and the meat tasted as good as anything I;ve had at Morton's or Ruth;s Chris No loud annoying music so , it's possible to have a nice conversation with your guest without screaming. Nice place. Excellent Service . Wife had Breaded shrimp which were huge in a flavorful batter. Salads were crisp- not drowned in dressing The cottage fries were just OK- kind of potato chippy. I liked it a lot.
(4)Christina N.
EJs is one of my family's favorite places to go for special family dinners. The food is typically very good and it's a little expensive but worth it. The sausage and pepper appetizer is a favorite amongst the family, I also recall a very amazing key lime pie if you're looking for dessert suggestions!
(4)Cathy S.
This place is very clean and has excellent service! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good steak and comfortable atmosphere!
(5)Edgar R.
I had a fantastic dinner here this week with a colleague from work and an international guest. With respect to the concerns expressed by some of the other reviewers, I didn't experience any of that. First, we arrived early, around 5:30 and there was plenty of parking available around the back. Nobody forced us to use the valet service, which incidentally is complementary (except for tip). When you walk in, the place has the ambiance of a supper club of perhaps 50 years ago. It has a very rustic feel. You would almost imagine that Al Capone could walk through the door with a couple buddies and take a table over in the corner away from the bright lights. Yes there are a few television screens up on the wall, but they are not huge and they didn't make any noise. They didn't bother us at all. The bartender was very attentive while I and my friends had a few drinks before dinner. When we were ready, we were ushered to a cozy table on the side. Our main server was Jose, and he did an outstanding job. Every few minutes somebody would come by and fill up our drinks without disturbing the conversation. For dinner, my colleague ordered a NY Strip Steak and I had the Lake Superior Whitefish with a baked potato. I can tell you, that fish was done perfectly and it was delicious. Did I mention that the portions are enormous? By all means, take some home to enjoy later. For dessert we had a piece of chocolate cake that was big enough for the three of us to share. We just had them bring us 3 small plates and forks. Yes, it is a little more expensive than the average restaurant you might visit in this area. But you get great food, and lots of it, along with excellent service. If you're looking for an inexpensive meal, then by all means go elsewhere. But if you appreciate the atmosphere, you will have a very enjoyable experience at EJ's.
(5)Cory K.
This place has some pretty mixed reviews, so I was hesitant going in, but I wound up liking it overall. I'm an old man at heart, so whenever I see liver and onions on a menu, I can't help but order it. This did not disappoint. It was delicious, with the liver cooked a perfect medium, two gigantic pieces of thick-cut bacon. It was without a doubt the largest portion of food I've ever been served in a restaurant. I was ravenous when I sat down yet was only able to eat half of what was on my plate. I'm a pretty big eater in general, so that was pretty impressive on their part. It was definitely on the pricy side, but between the great supper club atmosphere and massive portions, I think it was worthwhile. I could definitely see this being a "special occasions" place.
(4)Zachary H.
Ate here last night with some friends from Lake Forest. It was a birthday evening and quite a bit of fun. Ordered the T-Bone steak with salad and home chips. They nailed the medium rare cook temp and the black label was flowing. Overall the experience was good. Same family that has Erie Café.
(4)Michelle B.
I should have know this was not going to be a good dining experience when I wasn't allowed to park my own car even though there were multiple open spots. The "complimentary valet" told me there were no spots and I could park across the street (which I did then had to cross busy Skokie Blvd). We had reservations and were seated promptly but it took a good 20 minutes after we sat to even get a menu. The food was bland and astronomically over priced for the quality. Service was so so but nothing to write home about. I had high hopes for EJs but it was a huge disappointment.
(1)Joel A.
Want to know why I'll never go to EJ's again? Not the food. The steaks are plenty and fine. Not the old fashioned wait staff. They are a little uptight but acceptable for an old fashioned dinner place. Nope. It's the valet parker who honked and flagged down my wife and myself because we parked our own car. This is the second time I've left the restaurant because valet out front demands that customers valet park and sometimes I don't want anyone inside my car. So tonight we pull around the side of the building away from the valet zone and the guy comes after us honking at is in another customers car and then tried to wave down my wife. We walk inside the restaurant and the staff tells us if we park on the south side of the building it is ok to self park but I'm pretty upset to be honked at by a valet so we leave - for the last time. This was 5:15 on a Tuesday and the place was empty and they lost my $200 check because of the parking lot attendant. Previously the valet told us we had to give him our car or we couldn't eat there so we left. No one is going to demand my car to park it anywhere so this place needs to wake up because it's not a good way to greet customers honking at them in the parking lot.
(1)Michael C.
Based on their web site, you'd think this was one of the finest supper clubs/steak houses on the North Shore. Judging from the parking lot, packed with Cadillacs, Benzes and Porsches, you'd have to believe it's true. Based on our experience, it's one of the all-time great rip-offs. We arrived before six and were seated immediately. Someone brought out a sad basket of dry breadsticks and took our drink orders, which arrived promptly enough. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, two Caesar salads, veal piccata and their full-size filet mignon, medium. The place filled up quickly, and I was surprised to notice that everyone else was getting these beautiful, heaping bread baskets. Seemed strange, so I asked our waiter about it. He explained that the bread delivery had just come in, and graciously offered to bring us another basket, but by then our appetizer had arrived and it was too late. The crab cake was fine, but seemed to have a lot of filler in it. The Caesar salads were oily and flavorless, with two little croutons arranged at the edge of each plate. (Must have been due to the bread shortage.) Things really went downhill when the steak arrived. It was like a lump of charcoal. The inside was gray, dry and the whole thing was completely inedible. When the waiter came back to check on things I explained the situation. He offered to bring another steak, butterflied this time, but when it arrived it was completely raw. He offered to take it back a third time, but my companion had finished his meal by then, and we had a show to catch. I had him box it up and figured I would finish cooking it at home. Our waiter did his best to handle the situation, and comped our desserts. But even then the check for two people was almost $200. I've had meals three times as good for half the price at places that were much more on point than EJ's. I left hungry, angry and feeling ripped off. Maybe they were having an off-night. The joint was packed by the time we left. It was obvious some of the waiters knew their customers well. At the table in front of us, the waiter stopped by constantly to shake hands and pat backs. When he left, there was a long and lingering hug. The prices are high, but the quality and presentation of the food sure don't justify them. We won't be back.
(1)David R.
Wow, who knew?? I've been driving past this place for over a decade with no idea what was inside: the classic steak house format set inside a Northwoods lodge. After the initial shock of being two levels under-dressed and thirty years underage, I enjoyed the meal. Everything was Old School. We got a bread basket with white, multigrain, breadsticks, and raisin bread. The house salad was 95% iceberg lettuce, and the dressing on the side came in a bowl the size of my palm. When three of us ordered garlic mashed potatoes, they brought a large bowl for the table. Other reviewers have mentioned sticker shock, and it's true that the prices seem high for the quality--but not for the quantity. I ordered the pork chops (noting the plural quizzically) and what they delivered were two inch-thick chops each the size of my hand. Good lord! One filled me up handily while the other came home with me. A couple of nitpicks: 1. Mandatory valet parking. Actually, this isn't a nitpick--I detest this policy. They get very busy on a Saturday night and want to pack the cars like sardines into their tiny parking lot. But they should just pony up to expand the parking lot. Or else charter a few shuttle buses to make a circuit through Skokie, Glenview, and Wilmette. It would probably tickle the shit out of the regulars to leave their Buicks in their garages for the night. 2. The busser who cleared our plates mumblingly asked "Coffee? Dessert?" as he leaned over the table. Only half of our group heard him, and up to then we had dealt only with our main waiter, so we were confused whether we were being offered the full range of end-of-meal options and whether this would be our only opportunity to order something else. As it turns out, we did order coffee from him and then our regular waiter came by with dessert menus. But it was awkward and annoying. If you want to offer us something, stand still, address the entire table, and communicate clearly instead of treating the entire thing like an afterthought. Better still, let the waiter handle it. Minor service snafus notwithstanding, we had an enjoyable evening. Now that I know what to expect (dress up a little and fast for 24 hours beforehand), I would be happy to return. They don't make 'em like E.J.'s anymore.
(3)Lisa A.
I live walking distance to this restaurant so we chose it for our New Year's eve dinner place and it was good but overpriced food. You can get comparable quality at Jameson's or Wildfire in this neighborhood. I ordered the fish special, Dover sole, which was done perfectly and my husband ordered the skirt steak which was hearty but not spectacular. My son had the veal parmesan with the bone and he really enjoyed that. His girlfriend ordered the chicken vesuvio which was good and plentiful. I was disappointed in the bread pudding dessert but coffee is good. It's a decent restaurant, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(3)Willis F.
Very good steak, skip the mushrooms (too peppery) and onions (too greasy). I like the creamed spinach and the mashed potatoes and the steaks are huge and always super juicy ( I order mines just past medium rare). It's really pricey, not sure if it's worth it, but it is a fantastic place to impress a date. Minus one star cause I thought the sides are over peppered and greasy, but the calamari was good and I look forward to having the soups and other appetizers, would HIGHLY recommend any of their steaks.
(4)Samantha S.
WOW. What a disappointment! Did the old lady die or did she just have a profoundly bad night. We have coming here for years as a special occasion place. When you spend 10 bucks for a bowl of spinach you expect it to be great every time even if it a busy night. Last night was valentines days so our usual 7 pm reservation was pushed to 8:30. We were finally seated at 9:15. The waiter was mediocre which is not their usual MO. Appetizers arrived 30 minutes after being ordered and salad 15 minutes later. The lamb chop was tough--it's my favorite and the reason we came to begin with. My potato never arrived. When spending north of a hundred dollars a person for dinner we expect things to be great. They were well below average. My boyfriend nicely mentioned to the waiter who was absent most of the night that the lamb was tough and overcooked. 20 minutes later he came back and offered us dessert. Hardly a resolution when only one of the two chops had been consumed. So it was a bummer of a night. We won't be back as we have better ways to spend our money and our date night!
(1)tammy m.
Food was good but it was ruined by horrible service!!! Waiter goofed everything up took over 45 min to get our food. Told manager not much was done. To expensive for it not to be excellent..... So sad when a bad waiter could ruin it!!!!
(2)Paul K.
I had the NY steak which was slightly overcooked. I didn't send it back because I didn't want the brain damage. We also had a chicken dish with vegetables & the chicken was way over cooked and a shrimp a la Leslie. The shrimp dish was the best we are there but a bit pricey at $43. However they give large portions and all the entrées include a soup or salad & a potato. For me, this place is a less well executed version of Wild Fire.
(3)Andrew B.
Very, very disappointing. Have been to EJ's many times before and enjoyed it. Decided to go this year for Valentine's day. WHAT A MISTAKE. EJ's totally overbooked...obviously hoping to capitalize on the holiday. "Could not find" our reservation, though it was made a week before. After waiting for 30 minutes (past our reservation...with several other couples from our time slot and SEVERAL from an earlier time slot), we inquired again about our table. "Two minutes." As we had heard that many times before, I said that I wanted an honest estimate as we were thinking of leaving. "10 to 15 minutes." As there were several folks still waiting from an earlier time slot, we had no confidence with the revised estimate. So we left. As we were walking out they asked "what was your name again?" My wife said, "it doesn't matter; we won't be back." They didn't seem to care. I guess they get enough one-time-diners, many of which only come on holidays, that they can afford to lose clients. As she said, "we won't be back." Would have given zero stars if Yelp had allowed.
(1)Benjamin K.
They served me a burned NY steak for $50.00. Not worth it. Never coming back to EJ's Place.
(1)Mc B.
Overpriced and terrible service. Five of us went to EJ's on a Monday night. The place was less than half full yet we waited over 40 minutes for our food -- 4 salads and an order of calamari. 40 minutes! I tried to ask our rude waiter (his name tag said Adam 12) when our food would be arriving and he wouldn't even answer me. Finally the salads came but not the calamari. We waited another ten minutes for that! The waiter offered us a free dessert to make up for the long wait but no one wanted a dessert. He tried to talk us into it but we insisted he take the calamari off the bill instead. He was arrogant and totally unapologetic about the situation. The final bill -- $225 for a few drinks and mediocre salads. I don't know how those place stays in business. I will not go back. Terrible dining experience.
(1)Manny B.
EJ's is our go to place to meet our friends from the north burbs, located in between them and us. Good solid restaurant. The food is good for steaks, chicken, and seafood. I love the roasted chicken, or the skirt steak smothered in roasted green, red, and spicy peppers. The wine list is adequate, the bar selection of whisky and spirits is robust, they have some of my favorite bourbons and tequilas. Service is very good, the waitstaff is experienced and work hard. Good steakhouse with reasonable prices.
(3)Ed S.
This is a classic old school dining experience done well. Sat at the bar and had a wonderful night. Fantastic service and tasty italian food. Wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, fire place cracking and the grandson of Gene & Georgetti's founder as the proprietor all work together to create something of a lost era of dining. I recommend you give it a try.
(4)Tom D.
Took a friend here for her birthday. The server was slow to greet us or take our drink order, and we had to flag him down for the entree order. He forgot to bring my drink, and when he did it was wrong. We both ordered lobster tail, the most expensive item on the menu at 88.00. Unfortunately it was a bit overcooked and dry.
(3)Anthony C.
Sorry EJs but after our last visit you've lost us. We avoided the place for a couple of years because the beer on tap has been old and undrinkable. However, it was our anniversary so we decided to give it another try. While the food is still good and the portions are generous, the beer was even worse which leads me to believe that nobody here drinks beer and the kegs sit for months. I had to send two different kinds back and ended up drinking bottled beer. Our server was also a real wet noodle - just going through the motions and totally unattentive, which was very dissappointing considering the prices of the food and the tip he stands to gain from good service. You feel like an outsider if you're not part of the regulars club - which is what this place seems to be. However, considering the age demographic of most of the patrons I don't think this place will be open in ten years. Most of them will be in nursing homes and the owner is doing nothing to attract a new generation of customers. Being an avid cyclist I have always tried to patronize EJs because they have sponsored cycling in the area for years. But this visit was our last.
(1)Michael A.
Let me preface this by saying I'm a former server/waiter. First time going here and was looking forward to it. Went with my wife and two kids (6 and 8). The atmosphere was what I would call upscale casual. The host was very nice and gave us a great table...then the waiter arrived. I can't say for certain but it seemed he was immediately put off when no alcohol was ordered and was asked about "kids meals". The drinks (water, iced tea, and juices) came quickly enough and then we waited much longer than usual to place our order. Keep in mind the server (S. Alex from the receipt) never once smiled or made us feel welcomed. Once the food arrived my wife had questions about her order. This is when S. Alex literally waved off her question with his hand said "eh!" and seemingly walked away in disgust. In my opinion the food was good although, a bit overpriced. Bottom line, I might go back, but I would ask for a different server if placed in S. Alex's section. Maybe he was having a bad day, but you don't bring that to the table.
(2)Stevie J.
I've been coming to EJ's since they opened. Same terrific staff who remembers me from when I was a child, same magnificent quality and portions. I love EJ's!
(5)Tim G.
Hmm...the fact that it's located next to a funeral home is not just a coincidence because once its clientele "moves on" the place will cease to exist. If they'd spend as much money on the food and its preparation as they do with the number of staff who work there, then there might be a fighting chance for this neighborhood institution could survive, unlike those who are patrons next door. The food was bland, over-priced and the potatoes were instant, not to mention the chewy cottage-fried potatoes. Great for entertaining your grandparents, not so great for a nice dinner with your mate! This, by far, was one of our worst experiences in Chicago, let alone a suburb of it. Better off eating at a chance if you are in Skokie.
(1)Diane S.
I don't believe there is a restaurant I enjoy more than EJ's. I get a kiss from Tony, my favorite waiter, and the meal kicks into gear from there: the grilled calimari, first and foremost, is not to be missed. I then proceed to the salad, and never fail to order it with the bleu cheese dressing, which is thick and extremely flavorful. This is where it gets hard: the no-miss Chicken Vesuvio, or do I try something else? I usually default to the chicken because it is always ALWAYS spectacular, and I get to enjoy it for at least two more meals at home because it is served on a plate about the size of a snow saucer. The sides are all fantastic, but I especially like the thin-sliced home fries and creamed spinach. I am not much of a dessert person, but always make an exception for EJ's. I think my last of many prior favorites was the cheesecake, but will confess that by that time in the meal, I am nearly in a food coma, so I cannot say for sure....
(5)George S.
After years of driving by this place, I finally gave it a shot, and boy was I glad I did! This was a classic Chicago Style Chop House Experience! Outstanding Table Service, with those classic straight forward five star waiters that we all love so much. You ask, "What's good?" and They ask, "What Do You Like?". I love it! This isn't a high turn over type joint where they're going to rush you in and rush you out, and that may be a little hard for some people to grasp, especially if your dining outside of your regular dinner hour. Don't Come to this place Starving, the fantastic aromas will drive you crazy while you wait. Trust me, make a reservation. This place is a special night out, come and celebrate a milestone, host your in-laws to the best, type of restaurant. The Steaks Are Amazing! So flavorful and Juicy that my mouth is watering just thinking of it. I mean it's a 12 step program just waiting to happen! The owner or at least the Guy in charge is a real restaurateur who knows his stuff, trust me I can tell. My wife had an issue with her veal, and the waiter and the host Eugene were on it like white on rice! I love that. They knew what I was paying for and they were gonna make sure we left satisfied. I can honestly say I will be taking my wife here again, and again, and again, well you get the pic! Are we Good? Good... Now, Go EAT! Cheers!
(5)L. F.
Expected so much more from this place especially for the price and packed parking lot. Dined here on a Friday night with reservation, had to wait 15 or so minutes so my husband and I sat at the bar but it took forever to get a drink and there were even two bartenders and no more than four other customers seated there. They tried seating us in their back room by ourselves. Actually every group that arrived after us was taken to the back room and all refused to sit there. Place is old school in every way and food is average at best. Go elsewhere, don't waste your money.
(2)Marnie B.
Was not expecting such great food and service. Fun place, great wine and desert. Loved the overall feel.
(5)S K.
After hearing of this place and driving by for years, we decided to finally check it out. I had always heard that this place had a loyal following much like L. Woods in Lincolnwood and Myron & Phil's on Devon. Those places I understand, EJ's I do not. It must just be family tradition or nostalgia that bring them back to EJ's because it is not the steaks. The prices are right up there with Joe's Prime Steak and Seafood and Gibson's. I mean come on - $25 for chicken vesuvio and $95 for lobster tail in Skokie. I had the bone-in ribeye medium rare ($44) and it was a very large piece of meat. Unfortunately, it was very tough and was so chargrilled on the outside that the table shook when I cut it. My husband had the sirloin al forno special and the meat was tasteless. The onions were undercooked and it really was a disappointment. The bread, salad and blue cheese dressing and the service were the only things good about our experience. If you are going to charge downtown steakhouse prices, you should at least deliver a good quality steak. Service was top-notch and that is the only reason for the two stars.
(2)kim b.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars Good neighborhood steak place and great service. If you're in the suburbs/Old Orchard shopping and want to get a nice bite to eat, but not fast food...this is a nice spot. We've always had fantastic service. Lots of choices even if you don't want steak. Rarely have to make a reservation.
(3)Steve F.
First time customer, VERY happy with EJ's. We ordered the sea bass, the food was fantastic, very tasty, fish melted in your mouth. The place reminds me of an upper Wisconsin supper club which is fun and different. The bread that comes out at the beginning of the meal was great, the salad with blue cheese dressing was amazing. We had the side broccoli also good. The service was top quality, very attentive. The wine by the glass also was tasty, Malbec, very nice. Overall, great place, the only downside is it is a bit on the pricier side, not for every Friday night (at least for us).
(5)C P.
Cool atmosphere and attentive service (although several of the waiters are difficult to understand with their accents). Very pricey for a lodge atmosphere. I asked where they got their steaks and it was confusing, they brought over other waiters to help answer. They kept saying, "the steaks are the best, very good". I asked if the beef was corn fed or grass fed. Then they brought over the manager who was surrounded by a gaggle of waiters, he says in a loud voice: "What seems to be the problem?". Suddenly I'm the bad guy. He tells me the steaks are from Stock Yard Steaks. I ask if they are grass fed and he says yes. So then he and his posse leave the table and I order a filet. It was huge (nice) but dry. When I got home I looked up Stock Yard steaks and find that all their steaks are corn fed. (Watch the movie Food Inc. and see why it matters) The steamed spinach was only ok, two of my guests wouldn't eat it. For dessert we shared a fruit tart. It was so cold you could barely cut the crust. For the money, I won't return, you can get better food, value and attitude elsewhere.
(2)Melinda B.
If zero were a rating that is what I would give. The only one who liked the steak was my dog. This place was highly recommended, by neighbors, it was a disappointment for sure. Packed parking lot started us off thinking we were in for a good meal. They must have a discount through AARP. There were no children and for that matter, we in our 40's were probably the youngest there. Our meal was awful. My husband ordered a filet ($45), my son ordered a strip steak ($45) and I had the chilean sea bass ($40). The filet was enormous but tasted like liver; it isn't possible to properly cook a steak that is so big. My son, who can put away a lot of steak filled up on the cottage fries that tasted like bacon grease (best part of the meal). I feel bad for the sea bass who gave his life to be served up so dry and crispy. In order to swallow, I had to take it down with a glass of water. More importantly, no one cared! I hope as I get older my taste buds or expectations don't go so much that EJs becomes good. Don't waste your money, go to Gibsons, Capital Grill, Ruth's Chris.
(1)Deborah G.
We were here for my husband's work holiday party. The food was excellent and the staff was very attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was nice. We were served salmon and chicken along with asparagus and potatoes. The food was excellent . My favorite was the salmon. Later a dessert assortment was served and each item was better than the next. Everything was delicious and I would definitely return on our next visit to Illinois to try some of the other menu items.
(5)Leslie K.
I never before took the time to write a restaurant review either positive or negative. But in this economy, I felt compelled to share my experience so others will not waste their hard earned money at EJ's. This is BY FAR the worst meal I ever had in a high end restaurant. The steak was tough, whitefish was fishy tasting, salmon over cooked, calamari greasy and limp. The iceberg lettuce ( ICEBURG LETTUCE??!) didn't even have a slice of tomato. The service was horrendous. The best part of the meal was the key lime pie. For almost $50 per person - there are 10 other high end restaurants that I would rather go to. WIldfire, Ruth Chris and Mortons to name a few. Don't waste your money. You will get a better meal across the street at McCormick and Schmidts or Cheescake Factory!
(1)Katie G.
Oh EJ's Place, my first "real" steakhouse experience! Once I figured out that you have to order sides at real steakhouses, I have slowly started to relax and truly enjoy the experience of eating here. (The first time I came, I ordered a big ol' hunk o' meat ... and that's exactly what I got: a big ol' hunk o' meat, on a plate, nothing else.) Now I know better and usually order some delicious steamed broccoli (or more recently, because it's coming into season: grilled zucchini!) to go with my "small filet" (which is definitely 2+ meals ...) ... or sometimes sit next to my father-in-law to snatch a handful of his cottage fries! Pastas here are also very satisfying and taste just as good heated up the next day. Service is friendly and attentive and atmosphere is cozy and nice! Portions are incredibly generous. Whatever you order and regardless of how delicious it is and how hungry you are ... you will almost certainly be taking home a size-able part of your meal to eat for lunch or dinner the next day. Best part: the doggie bags are these old school paper bags with cute little poodles printed on them. So great!
(4)Mary G.
EJs Place never disappoints. Sure, it's pricey, but worth it. That's why we save it for special occasions. Johnny is our favorite waiter. The service attentive, generous and delicious portions, and you feel very special every minute you are there. The Prime steaks are mouth watering and the shrimp cocktail is an oxymoron. They are colossal, meaty and chilled perfectly and enough to share. I love the old-school doggie bags as another reviewer mentioned, it's classy. No reason to fix what ain't broke. Looking forward to another visit to EJs. Keep up the excellent work! I tell everyone about EJs Place!
(5)Bernie M.
I went to EJ's last night to play music for a birthday party in their backroom. The staff was terrific and could not have been more accommodating. The owner EJ went out of his way to make me feel very welcome in his restaurant. I sat at the bar while I was waiting to perform and EJ brought me an appetizer with two of the most delicious huge gulf shrimp. Okay I get the oxymoron" huge shrimp" but I can tell you they were just out of this world, really fresh and flavorful. I've been to EJ's several times in past with my family and always had a great experience from the food to the service and really like the warming Wisconsin atmosphere without the hour and a half drive. My wife and I actually enjoy the non-pretentious atmosphere at EJ's and order our steaks medium rare to medium out of respect for the excellent cut of meat they serve there. So to sum it up go to EJ's relax and enjoy the food atmosphere and the service and will definitely recommend it to friends and family. Thanks again EJ you have a great place and you're a class act. Cheers!
(5)Deborah E.
Cat sitting for 12 days in your non-cat home for your good friend Lauren = zero dollars Clean out litter box (whilst gagging) for said Persian cat twice per day for 12 days = zero dollars Administer liquid Pepcid via syringe for said Persian cat every morning due to cat's Irritable Bowel Syndrome = zero dollars Administer liquid Prednisone via syringe for said Persian cat every other day = zero dollars Feed cat some dry food (non-gag inducing) every day = zero dollars Feed cat 1 tsp of GAG INDUCING wet food twice per day = zero dollars Put up with massive amounts of long haired Persian cat hair on clothes and furniture for 12 days = zero dollars Being take to EJ's for steak as a reward for our cat sitting adventure = PRICELESS My friend has been bugging me to go to EJ's for ages. And what a dumbass I am for not going sooner. We had a fabulous dinner last night - here are the highlights: 1. Huge unlimited amounts of assorted breads and breadsticks 2. FABULOUS bone-in Ribeye steak - I bet this puppy weighed over 20 ozs! So huge in fact that I have another complete leftover meal for tonight. YUM! 3. Creamy garlic mashed potatoes with just the right amount of garlic so I am not burping them up today, thank you. 4. Homer's Spumoni ice cream - orgasmic............. 5. Attentive friendly service 6. FREE valet parking 7. Very cozy ski lodge-like ambiance Other items highly recommended by other members of our party: Minestrone soup Fresh Lake Superior Whitefish Chicken Vesuvio FYI - EJ's also has a number of veal, seafood and pasta dishes, and they have a variety of side dishes which sound great including "Broiled Slab Bacon" - which greatly piqued our interest being the PIG eaters, that we are - next time perhaps. Lauren, drop off Ruddi the cat whenever you want - when are you going away again? We will cat sit ANY TIME you want! Seriously. Can't WAIT to go back to EJ's!
(4)kim s.
Great classic Italian steakhouse, service was perfect considering it was a very busy Saturday night. I have read some of the negative reviews and I find it very hard to believe them, we dine here 3-4 times a year and have never had a bad meal or bad service. Yes, it's not cheap but keep in mind everything is huge and you can share most meals !
(5)Joe Y.
all i can say about this place is if you like to eat a shoe order there steak!!!!!!!! horrible. i would not recommend this place to anyone!!!!!!!!
(1)Carolyn G.
I attended a team dinner that was hosted at EJ's Place because they are sponsors of our cycling team. This was my first time at the restaurant, and I was amazed at how great everything was! The food was amazing (well spiced, perfectly flavored) and the service was outstanding. My water glass was never empty, and we had more food than we could possibly eat. Thanks, EJ, for such a great dinner!
(5)Liz M.
"WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN HERE IN AWHILE?!?" My husband and I are still asking ourselves that question. Maybe it's because we've been trying new places... or maybe it's because the last time we went here ... we were attempting to play "cupid" and "trying to fix up" two of our friends... well, that didn't work...soooo...that being said we went back on this past Valentine's Day. YUMMMMIEEEE...so glad did!!! We starting with delicious Lobster Bisque...mmmmm. My husband had his favorite Prime Rib. Folks...I am not exaggerating, it covered the WHOLE entire plate with very little fat! I had the most delicate, flavorful, buttery Dover Sole served with Almond Butter, filleted table-side. We finished with chocolate dipped strawberries and creamy vanilla ice-cream. I think it was a V-Day special dessert, but on previous occasions we've had their Creme Brulee and Cheesecake desserts....oh just unbutton my pants now!! This place has a great, cozy, fireside, ski lodge/cabin-esque atmosphere. Inviting bar, great wine list, fantastic service, valet parking. I recommend the Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Dover Sole and the Chilean Sea Bass. NOTE: "Alex" is THE best waiter EVER!!! He even remembered us and asked us where have we've been! "Don't worry, Alex we won't take so long to see you next time!!"
(5)Kevin M.
The old sage says that you get what you pay for. Well, I sure paid at EJ's, but I'm still waiting for something worth the coin I laid out. About the worst service I've experienced; food along the lines of a Longhorn or Outback (gag); ambience like a Denny's. All in all a total waste of time and money.
(2)Sherry R.
Eat here often and have never had a bad meal Aside from the huge steaks, I love their fish. Simple, fresh and always delicious. It is pricey but in Chicago, ALL steakhouses are over overpriced.
(4)Fred Z.
I come here for business dinners about 3 times a year. Never disappointed! Reasonable prices and quality steaks. The veal chop is exceptional as is the GRILLED calamari (not breaded). Salad and potato side is included which is rare for a shop house in the Chicago area. Good wine list at moderate (dare I say "cheap") prices.
(4)christopher m.
First, let me start off saying the service here is impeccable, our waiter was standing by ready to serve our every need, never did we have to wait for a thing. The food, however, was not so impressive. I had the T-bone steak and ordered a lobster tail to go with it. I ordered my steak rare, and it was cooked medium rare, not the end of the world but you figure they would cook a $42 steak the way the customer ordered it. My girlfriend ordered hers medium rare and my steak looked more cooked than her steak. Next was the lobster tail, which was very tough. I would guess that it was cooked way to long, and you would think the chef would pay a bit more attention when cooking a $95 lobster tail. I didn't even finish the whole tail as i got sick of chewing lobster flavored rubber. I would give the waiters here 5 stars but the food was very mediocre. Large portions but the quality was lacking.
(3)Barry P.
Why would anyone except the most regular regulars eat here? Prices are in the sky, more than a great majority of Chicago restaurants, but they probably justify by saying we give huge portions, and they do, but so what. Who needs to eat like that anymore, but the kicker is the very indifferent service. Recognize me when i come in. We sat for a good ten minutes or more before even seeing our waiter, in his white outfit. Finally, after having another person summon him, he made his way over, took our wine order then disappeared again. Finally brought the wine and left. Finally came back to take our order. Giant skirt steak, and broiled salmon. Who broils anymore? No grill in a steak house? Big old veggies with the steak, at $35.50, and well done cottage fries for two of us. Decent wine, Hitching Post at $40. Had a gift card making that the only reason for going there and will not go back under any circumstances, even if offered a free meal.
(2)Greg B.
just perfect !!!!!!!!!! i started with ice cold stiegel and cob salad - after this you dont care any steak just named its perfect . ! all stuff treat you like your fam. perfect to take close family for dinner . doggie bags are perfect ! recommended
(5)kb j.
We've been to this restaurant many times and, on a weekend evening, went again for the first time in a few months. The setting is pleasant, the food is always plentiful and very good and the experienced staff (bartenders and waiters) provides efficient service. The crowd for the most part appeared to be in the 40-60 age bracket. On balance, the restaurant provides a comfortable dining experience. On Saturday evenings, this place is always packed at dinner as it was when we last attended. We had reservations, but many times, I think the restaurant views reservations as suggestions rather than a commitment and with reservations we waited about 20 minutes for our table (we've waited as long as 40+ minutes for a table on occasion even with reservations). The decor has a rustic feel to it. There is a large room that includes the bar area and a couple of side rooms as well. The main room includes (as noted) the bar area. We usually wait at the crowded bar for our table. Sometimes we stand at the bar as we did last night (other times we can find a chair at the bar) dodging servers and other customers. The restaurant is known as a steak place, but also has pasta dishes as well. However, the best thing on the menu is the chicken with peppers. This is a large portion that can be easily shared and includes chicken that is smothered in red, green and yellow peppers as well as hot banana peppers. It's very spicy and is highly recommended. Other things that are recommended include the cottage fries and shrimp cocktail. The shrimp cocktail features large firm shrimp and may the best shrimp cocktail in the Chicago area. The Caesar salad is always good. Our meals were accompanied by crisp delicious cottage fries (you always want more even if they give you an enormous serving). We also ordered sauteed broccoli (sauteed with garlic) which provided a nice accompanying side dish to the chicken. The portions are enormous and accordingly, I skipped desert. The wine list is not extensive (only about a page long) with lots of reds, but, for a steak place, its not as deep into reds as other steak places in the Chicago area.
(4)Hunter R.
Fantastic spot. Dimly lit. Awesome food. Great wine list. Garbage salad. Garlic mashed potatoes. Calamari. Oysters. Prime steaks. Dover sole. Coconut ice cream.
(5)Cris G.
Hmmm.. where do I start .. came here for Valentines dinner..place was packed and I said to myself, maybe this place has good food.. not until they served us with cold bread and frozen butter. .. and that's not all, menu was given , no recommendation from server , just gave us a laminated menu ...for the price of their food , I would think they can do a better presentation of the menu .. ordered steak and baked potato .. order came and they served us the fried potatoes .. ww called the attention of our waiter about the potato , he saud they ran out of baked .. we asked mashed and they ran out of it too.. ok.. they put these food on our table without even apologizing that they ran out of the ones we ordered .. we had to call their attention for that .. what amazed me is that , they would assume it's ok for us to eat those fried potatoes. .. nothing special with the steak.. with the price of it.. nahhh... wouldn't step foot on this place again ... I'll stick with capital grille and bavettes for the price I'm paying !
(1)Michelle B.
Food was good (not great) but the service was horrible!! The waiter had issues and could not figure out how to give separate checks, meanwhile there was only 6 of us! He actually asked me 5 different times if I was sure I knew what I ordered!! Then after getting it correct, he complained about us in front of our table.. we had to wait 2 hours for the correct check.. we should have walked out. And where was the manager during this fiasco??? Never again, over priced for no service...
(1)Alex B.
EJ's is a perfectly fine casual dining family steak kind of place, which is priced like it a fancy high end steak place. High end it ain't, and I don't need to pay these kind of prices to eat dinner with families with screaming kids and TVs with sports on all over the dining room. For that kind of experience I should be paying a lot less. But then again, plenty of people seemed to be willing to pay these kind of prices for an average restaurant experience when we were there. I am continually surprised at how the mediocre get ahead, but then again it looks like EJ's is laughing all the way to the bank, so what do I know? The food and service are all fine. Not great, but certainly very good. Food is well prepared, if familiar Italian steak house classics. I had a Veal Chop which was tender and well grilled. Cottage fries were also crispy and good. Broccolli Rabe was very nice. Garabge Salad to start was, once again, fine. Nothing special but it did everything it was supposed to. Big fail on the cocktail - my Manhattan was weak and lacking in flavor. If you are serving big steaks you better know how to mix a cocktail. Service was prompt and attentive, and they even handled the typical high maintenance requests for special food/drinks with aplomb. So the food is fine and the service fine. So why don't I rate it higher? It's boring - you've been to this kind of restaurant a million times and EJ's executes it well but is undistinguished. The room is awful - this is a casual dining place with TVs playing sports, no décor or ambiance, plenty of screaming kids, and an awful '70s paneling kind of thing going on. It's just bad. Finally, it's the prices. At Chicago Cut I'd pay these prices, but that's a real restaurant. EJ's is a restaurant where you take your cousin Phyllis when she is in town from Boca. For that, I should pay less.
(2)Zachary H.
Ate here last night with some friends from Lake Forest. It was a birthday evening and quite a bit of fun. Ordered the T-Bone steak with salad and home chips. They nailed the medium rare cook temp and the black label was flowing. Overall the experience was good. Same family that has Erie Café.
(4)Michelle B.
I should have know this was not going to be a good dining experience when I wasn't allowed to park my own car even though there were multiple open spots. The "complimentary valet" told me there were no spots and I could park across the street (which I did then had to cross busy Skokie Blvd). We had reservations and were seated promptly but it took a good 20 minutes after we sat to even get a menu. The food was bland and astronomically over priced for the quality. Service was so so but nothing to write home about. I had high hopes for EJs but it was a huge disappointment.
(1)Mirela G.
Best martinis ever. Romeo is the friendliest and nicest bartender who can concoct all imaginable libations. Try grilled calamari or sausage and peppers. Alpine steak salad is great too. Sit at the bar.
(4)Mc B.
Overpriced and terrible service. Five of us went to EJ's on a Monday night. The place was less than half full yet we waited over 40 minutes for our food -- 4 salads and an order of calamari. 40 minutes! I tried to ask our rude waiter (his name tag said Adam 12) when our food would be arriving and he wouldn't even answer me. Finally the salads came but not the calamari. We waited another ten minutes for that! The waiter offered us a free dessert to make up for the long wait but no one wanted a dessert. He tried to talk us into it but we insisted he take the calamari off the bill instead. He was arrogant and totally unapologetic about the situation. The final bill -- $225 for a few drinks and mediocre salads. I don't know how those place stays in business. I will not go back. Terrible dining experience.
(1)Manny B.
EJ's is our go to place to meet our friends from the north burbs, located in between them and us. Good solid restaurant. The food is good for steaks, chicken, and seafood. I love the roasted chicken, or the skirt steak smothered in roasted green, red, and spicy peppers. The wine list is adequate, the bar selection of whisky and spirits is robust, they have some of my favorite bourbons and tequilas. Service is very good, the waitstaff is experienced and work hard. Good steakhouse with reasonable prices.
(3)Ed S.
This is a classic old school dining experience done well. Sat at the bar and had a wonderful night. Fantastic service and tasty italian food. Wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, fire place cracking and the grandson of Gene & Georgetti's founder as the proprietor all work together to create something of a lost era of dining. I recommend you give it a try.
(4)Tom D.
Took a friend here for her birthday. The server was slow to greet us or take our drink order, and we had to flag him down for the entree order. He forgot to bring my drink, and when he did it was wrong. We both ordered lobster tail, the most expensive item on the menu at 88.00. Unfortunately it was a bit overcooked and dry.
(3)Breezy Q.
Epic fail. (1) The ambiance was awful -- like someone's musty old basement after some old Christmas decorations had thrown up all over it . (2) The food was pretty gross -- tasteless, over-salted, and served lukewarm. (3) The prices were OUTRAGEOUS (think $30 for ordinary plates of pasta -- in Skokie). While the portions were pretty generous, none of it seemed particularly fresh or tasty; for instance, in the spaghetti and ravioli dishes, both the noodles and the sauce seemed to come from cans/bottles. So... totally not worth it. All in all, it was an overpriced and unpleasant dinner experience. A friend recommended this place, which is how we ended up here, but honestly, I don't know how she or anyone could give this place a good review.
(1)Hunter R.
One of the best restaurants on the North Shore. Very cool, dimly lit interior. Almost like a log cabin/hunting lodge. Great wine selection and good prices. There's not many places where you can get a good bottle of Brunello for $85. The house and garbage salads are perfect. Some of the best calamari I've ever had. Good steaks. Make sure to get the thick slab of bacon as a side. BUT, the best dish on the menu is.......the CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS! Just get it. You'll have enough to take home for lunch the next day.
(5)Tony C.
EJ's Place is an anachronism and it's almost curious to see that places like this are still in business with the advances in food quality, service and presentation. This place is obviously an institution here in the skokie suburbs since there can't be any tourist business to speak of. The atmosphere is rustic midwest with a loud and raucous dining area. It's actually difficult to hear your tablemates with people seated so close to you bellowing out their conversations as if at a Foghorn Leghorn convention. Service is professional if a bit brusque and robotic. My chair was bumped so many times over the evening by waiters that I left with a mild case of PTSD. As for the food itselt, it's fine if unremarkable. I get it that this place is a throwback to the 1950's and if that's the atmosphere desired, great. However, I prefer places with some charm to the atmosphere. The only thing not from the 1950's are the prices. Yikes! they are astronomical for the quality of food offered.
(2)Mary G.
EJs Place never disappoints. Sure, it's pricey, but worth it. That's why we save it for special occasions. Johnny is our favorite waiter. The service attentive, generous and delicious portions, and you feel very special every minute you are there. The Prime steaks are mouth watering and the shrimp cocktail is an oxymoron. They are colossal, meaty and chilled perfectly and enough to share. I love the old-school doggie bags as another reviewer mentioned, it's classy. No reason to fix what ain't broke. Looking forward to another visit to EJs. Keep up the excellent work! I tell everyone about EJs Place!
(5)Mary T.
OK, it's a Friday night after a very hard week at work. The hubby and I are just looking for a decent place for drinks and food. We want to find something close to the Edens expressway where we can relax, have a cocktail and a decent meal. I've passed by this place for years and thought why not give it a try? I wish we hadn't. 1. Prices are insane. I mean insane. Wine list was limited and very pricey. Pasta dishes roll in at 24.00 to start. Grilled or fried calamari is 17.00 as an appetizer, strip steak is 44.00. Come on, this is Skokie and the joint is decked out like a resort place from the 60's. This is not downtown. 2. Waitstaff is rude and can hardly be bothered to talk to you. That actually goes for everyone who works there. As I pulled in, the valet screamed at me to stop. I did and told him I didn't need valet. He informed quite rudely that it was required due to high volume. No sign indicating anything about valet service, just a young guy screaming at me....nice, very nice. I knew at that point I should have just left. 3. If you don't know these owners then just forget about it. You are nothing to them. I watched the owner EJ schmooze his regulars and give the bare minimum to new people. I realized as the treatment continued all evening long that THAT was what EJ's was all about. If you are in the in crowd it's fab, but if not then who cares? This is one of those places that could be a case study on poor management. Watch the guy in charge and how he treats others. The rest of his team follows his lead. I left that behavior far behind when I graduated from high school. Too bad EJ's didn't. We will never go back. To be fair, our dinner Chicken Vesuvio, was good and it was plentiful but it just didn't make up for how unwelcoming everyone was in this place.
(1)Jessica N.
Food was decent but definitely not worth the insane price. Service was also slow since nearly every worker there was like 60 years old! The only thing that was bothersome about the food was the butter. Not sure why such an expensive place would serve cold butter. How do you spread cold butter on bread? Also, parking was horrendous. All valet and no regular parking at all? Wow that's a first! So we were pretty much forced to valet the car and tip the guy. 3 thumb down!!! Never going back.
(2)mimi r.
Seated one hour and 45 minutes late! Yelp took down my previous review because they said it wasn't a true update. It wasn't 45 minutes after my reservation-- it was one hour and 45 minutes after my reservation. Just know that if you make a reservation here, you may not be seated anywhere near that time.
(1)Dean H.
My "Go To" place for client dinners and special events with my Skokie-based business. Atmosphere is similar to that seen at old school steakhouses such as Chicago Chop House, Ben & Jacks (my fav in NYC!) and Smith and Wollensky. Steaks are exceptional as is the service. Wine list is good with affordable pricing. The grilled calamari appetizer is simply outstanding. My clients are always pleased with the meals we have there and not uncommon for them to ask that we eat at EJ's again during return visits.
(5)Angela S.
My husband and I recently moved to the area, and while I've had family in the area for decades (driven by this place a thousand times) we have been super excited about trying local restaurants. We realize it says 'Fine dining' but we love a nice dinner and aren't afraid to spend $ if it's worth a great meal. Let me set the mood... It's Friday night, exhausting work week over, been running errands but purposely threw on a nice outfit because a nice dinner would be the perfect end to the night! At 8:45 pm we walk drive by EJs and I say, hey! Let's go there! I've always wanted to try it! We head in and while it takes 5 mins for a waiter to come by, we have to ask for a drink menu (no I can't read your mind) and settle on an expensive glass of wine (weak pour) and a beer. Still haven't seen the menu yet. Ten minutes later we get the menu. While we weren't aware it was a steakhouse before we entered, it apparently is, and there is not much on the menu to order other than a 40-55 steak. I am somewhat disappointed that there aren't a little better options for meals, and regretfully settle on a mostaccioli pasta for 24 and my husband orders chopped steak and peppers for 29. HUGE FAIL. I receive the most disgusting ground beef and red sauce thrown over penne pasta ever and my husband receives a humongous dish of MEATLOAF. Seriously, we just paid all that for cafeteria pasta and meatloaf ?! The only positive of the experience was our laugh when our dishes were placed in front of us. The waiter who cared less about us stopped over after we had taken two bites and when I said its uhh... Okay.... I'm done... He rolled his eyes and took it away. When I didn't touch my meal and didn't want a box, he should have gotten a clue. He knew we were very unhappy and made no attempt to right it. My biggest frustration with a restaurant like this is that we love supporting local and trying unique places, but, what a disappointment all around. McCormick and Schmitts is two blocks away and had seemed unnecessary in a town with so many options. Maybe we will revert back to places like that for consistency. Ejs needs to step it up and not serve garbage.
(1)L H.
I loved the ambiance of this place - Wisconsin supper club. The service wasn't very good though, and the price was insanely high for the quality. They said we could be seated right away, then made us wait 40 minutes. The cheapest steak dinner was in the high 40s/50s and it would have cost $8 for my friend to substitute a Caesar salad for the included one. Seriously, at that price, you can't let someone have romaine? The filet looked good, but was tasteless; I don't even know how such a nice cut for that price could have so little flavor. The home/cottage fries were awesome!
(1)Carolyn G.
I attended a team dinner that was hosted at EJ's Place because they are sponsors of our cycling team. This was my first time at the restaurant, and I was amazed at how great everything was! The food was amazing (well spiced, perfectly flavored) and the service was outstanding. My water glass was never empty, and we had more food than we could possibly eat. Thanks, EJ, for such a great dinner!
(5)Anthony C.
Sorry EJs but after our last visit you've lost us. We avoided the place for a couple of years because the beer on tap has been old and undrinkable. However, it was our anniversary so we decided to give it another try. While the food is still good and the portions are generous, the beer was even worse which leads me to believe that nobody here drinks beer and the kegs sit for months. I had to send two different kinds back and ended up drinking bottled beer. Our server was also a real wet noodle - just going through the motions and totally unattentive, which was very dissappointing considering the prices of the food and the tip he stands to gain from good service. You feel like an outsider if you're not part of the regulars club - which is what this place seems to be. However, considering the age demographic of most of the patrons I don't think this place will be open in ten years. Most of them will be in nursing homes and the owner is doing nothing to attract a new generation of customers. Being an avid cyclist I have always tried to patronize EJs because they have sponsored cycling in the area for years. But this visit was our last.
(1)Michael A.
Let me preface this by saying I'm a former server/waiter. First time going here and was looking forward to it. Went with my wife and two kids (6 and 8). The atmosphere was what I would call upscale casual. The host was very nice and gave us a great table...then the waiter arrived. I can't say for certain but it seemed he was immediately put off when no alcohol was ordered and was asked about "kids meals". The drinks (water, iced tea, and juices) came quickly enough and then we waited much longer than usual to place our order. Keep in mind the server (S. Alex from the receipt) never once smiled or made us feel welcomed. Once the food arrived my wife had questions about her order. This is when S. Alex literally waved off her question with his hand said "eh!" and seemingly walked away in disgust. In my opinion the food was good although, a bit overpriced. Bottom line, I might go back, but I would ask for a different server if placed in S. Alex's section. Maybe he was having a bad day, but you don't bring that to the table.
(2)Stevie J.
I've been coming to EJ's since they opened. Same terrific staff who remembers me from when I was a child, same magnificent quality and portions. I love EJ's!
(5)Tim G.
Hmm...the fact that it's located next to a funeral home is not just a coincidence because once its clientele "moves on" the place will cease to exist. If they'd spend as much money on the food and its preparation as they do with the number of staff who work there, then there might be a fighting chance for this neighborhood institution could survive, unlike those who are patrons next door. The food was bland, over-priced and the potatoes were instant, not to mention the chewy cottage-fried potatoes. Great for entertaining your grandparents, not so great for a nice dinner with your mate! This, by far, was one of our worst experiences in Chicago, let alone a suburb of it. Better off eating at a chance if you are in Skokie.
(1)Diane S.
I don't believe there is a restaurant I enjoy more than EJ's. I get a kiss from Tony, my favorite waiter, and the meal kicks into gear from there: the grilled calimari, first and foremost, is not to be missed. I then proceed to the salad, and never fail to order it with the bleu cheese dressing, which is thick and extremely flavorful. This is where it gets hard: the no-miss Chicken Vesuvio, or do I try something else? I usually default to the chicken because it is always ALWAYS spectacular, and I get to enjoy it for at least two more meals at home because it is served on a plate about the size of a snow saucer. The sides are all fantastic, but I especially like the thin-sliced home fries and creamed spinach. I am not much of a dessert person, but always make an exception for EJ's. I think my last of many prior favorites was the cheesecake, but will confess that by that time in the meal, I am nearly in a food coma, so I cannot say for sure....
(5)George S.
After years of driving by this place, I finally gave it a shot, and boy was I glad I did! This was a classic Chicago Style Chop House Experience! Outstanding Table Service, with those classic straight forward five star waiters that we all love so much. You ask, "What's good?" and They ask, "What Do You Like?". I love it! This isn't a high turn over type joint where they're going to rush you in and rush you out, and that may be a little hard for some people to grasp, especially if your dining outside of your regular dinner hour. Don't Come to this place Starving, the fantastic aromas will drive you crazy while you wait. Trust me, make a reservation. This place is a special night out, come and celebrate a milestone, host your in-laws to the best, type of restaurant. The Steaks Are Amazing! So flavorful and Juicy that my mouth is watering just thinking of it. I mean it's a 12 step program just waiting to happen! The owner or at least the Guy in charge is a real restaurateur who knows his stuff, trust me I can tell. My wife had an issue with her veal, and the waiter and the host Eugene were on it like white on rice! I love that. They knew what I was paying for and they were gonna make sure we left satisfied. I can honestly say I will be taking my wife here again, and again, and again, well you get the pic! Are we Good? Good... Now, Go EAT! Cheers!
(5)L. F.
Expected so much more from this place especially for the price and packed parking lot. Dined here on a Friday night with reservation, had to wait 15 or so minutes so my husband and I sat at the bar but it took forever to get a drink and there were even two bartenders and no more than four other customers seated there. They tried seating us in their back room by ourselves. Actually every group that arrived after us was taken to the back room and all refused to sit there. Place is old school in every way and food is average at best. Go elsewhere, don't waste your money.
(2)Marnie B.
Was not expecting such great food and service. Fun place, great wine and desert. Loved the overall feel.
(5)S K.
After hearing of this place and driving by for years, we decided to finally check it out. I had always heard that this place had a loyal following much like L. Woods in Lincolnwood and Myron & Phil's on Devon. Those places I understand, EJ's I do not. It must just be family tradition or nostalgia that bring them back to EJ's because it is not the steaks. The prices are right up there with Joe's Prime Steak and Seafood and Gibson's. I mean come on - $25 for chicken vesuvio and $95 for lobster tail in Skokie. I had the bone-in ribeye medium rare ($44) and it was a very large piece of meat. Unfortunately, it was very tough and was so chargrilled on the outside that the table shook when I cut it. My husband had the sirloin al forno special and the meat was tasteless. The onions were undercooked and it really was a disappointment. The bread, salad and blue cheese dressing and the service were the only things good about our experience. If you are going to charge downtown steakhouse prices, you should at least deliver a good quality steak. Service was top-notch and that is the only reason for the two stars.
(2)kim b.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars Good neighborhood steak place and great service. If you're in the suburbs/Old Orchard shopping and want to get a nice bite to eat, but not fast food...this is a nice spot. We've always had fantastic service. Lots of choices even if you don't want steak. Rarely have to make a reservation.
(3)Steve F.
First time customer, VERY happy with EJ's. We ordered the sea bass, the food was fantastic, very tasty, fish melted in your mouth. The place reminds me of an upper Wisconsin supper club which is fun and different. The bread that comes out at the beginning of the meal was great, the salad with blue cheese dressing was amazing. We had the side broccoli also good. The service was top quality, very attentive. The wine by the glass also was tasty, Malbec, very nice. Overall, great place, the only downside is it is a bit on the pricier side, not for every Friday night (at least for us).
(5)C P.
Cool atmosphere and attentive service (although several of the waiters are difficult to understand with their accents). Very pricey for a lodge atmosphere. I asked where they got their steaks and it was confusing, they brought over other waiters to help answer. They kept saying, "the steaks are the best, very good". I asked if the beef was corn fed or grass fed. Then they brought over the manager who was surrounded by a gaggle of waiters, he says in a loud voice: "What seems to be the problem?". Suddenly I'm the bad guy. He tells me the steaks are from Stock Yard Steaks. I ask if they are grass fed and he says yes. So then he and his posse leave the table and I order a filet. It was huge (nice) but dry. When I got home I looked up Stock Yard steaks and find that all their steaks are corn fed. (Watch the movie Food Inc. and see why it matters) The steamed spinach was only ok, two of my guests wouldn't eat it. For dessert we shared a fruit tart. It was so cold you could barely cut the crust. For the money, I won't return, you can get better food, value and attitude elsewhere.
(2)Melinda B.
If zero were a rating that is what I would give. The only one who liked the steak was my dog. This place was highly recommended, by neighbors, it was a disappointment for sure. Packed parking lot started us off thinking we were in for a good meal. They must have a discount through AARP. There were no children and for that matter, we in our 40's were probably the youngest there. Our meal was awful. My husband ordered a filet ($45), my son ordered a strip steak ($45) and I had the chilean sea bass ($40). The filet was enormous but tasted like liver; it isn't possible to properly cook a steak that is so big. My son, who can put away a lot of steak filled up on the cottage fries that tasted like bacon grease (best part of the meal). I feel bad for the sea bass who gave his life to be served up so dry and crispy. In order to swallow, I had to take it down with a glass of water. More importantly, no one cared! I hope as I get older my taste buds or expectations don't go so much that EJs becomes good. Don't waste your money, go to Gibsons, Capital Grill, Ruth's Chris.
(1)Deborah G.
We were here for my husband's work holiday party. The food was excellent and the staff was very attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was nice. We were served salmon and chicken along with asparagus and potatoes. The food was excellent . My favorite was the salmon. Later a dessert assortment was served and each item was better than the next. Everything was delicious and I would definitely return on our next visit to Illinois to try some of the other menu items.
(5)Leslie K.
I never before took the time to write a restaurant review either positive or negative. But in this economy, I felt compelled to share my experience so others will not waste their hard earned money at EJ's. This is BY FAR the worst meal I ever had in a high end restaurant. The steak was tough, whitefish was fishy tasting, salmon over cooked, calamari greasy and limp. The iceberg lettuce ( ICEBURG LETTUCE??!) didn't even have a slice of tomato. The service was horrendous. The best part of the meal was the key lime pie. For almost $50 per person - there are 10 other high end restaurants that I would rather go to. WIldfire, Ruth Chris and Mortons to name a few. Don't waste your money. You will get a better meal across the street at McCormick and Schmidts or Cheescake Factory!
(1)Katie G.
Oh EJ's Place, my first "real" steakhouse experience! Once I figured out that you have to order sides at real steakhouses, I have slowly started to relax and truly enjoy the experience of eating here. (The first time I came, I ordered a big ol' hunk o' meat ... and that's exactly what I got: a big ol' hunk o' meat, on a plate, nothing else.) Now I know better and usually order some delicious steamed broccoli (or more recently, because it's coming into season: grilled zucchini!) to go with my "small filet" (which is definitely 2+ meals ...) ... or sometimes sit next to my father-in-law to snatch a handful of his cottage fries! Pastas here are also very satisfying and taste just as good heated up the next day. Service is friendly and attentive and atmosphere is cozy and nice! Portions are incredibly generous. Whatever you order and regardless of how delicious it is and how hungry you are ... you will almost certainly be taking home a size-able part of your meal to eat for lunch or dinner the next day. Best part: the doggie bags are these old school paper bags with cute little poodles printed on them. So great!
(4)Bernie M.
I went to EJ's last night to play music for a birthday party in their backroom. The staff was terrific and could not have been more accommodating. The owner EJ went out of his way to make me feel very welcome in his restaurant. I sat at the bar while I was waiting to perform and EJ brought me an appetizer with two of the most delicious huge gulf shrimp. Okay I get the oxymoron" huge shrimp" but I can tell you they were just out of this world, really fresh and flavorful. I've been to EJ's several times in past with my family and always had a great experience from the food to the service and really like the warming Wisconsin atmosphere without the hour and a half drive. My wife and I actually enjoy the non-pretentious atmosphere at EJ's and order our steaks medium rare to medium out of respect for the excellent cut of meat they serve there. So to sum it up go to EJ's relax and enjoy the food atmosphere and the service and will definitely recommend it to friends and family. Thanks again EJ you have a great place and you're a class act. Cheers!
(5)Deborah E.
Cat sitting for 12 days in your non-cat home for your good friend Lauren = zero dollars Clean out litter box (whilst gagging) for said Persian cat twice per day for 12 days = zero dollars Administer liquid Pepcid via syringe for said Persian cat every morning due to cat's Irritable Bowel Syndrome = zero dollars Administer liquid Prednisone via syringe for said Persian cat every other day = zero dollars Feed cat some dry food (non-gag inducing) every day = zero dollars Feed cat 1 tsp of GAG INDUCING wet food twice per day = zero dollars Put up with massive amounts of long haired Persian cat hair on clothes and furniture for 12 days = zero dollars Being take to EJ's for steak as a reward for our cat sitting adventure = PRICELESS My friend has been bugging me to go to EJ's for ages. And what a dumbass I am for not going sooner. We had a fabulous dinner last night - here are the highlights: 1. Huge unlimited amounts of assorted breads and breadsticks 2. FABULOUS bone-in Ribeye steak - I bet this puppy weighed over 20 ozs! So huge in fact that I have another complete leftover meal for tonight. YUM! 3. Creamy garlic mashed potatoes with just the right amount of garlic so I am not burping them up today, thank you. 4. Homer's Spumoni ice cream - orgasmic............. 5. Attentive friendly service 6. FREE valet parking 7. Very cozy ski lodge-like ambiance Other items highly recommended by other members of our party: Minestrone soup Fresh Lake Superior Whitefish Chicken Vesuvio FYI - EJ's also has a number of veal, seafood and pasta dishes, and they have a variety of side dishes which sound great including "Broiled Slab Bacon" - which greatly piqued our interest being the PIG eaters, that we are - next time perhaps. Lauren, drop off Ruddi the cat whenever you want - when are you going away again? We will cat sit ANY TIME you want! Seriously. Can't WAIT to go back to EJ's!
(4)kim s.
Great classic Italian steakhouse, service was perfect considering it was a very busy Saturday night. I have read some of the negative reviews and I find it very hard to believe them, we dine here 3-4 times a year and have never had a bad meal or bad service. Yes, it's not cheap but keep in mind everything is huge and you can share most meals !
(5)Joe Y.
all i can say about this place is if you like to eat a shoe order there steak!!!!!!!! horrible. i would not recommend this place to anyone!!!!!!!!
(1)Liz M.
"WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN HERE IN AWHILE?!?" My husband and I are still asking ourselves that question. Maybe it's because we've been trying new places... or maybe it's because the last time we went here ... we were attempting to play "cupid" and "trying to fix up" two of our friends... well, that didn't work...soooo...that being said we went back on this past Valentine's Day. YUMMMMIEEEE...so glad did!!! We starting with delicious Lobster Bisque...mmmmm. My husband had his favorite Prime Rib. Folks...I am not exaggerating, it covered the WHOLE entire plate with very little fat! I had the most delicate, flavorful, buttery Dover Sole served with Almond Butter, filleted table-side. We finished with chocolate dipped strawberries and creamy vanilla ice-cream. I think it was a V-Day special dessert, but on previous occasions we've had their Creme Brulee and Cheesecake desserts....oh just unbutton my pants now!! This place has a great, cozy, fireside, ski lodge/cabin-esque atmosphere. Inviting bar, great wine list, fantastic service, valet parking. I recommend the Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Dover Sole and the Chilean Sea Bass. NOTE: "Alex" is THE best waiter EVER!!! He even remembered us and asked us where have we've been! "Don't worry, Alex we won't take so long to see you next time!!"
(5)Kevin M.
The old sage says that you get what you pay for. Well, I sure paid at EJ's, but I'm still waiting for something worth the coin I laid out. About the worst service I've experienced; food along the lines of a Longhorn or Outback (gag); ambience like a Denny's. All in all a total waste of time and money.
(2)Sherry R.
Eat here often and have never had a bad meal Aside from the huge steaks, I love their fish. Simple, fresh and always delicious. It is pricey but in Chicago, ALL steakhouses are over overpriced.
(4)Fred Z.
I come here for business dinners about 3 times a year. Never disappointed! Reasonable prices and quality steaks. The veal chop is exceptional as is the GRILLED calamari (not breaded). Salad and potato side is included which is rare for a shop house in the Chicago area. Good wine list at moderate (dare I say "cheap") prices.
(4)christopher m.
First, let me start off saying the service here is impeccable, our waiter was standing by ready to serve our every need, never did we have to wait for a thing. The food, however, was not so impressive. I had the T-bone steak and ordered a lobster tail to go with it. I ordered my steak rare, and it was cooked medium rare, not the end of the world but you figure they would cook a $42 steak the way the customer ordered it. My girlfriend ordered hers medium rare and my steak looked more cooked than her steak. Next was the lobster tail, which was very tough. I would guess that it was cooked way to long, and you would think the chef would pay a bit more attention when cooking a $95 lobster tail. I didn't even finish the whole tail as i got sick of chewing lobster flavored rubber. I would give the waiters here 5 stars but the food was very mediocre. Large portions but the quality was lacking.
(3)Barry P.
Why would anyone except the most regular regulars eat here? Prices are in the sky, more than a great majority of Chicago restaurants, but they probably justify by saying we give huge portions, and they do, but so what. Who needs to eat like that anymore, but the kicker is the very indifferent service. Recognize me when i come in. We sat for a good ten minutes or more before even seeing our waiter, in his white outfit. Finally, after having another person summon him, he made his way over, took our wine order then disappeared again. Finally brought the wine and left. Finally came back to take our order. Giant skirt steak, and broiled salmon. Who broils anymore? No grill in a steak house? Big old veggies with the steak, at $35.50, and well done cottage fries for two of us. Decent wine, Hitching Post at $40. Had a gift card making that the only reason for going there and will not go back under any circumstances, even if offered a free meal.
(2)Greg B.
just perfect !!!!!!!!!! i started with ice cold stiegel and cob salad - after this you dont care any steak just named its perfect . ! all stuff treat you like your fam. perfect to take close family for dinner . doggie bags are perfect ! recommended
(5)kb j.
We've been to this restaurant many times and, on a weekend evening, went again for the first time in a few months. The setting is pleasant, the food is always plentiful and very good and the experienced staff (bartenders and waiters) provides efficient service. The crowd for the most part appeared to be in the 40-60 age bracket. On balance, the restaurant provides a comfortable dining experience. On Saturday evenings, this place is always packed at dinner as it was when we last attended. We had reservations, but many times, I think the restaurant views reservations as suggestions rather than a commitment and with reservations we waited about 20 minutes for our table (we've waited as long as 40+ minutes for a table on occasion even with reservations). The decor has a rustic feel to it. There is a large room that includes the bar area and a couple of side rooms as well. The main room includes (as noted) the bar area. We usually wait at the crowded bar for our table. Sometimes we stand at the bar as we did last night (other times we can find a chair at the bar) dodging servers and other customers. The restaurant is known as a steak place, but also has pasta dishes as well. However, the best thing on the menu is the chicken with peppers. This is a large portion that can be easily shared and includes chicken that is smothered in red, green and yellow peppers as well as hot banana peppers. It's very spicy and is highly recommended. Other things that are recommended include the cottage fries and shrimp cocktail. The shrimp cocktail features large firm shrimp and may the best shrimp cocktail in the Chicago area. The Caesar salad is always good. Our meals were accompanied by crisp delicious cottage fries (you always want more even if they give you an enormous serving). We also ordered sauteed broccoli (sauteed with garlic) which provided a nice accompanying side dish to the chicken. The portions are enormous and accordingly, I skipped desert. The wine list is not extensive (only about a page long) with lots of reds, but, for a steak place, its not as deep into reds as other steak places in the Chicago area.
(4)Hunter R.
Fantastic spot. Dimly lit. Awesome food. Great wine list. Garbage salad. Garlic mashed potatoes. Calamari. Oysters. Prime steaks. Dover sole. Coconut ice cream.
(5)Mrs. F.
Boring, expen$ive, and in desperate need of updating (lest I say, cleaning) have been my experiences at EJ's. There's nothing special here, except the downtown prices for the food, that is served with no frills or care. The salad is a couple of handfuls of iceberg lettuce with one translucent slice of tomato, and dressing poured on top; no cucumbers, croutons, or even ground pepper (which wasn't offered) to make it visually appealing. Who wants a pound of whitefish for $28, with no seasoning (except paprika), on a plate, and a medium-sized, scrubbed baked potato? Not even a sprig of parsley to add some color! Or a plateful of plain (again, little seasoning except capers), beige veal limone for $32, again with a plain baked potato? BTW, did I mention that side dishes, like vegetables, are extra? Entree salads are costly ($17.95), so if you want an alternative to steak-chicken-fish, your choice is...no choice--not even a burger appears on the worn menu. Looking at the food at neighboring tables, I saw equally unappealing entrees and heard a few comments about the diners' disappointment. There's valet parking--big deal--the parking lot is so small that your great-grandmother could make it to the front door from the car in a snowstorm. And pushy waiters, who are not there so much to serve you as to get you out the door so they can turn over the table; ours ignored our request for salad dressing on the side and forgot the ground pepper, but he kept asking us whether we had finished and then started hovering over us after dinner. The bottom line: instead of looking at a TV, as is visible in main the dining room instead of the bar area, go to McCormick & Schmick's in Old Orchard or Pete Miller's in Evanston for really good food and ambiance.
(2)Jaime h.
the worst experience ever! sat down, was not given a menu. we asked to see a beer menu.. he mumbled a few selections. we asked to see a wine menu.. recieved our drinks and sat, and sat and sat. 29 min later (i had checked into 4square when i sat down so i knew the exact time) we watched as at least 1/2 a dozen waiters walked around.. finally our waiter came over and asked "are you ready to order or do you need more time".. i couldnt help it.. i broke out in laughter.. he walked away. we asked for a manager, who appologized and said he would give us a new waiter. we asked for the check for our two drinks. Instead of comp'ing the drinks and urging us to give them another try, they brought over the check (and shorted us a dollar in the change) when we were leaving the manager again asked us what happened.. he then told us that there was no way we were waiting 1/2 hr because i hadnt finished my wine.. really?!? he wanted to argue with us.. now i know why everyone looked so old.. they probably just aged at their tables..
(1)