Diners' Choice: American restaurants in Chicago / Illinois

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall American cuisine in Chicago / Illinois? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Bluegrass

4.9

4.9 (2668)

$30 and under

American

Highland Park

About the restaurant

Bluegrass is a casual restaurant located in Highland Park. With a cozy setting nestled into the west side of town it is a true destination dining location. Complete with a warm friendly bar and an American flare, Bluegrass blends in a little Southern influence into its repertoire. The wine and beer selections are all American, along with a full back bar, all hand selected to echo the quality of the fare. Aside from a beautiful setting, the restaurant has extraordinary food and service with a remarkable value.
Check our website for details on the events during the summer, as well as our Facebook page. We have many wonderful, rotating specials therefore consult our online menu regularly.

Top review

Marla

Dined 6 days ago

Great service! And warm atmosphere. Food was very good and generous portions. And a lovely anniversary celebration- a wow dessert! Thank you!

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Popular dish

Louisiana Blackened Grouper

4.8

4.8 (1042)

$31 to $50

American

Galena

About the restaurant

Oct 2022 - Rated Tripadvisor Best of The Best - Top 10 Date Night Restaurant In The U.S.
Unmatched Old World décor, a diverse wine cellar, and premier personal service are all complemented by our chef's creative cuisine. Enjoy dining in one of our cozy booths, elegant tables with breathtaking views overlooking the Mississippi River or our interactive Chef's Table.

Top review

Tim

Dined 3 days ago

Wonderful experience. Outstanding dinner and service from a very friendly staff who could not have been nicer. Well worth the drive.

Molly's Kitchen & Bar

5.0

5 (533)

$30 and under

American

Mount Carroll

About the restaurant

Located in Mount Carroll, IL, Molly’s Kitchen & Bar serves
Classic Cuisine and Cocktails made from scratch.

Top review

Ray

Dined 6 days ago

This is a gem great food and service if in the area must stop. They have limited days and hours so Check .

Gale Street Inn

4.9

4.9 (321)

$31 to $50

American

Jefferson Park

About the restaurant

Speak easy vibes set the feel of this old school Chicago tavern. Mix in live music Thursday through Saturday and your environment is cool and complete for a great dining experience. Think Supper Club. Dinner at the bar is also an option with the full menu available. Ribs, Steaks and Seafood front the fare along with fantastic sides and soups. Don't sleep on the Burgers... served with fresh cut fries. The Baby Back Ribs take top billing and you can pair them with your choice of seafood including fried shrimp, steamed crablegs or half a chicken. Quality and consistency in both food and service are worthy of your dining dollar. A recent make over of our side room has inspired Club 45. A perfect private room with a mix of seating arangements for lunch, brunch or dinner affairs. Let us host your next gathering of 20 to 50 guests. Free parking is available right next to the restaurant in the Huntington Bank lot.
We thank you in advance for joining us,

Top review

JeannineVIP

Dined on Jun 16, 2025

We truly appreciate the incredible flexibility! George kindly allowed us to merge two reservations into one—on Father's Day, no less! Unfortunately, due to our own mix-up, we couldn’t make it. Rescheduling for Monday turned out to be a great decision. We noticed plenty of exciting new menu additions, but since it was Rib Mondays, we couldn’t resist sticking to tradition. That said, the new side dishes were a fantastic surprise. I can’t wait to try the lemon chicken next time!

EJ's Place

4.9

4.9 (1858)

$31 to $50

American

Skokie

About the restaurant

Owner, EJ Lenzi, and managers bring over 100 years of combined restaurant experience to Chicago's North Shore. Teamed with a mature, experienced wait staff, and serving the finest food products available, EJ's Place has become the North Shore's premiere supper club. Established since 1997 and selected one of the Chicago Magazine's Best New Restaurants, EJ's menu consists of prime aged steaks and chops, pristine seafood, and traditional Italian specialties. EJ's Place serves only the best, from their family to yours.

Top review

LisaVIP

Dined 4 days ago

We had a shrimp cocktail and a crab cake appetizer that were delicious. We had Dover sole and branzino. Everything was great with excellent service. Thanks

North Pond

4.9

4.9 (4906)

$50 and over

American

Lincoln Park

About the restaurant

Inspired by the market, Chef César Murillo utilizes exceptional ingredients at the height of their season. His tasting menu reflects the Arts & Crafts approach of the dining room - complex layers of subtle craft beneath a simple decorative style.
We offer a five-course tasting menu with optional wine pairings. The menu is not á la carte.
Tables in the front room or patio, overlooking the pond, are seated first come, first serve. We do not hold tables. All tables for more than 4 people are seated in our main dining room.
We accept reservations for a maximum of 8 people at one table.
A cancellation charge of $25 per person is applied to all same day cancellations.

Top review

Patrick

Dined 5 days ago

We have celebrated more than one Wedding Anniversary at North Pond, and it has always been a wonderful experience. They made us feel "special," and the food was excellent, both in taste and in presentation.

RL Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (7629)

$31 to $50

American

Gold Coast / Streeterville

About the restaurant

If you do not find availability online, please call the restaurant directly at 312-475-1100.

Located adjacent to the Ralph Lauren Chicago flagship store on Michigan Avenue, RL Restaurant features the vision and décor of Ralph Lauren in a modern club atmosphere.
RL Restaurant offers classic American cuisine inspired by Ralph Lauren’s personal favorites. Seasonal dishes range from a chopped vegetable salad to a lobster roll sandwich, grilled fish of the day and steaks. On the cocktail list, guests can choose from classic drinks and a diverse selection of wines and other fine spirits.

Top review

RachelVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Fabulous food! Incredible location- wonderful service !

Ada Street

4.8

4.8 (1108)

$31 to $50

American

Bucktown / Wicker Park

About the restaurant

Located in the Elston Industrial District--not quite Bucktown, not quite Lincoln Park--Ada Street offers dinner service five days a week.

Top review

ElainaVIP

Dined 4 days ago

We hadn’t been here in years, and we were so pleased to see it still going strong. The service was impeccable. We ordered the eggplant, which was phenomenal. We also ordered the snap peas—so delicious. We also got the steak frites—super generous portion and also so yummy. For cocktails, we got the manhattan and the killing floor. The killing floor is a great, balanced summer cocktail and the manhattan was spirit forward and so good. We ate on the patio and it was just lovely. Highly recommend!

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4.8

4.8 (4988)

$31 to $50

American

Galena

About the restaurant

Fried Green Tomatoes proudly serves steaks, seafood & pasta. We boast a Wine Spectator Award winning wine menu. Outstanding service and an inviting atmosphere make Fried Green a must stop while in downtown historic Galena, Illinois. Fried Green Tomatoes is the place for steak, fresh scallops, and homemade lasagna. Reservations accepted.

PLEASE NOTE: We are a multi-level dining facility in a historic downtown building. For the dining enjoyment for all of our guests, we do not provide highchairs or booster seats.

We try our best to accommodate your requests but we do not guarantee certain tables.

Top review

Nicole

Dined on Jun 23, 2025

Dylan was an incredible server. All the wait staff attended to us and the food was delicious!

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4.8

4.8 (480)

$31 to $50

American

Logan Square

About the restaurant

Midwest Italian restaurant focusing on house made pastas, utilizing vegetables from Chef Joe Frillman’s family farm.

Our bakery and cafe serves La Colombe Coffee alongside an array of pastries and sandwiches crafted by Chef Leigh Omilinksy.

Dinner reservations are available Tuesday - Sunday; we are closed for dinner service on Mondays.
Our cafe operates from 7:00am - 3:00pm every day.
Lunch is available from 11:00am - 2:00pm every day.
We do not take lunch or cafe reservations, it is first come first served.

Please note that there will be a 25% service charge applied to all bills. This goes to pay our staff equitably as well as provide health and other benefits not typically offered in restaurants.

Top review

Megan

Dined 6 days ago

Daisies was delicious! Our server was wonderful and gave us great recommendations. Highly recommend for dinner!

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