Buck Russell's

Takeaway: Incredible sandwiches in a fun, old-school diner package, but definitely pricey for what it is Context: Dined-in for lunch What I Got: Turkey Jeweler (9/10) One of the best turkey sandwiches I've ever had. Warm shaved turkey with an incredible, just sweet and tangy enough spread with peppers that add that extra zing . Really just one of the best sandwiches I've had in the area - especially considering just how simple it was. However, for ~$14, it really was quite a small sandwich. I still think it's probably worth it, since the sandwich itself really was quite impressive, but the decor is actually a bit misleading in this sense, since you're expecting something a little more substantial with the image that it gives off.

Excellent and generous service. Interior design and layout looks great and provides space for any occasion and any meal w/ the italian & dessert spaces. Variety of sandwiches made this a good spot for takeout lunch.

Excellent service. Wonderful ice cream. Lovely cupcakes, cookies. The ice cream is not crazy sweet, which is perfect. The coffee is peefect. Excellent cappucino.

Great food. The wheat bread is a little dense, but the filling is spot on. The burger is very, very good. Prices are fair for what you get. The atmosphere is great as well. Overall a spot I’ll definitely visit again.

Food was fantastic! Desserts were mouth watering! Cute place! Love that they do classes!

Just had lunch here for the first time and we all thought the sandwiches were delicious and the whopper milkshake the best. Two of us shared a fried chicken which was more than enough and one of us had the burger which was outstanding. So were the fries which were hot and crispy. While it is expensive, the quality of the food is excellent. We will definitely return.

I ordered 3 reuben sandwiches and it had very little meat and a lot of sour kraut...........it used to be opposite, after all these sandwiches were $50 I feel like you don't get your moneys worth. DISAPPOINTED

I arrived to pick up my online order of 2 Ruebens and one mint milkshake for my mother's 80th birthday! Low and behold, there was a mistake and it had been taken with another online order by mistake. They graciously paid for my children's slices of pizza while we waited and then refunded the entire order. They went above and beyond and we weren't expecting that. Anticipating needs, attention to detail and gracious with the mistake that can happen. Can't wait to return. I had heard they had the best Reubens you have EVER had and my mother agreed. Thank you for such incredible customer service.

I heard they create some of the desserts for the nearby Sophia Steak so I had to try it! Part of the restaurant group. This is a dessert shoppe connected to the 'pizza by sal.' The oversized brownie was fudgy and topped with lots of giant chocolate chips They also offer a few cakes and ice cream in the old fashioned soda shop setup

We stopped here to some hot chocolate so that's what we had it's good not to bad. Cool spot for sure lots of treats and cake and ice cream as well among other drinks. I do recommend it for sure.

We were near Buck Russell's so we stopped in for sandwiches to go. The dining room has a cozy retro feel. I wouldn't be surprised if a movie filmed there. The staff are friendly and efficient. We didn't have to wait long for our order. The sandwiches are a bit expensive for what they are. I ordered The North Shore Turkey Club and my husband ordered the Smilin' Guy. Both sandwiches came on a hoagie roll in either white or wheat and come with a pickle spear. Both sandwiches were good although the vinaigrette on the club made for a messy eating experience. We are glad we gave Buck Russell's a try.

The flavor of the sandwiches isn't bad, but the consistency of the bread and the ratio of bread to fillings was off. The bread was soggy, unfortunately. The pricing of the sandwiches seems to be wildly off, as well. One mini sandwich and chips cost basically what double that sandwich costs. Honestly, just not a place I think I'll return.

Had a great lunch. Food and service was top-notch sure wish this little gem was a little closer.

Rode my bike from Lakeview to here on a beautiful day.. ordered a salad with turkey on it. Was so fresh and delicious! They have seating outside and the place was immaculate. Highly recommend this little gem!

The sandwiches are well made and the service was great. Planning on making this a regular stop.

Needed a bite after touring the Ba'hai temple and this was a perfect choice. My friend and I each ordered a sandwich and swapped halves. The Reuben was excellent. Caprese was good, but the addition of lettuce was a bit odd. So many options on the menu. Plus an attached bakery where we got a cookie to go. Very clean dining area and an outside option too. Service was brisk and friendly.

$8 for a coffee cup of chili and $4 for an ice tea - seriously? I don't mind the cost but give me some value here.

I just started a new job in the neighborhood so decided to try this 4 star sandwich shop. Um! $21 later for a 1/2 sandwich (kids portion with ONE pc of ham) a small cup of lukewarm chili & a bag of chips--NO drink! Did I mention this was $TWENTY ONE DOLLARS?!? I love supporting small businesses, but sorry Buck, NEVER again!

Expensive, not much quantity, and kind of bland flavor. Been there twice. Not sure why it's so popular. The atmosphere is nice and fun, but it doesn't make up for the food. The company's other restaurant Sophia's is excellent. Not sure why they can't do the same on the casual end with Buck Russell's.

North shore interpretation of an old time diner, and it works pretty well. We went for lunch, and blissfully beat what looked like a non-trivial lunchtime crowd...which was good, as there is ample counter seating but only a few booths...and two of them were filled by single people taking up seating for four (sigh). Long list of sandwiches (which are small sub sized and served on rolls -- wheat or white -- in a variety of combinations). Our team had one turkey, one corned beef, and one cheesesteak...all of which were terrific. We also enjoyed an order of fries with their special sauce, which we're guessing is some variation on their dijonnaise, which appears on several sammies as well. Place was clean, charming, quick, and all around pleasant...if somewhat aggressively priced for pretty simple food. MAKE A POINT OF GOING OVER TO THE BAKERY! Cookies, cupcakes, ice cream...for me, that's where the magic of this place seemed to live...and I am disappointed that first-month-of-the-year calorie consciousness kept me from ordering a shake or malt, as they looked pretty awesome. The cookies were being sampled...so I can vouch directly for those.

$15 Tiny sammich, unsatisfied. Nice quality food, ice cream. All the employees are great and so is the atmosphere.

Takeaway: Incredible sandwiches in a fun, old-school diner package, but definitely pricey for what it is Context: Dined-in for lunch What I Got: Turkey Jeweler (9/10) One of the best turkey sandwiches I've ever had. Warm shaved turkey with an incredible, just sweet and tangy enough spread with peppers that add that extra zing . Really just one of the best sandwiches I've had in the area - especially considering just how simple it was. However, for ~$14, it really was quite a small sandwich. I still think it's probably worth it, since the sandwich itself really was quite impressive, but the decor is actually a bit misleading in this sense, since you're expecting something a little more substantial with the image that it gives off.

This place is the cutest - the ambiance transports you to a retro deli/diner. The staff is friendly and great at providing recommendations. I literally dream about the Italian sandwich called Smilin' Guy. The Smash Burger is SO good and such an underrated option on the menu. The kiddos like the Miss Piggy and Gobble Gobble - I reco getting mayo on it so they aren't completely dry and plain. If you are there for breakfast, don't sleep on the Buckaneer and add avocado -- SO good! Lastly, the bakery is so good -- we love the sprinkle cookies, the kids are obsessed with them. If you are in Wilmette, I highly recommend Buck Russell's!!

The design of this place, connected with its bakery, is adorable. Love the retro vibe, the cushy booths, the cleanliness, and the bar stool seats. You order up front and they bring the food to you. We got the Ouilmette Cheesesteak and the Turkey Bacon Club. The bread was unique in that it was toasted and yet soft/chewy, for both sandwiches. The Turkey Bacon Club was better than the Cheesesteak - the sauces, likely including mayo, was the perfect balance. While the Cheesesteak was a little disappointing, lacked a bit of flavor and was a tad greasy. All in all, because these sandwiches were an okay size but did not include any sides, I'd consider it a little pricey ($12-13/sandwich). There's easy street parking outside usually.

Beautiful cupcakes, exquisite decorations and deliciously moist. Would absolutely order again

One of the best cakes I've ever had in my life!! So good! Soo moist!!! Great flavor! We ordered cakes off their regular menu for birthdays and events. We ordered a custom birthday cake and smash cake for our son's 1st birthday. Everyone raved how delicious it was!!! Also got custom cookies!!! They are our go to bakery now! Also good sandwiches!!

Love the diner vibes, fresh fries, and actually flavorful and hearty veggie sandwiches. Great for kids!

Great spot for some tasty sandwiches. The hot and cold sandwich options are plentiful. Save room for dessert because they also have a fantastic bakery with delicious cakes and cookies.

This seems like it's the new go to place for families in Wilmette. I have been there twice now and both times extremely crowded with a wait but the service is quick. The first time we went my boyfriend got the cheesesteak and I got the roast beef sandwich. Today I got a breakfast croissant which was delicious. Yes it is only the sandwich, but with prices the way they are going up I would rather pay more for something that's delicious than pay less for something that's just OK. Bakery looks amazing!!! Only open for breakfast and lunch but it's worth the wait!!!

Overpriced, over hyped, teeny tiny sandwiches and the "side" of pasta salad for $3 is in a condiment cup. They should be embarrassed, honestly. But I guess when people willingly hand over $12+ for an unremarkable sandwich, they're laughing all the way to the bank. What's really odd are their hours- they cease making sandwiches at 3pm and just continue to serve ice cream, cookies and sugar until 9pm. The best ice cream in Chicago is at Homer's I am impressed that they want to compete. In any event, I don't get the popularity and am kind of offended that John Candy and John Hughes are being used to sell mediocre products.

Buck Russell's bakes some tasty cookies! The chocolate chunk and M&M cookies are HUGE and loaded with chocolate. The snicker-doodles, oatmeal chocolate chip, and sprinkle cookies are large and soft. The macaroons were super tall, tasty, and chewy - perfect for any gluten free customers. I look forward to tasting their sandwiches and other baked goods. Glad they have joined the downtown Wilmette neighborhood!

Laith was very helpful, kind and had good service he is also very informative about the gluten free items

Good location in Wilmette, I had the Ouilmette Cheesesteak Sandwich, it was delicious, had a basket of fries and the kids had iced coffees and a cupcake in the bakery. I may be partial to anything John Candy I admit.

If you're a sandwich person, you have to try Buck Russels in Wilmette! The North Shore Turkey Club was to die for. The perfect balance of toppings and the Buck's vinaigrette was a nice touch. We sat outside and enjoyed the weather. Great spot and super friendly people.

Cute place but it's very pricey for nominal food. Like a magpie for shiny and colorful things, I wandered into the bakery because I saw pretty cupcakes, cookies, and sweets. I ended up choosing the King Pin cupcake (caramelized maple on a yellow sponge with airy frosting encrusted in shiny sprinkles, labeled $3.75 but actually $4.25, total of $5), which was delicious but not transcending. The staff was nice as they offered recommendations (pecan bar, Buck Ranger cookie) and told me about the restaurant. I came away with a print restaurant menu, which I perused. Diner fare. Prices were on the high side; but this seems a posh neighborhood. Maybe I need to give the restaurant a chance but so far, I'm not yet impressed.

If you want a sub $10 sandwich, go to subway or potbellys and get a sub par sandwich. If you want a sandwich with better quality meat and bread then come here. The inside is a neat diner spot but small. Bunch of outside tables once the weather turns. A big plus is they have fries compared to chips (which they also have) like most sandwich shops. We had the north shore turkey club and midwest cowboy, both excellent. Their cole slaw and fries were great too. We ventured over to the bakery after our meal and bought 2 cookies for later. $4-$5 for a cookie, kind of expensive but they were great. We will back for more sandwiches and the bakery soon. We live in west glenview and haven't found better sandwiches from us to Buck Russel's.

Really wanted to like it, because I work in Wilmette everyday for last 10 years. The sandwiches are small portioned sized and average tasting for the price. $12 for a 6-7" sandwich? Really nice people that work here. Very clean cool restaurant, but just can't get behind it yet. Haven't tried the bakery, but will report back.

Looking for a great place for cool sandwiches, unfortunately got there too late for any kitchen food. I had a cheddar chive biscuit that was so good! Coffee cake was great as well. My only disappointment was how messy the dining area was. Two guys just hanging behind the counter, with messy tables and a very messy floor. Need to try their sandwiches. I plan on going back!

Overpriced and mediocre food It's a themed restaurant cerca 1955 Just like a pop up place

Delicious sandwiches and great atmosphere! Service was quick and helpful. I tried the Turkey Bacon Club and Miss Piggy. Both were phenomenal!

Very good lunch place. Great food and nice atmosphere. I had the Buck Wild Tuna sandwich which was delicious and my wife had the clam chowder which she loved. My son had the Midwest Cowboy roast beef sandwich which also liked.

Love this place- feels like you are in a different era. High quality ingredients. Great location

Cute space but sandwiches are honestly nothing special. I really think Potbelly is better. Also not vegetarian friendly. Not hurrying back.

Sandwiches are very good but customer service leaves a bit to be desired. I have a food allergy and asked whether there were any dairy products in the bread and the server went to go and check. She came back and told me there was a lot of cross contamination and that the bread had milk but I could have it on a wrap. Ok, asked her to confirm the wrap doesn't have dairy and she disappears for another minute only to come back and say oh you can have bread there is no dairy. I asked her to confirm whether there was any other dairy in the sandwich and she asked me if I looked at the menu to check and why I would risk eating out with a severe allergy. I found it very strange the employee seemed to know very little about the ingredients of menu items and instead of trying to find out her first reaction was to tell me not to eat there

I want to love this place I really do. I think the problem is the bread is just to soft. They need it to be more of a firmer crusty bread especially on the meatball parm sandwich. The meatballs are very tasty but the soft bread falls short. I think I enjoy their pizza concept more at pizza by Saks that opens at 3 when Buck closes. We are big Sophia Steak people. The manager Annette is the bomb!!! Please get me a crusty roll!!!

Great Sandwiches, Pastry & Ice Cream. Food came up fast and was very good. Highly recommend.

Good food, but can be overpriced and doesn't always feel incredibly worth it every time. Service is great and place is really nice.

This gal' is recovering at home with COVID. Finally have an appetite and ordered from Buck Russel's in Wilmette. The $4.00 homemade lemonade was great! I find the $12.00 sandwich meats to be incredibly salty & the $9.00 bowl of chicken soup was heavy on the noodles & liquid--with scant veggies and one piece of chicken--one. Disappointed & too expensive for what I got.

Very cool interior & concept - my father liked his sandwich a lot, although was a bit disappointed it didn't come with a side for the size/price. Why it gets 2 stars in my book is their lack of gluten free options (there are none). If you want to eat here and have an allergy, you're overpaying for a single egg with about $2 max cost of toppings for full price. I recommend offering any sandwich as a scramble that has more of the filling to compensate for the lack of croissant, or having gluten free bread/wraps on hand.

We had the smash burger and falafel wrap. While the food was delicious the $12 price tag is a bit steep considering nothing comes with the sandwich.

Gorgeous place with amazing food. They have 3 small shops. A sandwich shop, bakery, and creamery . I had the Hold the meat sandwich. Which had falafel, iceberg lettuce slaw, roasted red pepper, I'm forgetting what else, all in a wrap. They have some yummy and creative ice cream flavors. I had the bluberry vanilla crumble. Reasonably priced. Check it out ya'll.

What a welcome addition to the Village Center. We have eaten here a number of times, and have been extremely satisfied with every meal. The chicken sandwich is fantastic and the attached sweet shop is great. Great customer service and delightful diner setting with strong sandwich line up.

I wholeheartedly agree with the consensus that appears from the reviews thus far -- solid food, really nice service, but quite pricey for what it is. To give you a sense, I just paid almost $50 for two sandwiches, soda, water, chips, small side pasta, and tip.

The 5 star ratings had to have been paid. This place is horrible. I bought a pecan pie and a berry pie. Both were very over cooked, almost to the point of being burned. The crusts were EXTREMELY difficult to cut (due to being overcooked) and both tasted extremely bad. The pecan tasted burned, and the berry tasted very sour. The price was also outrageous. I paid about $40 for each of the pies. I can get a MUCH better pecan pie from Marianno's for $8.95

Delicious, high quality sandwiches and side items. Plus a full coffee menu. Love this place. Lives up to their motto.

$14 for a very small sandwich. Poor quality deli meat that was over salted and processed. Vegetable soup had no vegetables in it and absolutely no flavor.

This is a cute sandwich shop with a bakery attached. The bakery has a nice selection of cookies and other treats great for carrying out after lunch at the sandwich shop. The sandwiches were a little expensive, but very generous, so at least you got your money's worth. We had a Reuben, very tasty, and a meatball sandwich. There was a hair in the meatball sandwich and I would have complained about it, but my lunch companion who ordered it, didn't want to make a scene. I think the management would have wanted to know, but that is just me. I would have given 5 stars except for the hair.