Evanston Corner Bistro

This restaurant is on the same property as the Hilton Orrington/Evanston hotel. It has an outside patio to sit and enjoy your food or drink if you like. It has a cool looking atmosphere inside the restaurant. We stayed at the hotel for two nights. We had breakfast one morning. The food came out after only a few minutes. We ordered pancakes (not very good), French toast (best dish), Avocado Egg Benedict (good), and sausage scramble eggs (not good). We also had fruit cups (fresh). On another day we also had lunch. The "American Burger" was okay. The Fried Chicken Sandwich (pretty good), the "Buffalo Grilled Chicken" sandwich (good), and the "Steak Sandwich" (good). For Dinner we had the "Angus Prime Sirloin" steak with fries (not very good). Like most hotel restaurants the prices were on the higher side. The best thing they have is the service. Everyone was great!

I hosted my husbands surprise 40th Birthday for 50 people at the Bistro's Private Dining Room. I instantly fell in love with the space on my tour. It is gorgeous on it's own with lots of natural light and required very little added decorations (and this is coming from a very picky Interior Designer). They were also able to accommodate kids, which was a huge plus! Skylar, the event manager, was incredible and went above and beyond in every way to make our event extra special! She worked with me to plan a menu and bar package that worked for our budget and around food allergies. She was so great with my endless list of questions. She even helped me come up with a plan to keep the surprise going when we checked in and loaned us her laptop when we realized we forgot our iPad so that we could play our own music. I cannot thank her enough! Also, a huge shout out to the staff - Estrella (Server), Andreas (Server/bartender), John (Bartender), and Mari and Joe (Chefs). You were all excellent, very friendly, and made our event a huge success! And the food was delicious! We received so many compliments from our guests. I highly recommend the Bistro for events!

Atmosphere 10/10; Menu creativity 9/10; staff 9/10; Actual Food - 👀 a generous 2 of 10. This place could have been the greatest. Smh - location is ideal, so much opportunity -- but it disappoints. Who exactly is in the kitchen? The food is giving 'hospital / middle school cafeteria' - soooo pitifully flavorless. There's no excuse for the lack of flavor, it's disrespectful. Where's the love .... where's the butter?

Wow! In my experience, when I go to a restaurant in the same building as a hotel, I'm usually skeptical, fearing overpriced, low-quality, small portions. Not here. The food is moderately priced, great quality, and offers picture-perfect portions. They had a large patio, but my date and I decided to stay inside near the bar. Tyler was our server; he was funny and a bit cheeky. He knew when to stop by with a refill and when to let us enjoy our time alone. On his recommendation, I tried their Espresso Martini made with tequila. I'm not typically a tequila drinker, but he sold me on it. Let's just say I didn't think I would ever enjoy tequila like that. Tyler was honest about the menu. I am spice-averse, and he told me what he has had and what he likes. Nervously, I ordered the Buffalo marinated crispy cauliflower, but it was perfectly seasoned, fresh, and crispy. I had the Iberico Pork Skirt Steak, and it was tender, juicy, cooked to perfection, and the flavors blew my mind. To finish off our meal, I ordered the Salted Caramel Bar. It was so good that I ordered one to go. With dessert, I had their lakefront punch cocktail to close out our meal. When heading to the bathroom, I noticed a really nice upstairs banquet space. It looked pretty classy and unexpected in a good way. Overall, this is a really cute spot for a date or a business lunch. There are plenty of options with local drafts and non-alcoholic cocktails. You'll find vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free menu items. The portions were spot on for the price and the flavors were chef's kiss. The only thing I didn't like is there is a 3% fee for credit cards, so bring cash.

We recently had the pleasure of working with Skylar and the team for our wedding client's reception. It was a great experience from emails to our final walkthrough to the big night. The family-style food was a huge hit with the guests. The intimate private space upstairs provided the perfect setting for their celebration, offering a cozy and elegant atmosphere. We highly recommend Evanston Corner Bistro for your event! (photos by Becca Heuer)

This was one of the most warm and welcoming places I’ve visited during my trip to the Chicago area. The ambience was mellow and clean, the music was easy going and warm and the staff was inviting and friendly. I visited on my own but felt included within the family of those who worked there, it feels like a community. The food is incredible too, so balanced and the menu has great options. My waiter was particularly gracious, Julia, I believe her name was. She maintained an air of lightness and warmth within the space that somehow inexplicably made the food taste in better. I will absolutely be back, what a wonderful experience

The vibe and atmosphere of this restaurant is great. The outdoor patio is nice, specially on summer days. However, I have to say that the food is very very mid. Let’s start with drinks. I went for brunch and asked for a cappuccino. They didn’t have it, only drip coffee. How can it be that a restaurant that serves breakfast and brunch doesn’t have coffees other than drip? How can it be the restaurant of a hotel doesn’t have a cappuccino? In terms of the food. I ordered benedict eggs (in my opinion a dish hard to get wrong). Well, it did go wrong. Very bland taste, no sauce, and they even forgot about the bacon (one of the three ingredients of the benedict eggs I ordered). I get why this place used to be full and now no longer. A lot to improve.

Had a lovely brunch today at Corner Bistro. The American breakfast and Avocado Benedict were both good. We particularly appreciated our server, Henry. He was welcoming and kind and went the extra mile to make the overall experience a good one during a busy Sunday brunch. We will definitely return.

Angeland Stephan were amazing employees to amplify our wonderful Super Bowl day festivities. They were extremely friendly, attentive, and had great attention to detail. Highly recommend!

Angel was an informative, friendly and fun bartender. Stephan, was really fun to talk to. He was great in our group trying new drinks.

After seeing the positive reviews we decided to try the brunch. I think they are still getting the schedule adjusted, cuz it took a few minutes to be asked for drink order after we got seated. We had the bottomless mimosas. The staff are friendly. Two out had the Land benedict, smoked salmon instead of ham. They come with great country potatoes. One of had the burger with an egg. It was huge and done perfectly. We brought half of it home. We were able to take our time. The bottomless mimosas have a 1.5 hour time limit. That was perfect time for us. This place has definitely upped its game.

I was surprised at how much our party enjoyed our brunch at Evanston Corner Bistro. It's attached to the Orrington so I expected it to be the usual hotel restaurant. From the moment we entered, the staff was very welcoming -- they set us up in the private room in front -- and was very hospitable throughout. We couldn't decide what to order because so many menu items sounded so enticing. I settled on an avocado Benedict. Some of us ordered the other items I was deciding between -- Wild mushroom toast, truffle fries, vegetarian omelet, burger .... My avocado Benedict was so rich and sumptuous-- perfectly poached egg with creamy avocado and mellow Hollandaise sauce -- on a soft English muffin. It was accompanied by crisp potatoes. This was very satisfying and my companions all enjoyed their dishes. They let us stay in the room as long as we liked and presented our birthday guests with ice cream. I'd definitely come back to try more plates. The only minor quibble is that the bathrooms are located upstairs -- quite a lot of steps for one of our elderly guests.

I cannot sing enough praise for Skylar M. who was our event manager for a recent corporate celebration we hosted in the Bistro's private event space. Her entire team was amazing. Very attentive and extremely professional. We definitely put them through the wringer with lots of changes that were last minute, from headcount, to set-up, to small changes/additions to the menu, and they delivered in the most professional way. Don't even get me started about the food! It was absolutely delicious - the buffet was never left unattended, and our guests were ohhh and ahhhing about ALLLLLL of it! Skylar made us look like rockstars. Would absolutely recommend this team and this space to anyone hosting anything. You won't be disappointed.

When I found out Land & Lake Ravenswood was closing, I was so happy to hear their owners would be taking over the Thomas & Dutch spot right down the street from me. I ordered delivery - fettuccine alfredo for me and the fried chicken sandwich for my friend. We were both happy with our food. The pasta portion left nearly enough for two meals. While I can't speak to the service or ambiance, I would absolutely recommend the food to go. My only ask: Evanston Corner Bistro, please revive the smashburger from Lake & Lake!

Stopped by for a quick dinner and really enjoyed our meal. We got there a little after 9pm (they close at 10). The place was almost empty, I guess because Northwestern students are gone for the summer, so there was plenty of seating choice. We had the burger and arugula and grain salad with steak add-on, and both were excellent. The burger is a double patty smashburger, loaded with lettuce, tomato, etc. The steak on our salad was cooked perfectly to our requested medium-rare temperature. Service was very good. We would definitely return.

Great spot in downtown Evanston! Fresh and interesting menu - moderately priced. Service is excellent - staff is warm and genuine. John, the bartender, is particularly awesome! The buffalo crispy cauliflower and the American burger were faves.

My company, ParentConnect, partnered with Evanston Corner Bistro to host an event for a group of moms. Everything, from the planning to the execution, went beautifully. Skyler was so helpful, responsive, and friendly in all of our communication leading up to the event. Thanks to chef Gladis, the food was delicious (everybody went back for seconds), John's drinks were wonderful (he even prepared a beautiful mocktail for a mama-to-be), and Jewelia our server was attentive and sweet. The GM, Ajdin, checked in on us many times, and made us feel welcome and spoiled. Cannot wait to host another event at Evanston Corner Bistro!

I didn't have a great brunch experience here but I think that was mainly my own fault, hence the four stars. Ambiance: lovely. Service: fantastic. Value/price: seems good. Food: now this is my problem. My friends each got a veggie scramble, which looked great and which they loved. I got the oatmeal which I barely touched because it was super watery, but I think that's based on my personal oatmeal consistency preferences, LOL, so I look forward to coming back here again and trying something different to be able to offer better commentary on the food.

The service was very nice, the atmosphere was great and the food was exquisite. Would definitely come back. Also good hours open most of the day. Morgan was an excellent waitress.

Love this spot. Chopped salad w/ Steak was flawless - also the waitress Jewelia was terrific and made it even smoother. Thanks

3 percent service charge added to bills, which is awful. It's incredibly loud. The food was underwhelming and the "Tomato Foccia bread with Riccota" was really just 3 pieces of microwavable bread with some tomato smeared on and cheese in a jar. Hard pass. Farmhouse was much much better in there.

I've been here several times and it is always delicious. Good service. Tonight I had a tasty warm steak salad. Partner had truffle chicken. Brunch and lunch are delicious too. I like the atmosphere and food is delicious

RESTROOM is hard to get to without help and would not support an emergency. Nice ambience, nice bar, pretty restaurant, and friendly people, but in the summer they open the doors to let the hundred degree heat in so that the waiters can go in and out of the restaurant serving people who sit outside. What's even worse is that for someone like me with mobility issues, they have no ADA anything especially when it comes to restrooms, If you need to get to the bathroom with some speed, that will be impossible. It's up a utility lift and the operator has to go up first to get it going to bring it down to get you up again. Totally untenable, unfair to people with disabilities. To be near a restroom, I had to leave my family that I rarely eat a nice breakfast with, and eat at the snack table by myself in the lobby of the Orrington. Oh, and no espresso drinks! We had to go to Starbucks.

A swing and a miss for this excellent location. Farmhouse set the bar pretty high. This is a glorified hotel bar restaurant. Subpar food with rocket high prices. Such a bummer. I wonder what will take its place when it inevitably goes under.

Wonderful! We had a wonderful early dinner out on the patio on a Thursday evening. Tyler our waiter was fantastic, he was affable, attentive and professional. Loved both the burger and the chopped salad, would highly recommend both! Great addition to the Evanston dining scene.

We sat at the bar on a Tues after work and were able to have a couple of drinks from the happy hour menu which was nice. The bartender was attentive and knowledgeable. I had the burger. It was delicious and came with plenty of crispy, hot fries. I would recommend this place. Hope it does good business and lasts longer than other restaurants that have been in that location.

We loved the Farmhouse in its day; it was one of our go-to spots before I guess they decided the farm concept was dated. We weren't crazy about the new ambiance (spare, white, sterile industrial cafe) or the menu changes. While it's not entirely fair to compare the new place with what came before in the same space, of course people will do that. And the new Evanston Corner Bistro comes up short. First though, let's talk about the service. The hostess, server, and bartender were cheerful, friendly and welcoming. They were on top of the seating and kept the food moving which was impressive as they had only had maybe five days to get used to the new owners and new menu. The decor is more or less the same as the old Thomas and Dutch, but let's just say the decor better matches the food experience now. Moving on to prices. They are admittedly very low compared to what we've come to expect when dining out. This may work in their favor while catering to the hotel crowd since they will depend less on repeat business. But even considering the low prices, the food met the standard of edible, but little else. I ordered the bistro salad which was a bed of crunchy lettuce drenched in a creamy dressing (no other option offered) and maybe eight cherry tomato halves. My husband ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich which turned out to be a dry white chicken breast with a sprinkle of spice and a smear of sauce on a bun with not much else. The fries were fine. He ordered cheese truffle which were basically regular fries with a shake of cheese-truffle flavoring? I decided not to order a main. In all, the experience was very pre-processed Morrison Food Service, like we were eating in a hospital cafeteria: dull but edible food sprinkled with flavorings and pretending to be exciting and presented in a lackluster manner. This might be fine if price point is the most important consideration, but even then you have to go in understanding what you're getting. Oh and then when we got the check, there was a 3% service charge tacked on for using a credit card. I can't tell you how sick I am of these extra fees on everything. It came out to a couple of bucks on the final check but I've gotten to the point where I've stopped returning to restaurants that sneak in extra fees as you're signing the credit card receipt. We get it. Restaurants are a tough business. But sneaky undisclosed fees leave a bad taste in the mouth right at the end of the experience. Honestly, 2.5 stars (5/10, solidly average), but I rounded up instead of down.

I went recently with a friend at 6pm on a weekday with little foot traffic and few tables sat. I waited nearly an hour for my drink while the tables next to me got waters, drinks, appetizers. I was continually rushed by my server who was incompetent. He was spilling food while putting it down, and asked if we wanted the check before even getting out entrees. I asked for ranch and aioli for my fries nearly 3 times and a hostess had to get them. Multiple times he suggested we were almost done with our dinner and forgot our food. What could have been an hour dinner stretched to two+. The presentation of the ricotta needs improvement as it comes with an entire jar of ricotta with only two pieces small bread. The drinks were ok, but given the place holds the towns namesake I just was expected much better food and drink and service. The service was reprehensible and i regret not asking for a manager and having my (over 100 dollar) meal comped. The food is not nearly good enough to make up for my server trying to rip a menu out of my hand after only ordering an appetizer and reminding him I'm in the process of considering my main course. I think with a few improvements, and servers with more experience, better presentation and more emphasis on getting drinks from bar to table it could improve

We had a very nice brunch here. Two of us had the Land Benedicts and two of us had the Truffle and Wild Mushroom Scrambles. We were all happy with our orders. Our server, Ina, was very attentive and friendly. All in all a very nice experience in dining.

Ahh! This used to be Thomas & Dutch, remember that? This is by the LM Restaurant Group which has River North Bistro, Land & Lake and etc. I had their fries and they were very good.

Let's start with the positives. I arrived with my son, both of us excited to try the food. We were immediately greeted by a very welcoming server. We chose a spot outside, and our waiter promptly came to take our order. My son requested the American burger without mustard, and I opted for the pastrami salmon with broccoli. When our food arrived, it looked and smelled great. I cut my son's burger in half, and he noticed it had mustard on it, despite his request. It was just a minor misunderstanding, though, and he continued to enjoy his burger, giving it plenty of compliments. Now, it was my turn to dig into the salmon. But when I cut into it, I noticed the inside was undercooked. I politely waited for the waiter, who was very apologetic and offered to place a new order for me. After a bit of a wait, during which my son continued raving about his delicious burger, my salmon finally arrived. It looked even more appetizing this time. However, when I cut into it, I found that the inside was still undercooked, despite the perfectly cooked exterior. At this point, I was over it and just ready to leave. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this place.

Visited with two friends a few weeks ago. First of all there should be a sign letting folks know to go around the corner to the hotel to get in!! Very confusing. Then we waited about 15 minutes for someone to take our drinks order. About five minutes after that a man came to ask how to mix the martini!! Poor bartender was doubling as a waiter. Ordered food . Steak delicious. Fries ( not pomme frits) were stone cold. Told waitress and I kid you not almost 20 minutes later when we were finished with our meal she brought them over! We questioned her about the surcharge on the bill ( what!!) and told her to remove it. Finally the nice barman ( again doubling as a waiter ) came over and took the fries and a round of drinks off. That helped but not sure I would revisit. What a shame.

So yummy. The fries were excellent! House made ranch was really delicious. Hamburger, fried chicken sandwich, steak frites - all excellent. Fast service and friendly atmosphere. Great spot!

When my partner and I visited for our first time, it wasn't busy in the restaurant. Our server greeted us and then disappeared for quite a while, when another server came to take our order. The food came out relatively quickly, it was okay, but not very memorable. As for my biggest complaint, our server was absent for a majority of the meal. When my partner and I were finished eating we sat unnoticed for 10 minutes. Eventually I saw our server standing nearby, so I took it upon myself to go up to him and ask for to go containers and the check. Not a great first impression.

honestly tasty like unexpectedly good. that's our third time and all times were good food!

Okay--they just opened, but there are several bugs to be ironed out. We ordered one beer--they were out. Ordered another--out. Ordered a third choice--that's right--out. Our 4th choice was available, but was totally flat. Couldn't imbibe it. Food was okay--served lukewarm, and minimal plating effort (e.g. fries just tossed on plate). Service was very good. Hope the management can work out these bugs and make this place into a fun neighborhood/NU destination in a great location.

Wow. Between the service and the food, throw in the great space. It's a win. I can't say enough about about the quality of team and service. And the food is delish. Will be back. And open for lunch!!!!!!

The Orrington Hotel was always known for their outstanding brunch. We came in for a bday party and have not visited Evanston in a few years. We all (five of us) went to brunch on Sunday. We were all so disappointed in the food. We ordered eggs benedict. The biscuit they make was good, the egg was cooked ok, the hash browns were nicely cooked and crispy it was the other ingredients that was lacking. The Avocado Eggs Benedict was a slop of bad guacamole, Not a single "Avocado" in sight. The regular Eggs Benedict had very little hollandaise. I asked for a small bowl of it. The worst hollandaise I have ever tasted, it was more like an orange putty. The service was not great either. I had to go look for the one waitress that was taking care of all the tables to get us refills on the coffee. She had not been to the table to check on us in 20 minutes or so. She was very nice, I just think they needed more wait staff to help her out. I'm seeing all these great reviews posted and I feel bad but they need to improve some of their ingredients. Hollandaise is so easy to make and to me that's what makes a great eggs benedict.

We hosted a New Year's Day brunch for 25 at Evanston Corner Bistro, and could not have been happier with everything. The catering manager was a pleasure to work with - highly responsive and accommodating to our needs. All the food was fresh, delicious, and served at the optimal temperature. And the amount was right on for the number of guests - everyone ate their fill and there was almost nothing left over (so no paying for food that got thrown out). Finally, our server (Gabi) was wonderful, keeping everything moving according to our schedule, making sure everyone had whatever they needed, and all with a kind and positive attitude. The space was very flexible and welcoming; my only complaint is that the elevator (which my mother-in-law needed to get to the upstairs party room) was incredibly slow. I would highly recommend ECB for group events.

Food was very good, ambiance is warm, service from Aria was extraordinary, and her energy lights up the place.

This was my first visit since Evanston Corner Bistro took over from formerly Thomas & Dutch / Farmhouse and I must say that they hit a home run! I love the new decor and layout and had a wonderful time dining there and celebrating my friend's 90th birthday. We both enjoyed a delicious brunch (Eggs Benedict with a homemade biscuit and Avocado & Goat cheese sandwich with a fried egg & perfectly cooked breakfast potatoes ) The food was served quickly, looked great and tasted even better. The portions are generous and provide excellent value for money. We were equally delighted with our server and the friendly and welcoming hostess. I will definitely be back soon to try their lunch and dinner menu. This is a great new dining venue in the heart of Evanston!

Overpriced, under-served and lousy food. We recently attended a very expensive private dinner for about 30 where were served rewarmed banquet food by 2 barely competent waiters who doubled as bartenders, charging full price for drinks despite our being pre-charged for the whole event at over $100 per person. I've had much tenderer, tastier steaks at a third the price. Fortunately the knives are sharp.

Just ok. Squash soup came out cold, staff kept opening door to patio where we were hit with cold winter blast. 3% surcharge added to bill that was nearly $70 for my friend and I. That incl only one glass of wine and we split a sandwich. Music super loud and not much atmosphere.

Corner Bistro is a gem! The food is delicious, served hot and varied options for breakfast. My husband and I had an egg dish, pancake and biscuit breakfast in early November. We found the food to be delicious, hot and tasty. Our family recently hosted a buffet brunch w mimosas for out of town guests on New Year's Day post wedding. We used the upstairs room which had a lovely streetscape view. The room was great for our group of almost 30! The food was set up buffet style, served hot and was plentiful-- eggs, pancakes, biscuits, chicken sausage, mimosas, coffee and tea. Our server was Gabby who kept all of our guests happy. She is personable, professional and a gem! We highly recommend this great new downtown Evanston offering open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We look forward to returning for a Sunday Brunch soon!

This is the one of the worst restaurants that I've ever been to in Illinois. I visited this restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner with my daughter. I ordered the traditional Thanksgiving dinner while my daughter ordered a burger with fries. My daughter's food arrived before mine so we didn't eat together. The wait staff was horrible and didn't check in with us to confirm if we needed anything during the visit. After the terrible experience they had the nerve to automatically add 20% gratuity to the bill for 2 people (usually added for 5+ people per table). I spoke with the manager about the bill who had an attitude with me for asking to remove the 20% gratuity. Despite the experience I still left a tip but not worth 20% gratuity. To top off this horrible experience there were rats running around outside the window. I can be reached at 773.480. 7411 if leadership would to discuss this matter further. Ursula H.

Yes you go out for the food but you also go out for the PEOPLE! We were so excited when this restaurant group decided to take over the restaurant space in the Orrington, we had started going to Land and Lake in the city a few years ago and quickly fell in love with the staff. We love walking into a restaurant feeling like family and that's what we always get with staff like Ajdin. Skylar, Aina and so many others who unfortunately left. The Evanston Corner Bistro is incredibly well done, has an awesome patio and the happy hour is great! We love the wings, burgers and my son dies for the bolognese pasta. You get what you pay for, I hope that this location retains a great staff and culinary team. It's really the little things that make a huge difference and having staff that makes you feel like Norm walking into Cheers is a small price to pay for having a success business that makes people want to return.

The team here has been nothing but kind every time I've been here! They are so welcoming and are very accommodating to my husband's dietary restrictions. The portions are very filling and always flavorful. They also have fabulous happy hour specials! I have yet to come in for their bottomless brunch special, but I look forward to going in the future!

Beautiful space. Now that the positive is out of the way, the bad. Went in for a late lunch and there were only 1 or 2 other tables. After being seated it took about 5 minutes for a server to bring water and then another 5 minutes for someone to take our drink order. Seems fine, it is a late lunch and we are not in a hurry. My wife orders a Bloody Mary and after the server looks over the pad they use to take orders announced that they were only available on weekends. Luckily a second server overheard this and said they were available but to place the order our server had to do a search on the pad as it didn't normally show up. Slow forward 5 minutes while our server stood 5 feet away trying to place the order. This gave us time to build up an appetite for a truly boring meal. I will give most places a second chance but it will be a long time before I return here, if ever again. The staff was pleasant but totally untrained.

The service was very good, from the receptionist and the waitress. I also like the space, though I liked the more cozy atmosphere of the Farmhouse. But I will not go back, because where the restaurant fails is, unfortunately, the food. This was my 2nd time there and both times it was a disappointment. I had the chicken in the "handheld" section, but it was a disappointment. First it was huge: 2 slabs of chicken in a puffy bun. I certainly could not have eaten it holding it in my hand. The chicken pieces were dry, hard to cut even with a knife. Only the fries were good. This is not a type of dish for a bistro. If. the owner wants to provide casual food, it ought to be in smaller servings, like a croque-monsieur, or a croque-madame, or a ham sandwich that's not too big and easy to bite into. The restaurant was quite empty, a sign perhaps that it's not catching on. The owner should go and look at the Farmhouse's menu, that was a great success.