- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Cj Arthur's
Rating Details »
Categories: American (Traditional), Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Karaoke [Edit]
1168 Wilmette Ave(between 11th St & Central Ave)
Wilmette, IL 60091
(847) 256-8870
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Thu, Fri
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
Sponsored Result
Nearby American (Traditional)
Chili's Grill & Bar
- Location:
- Skokie, IL
Chili's® Grill & Bar is as bold and flavorful as the food it serves. The energetic, fun atmosphere makes it the perfect spot for a... more »
13 reviews for Cj Arthur's
I visited CJ Arthur's on a late Saturday afternoon with my husband. Having moved to the area at the beginning of the year, I had yet to dine here, as was recommended by my cousin.
The atmosphere is as the other reviewers have said. After entering the restaurant, to your right is the bar with a few booths and the soda fountain. The left part of the restaurant is the main dining area with tables and 3-4 flat screen TVs to watch the game. The server that took our order was nice but a little hovering (guess I'd rather have that than someone who disappeared all the time). CJ Arthur's is an old-fashioned place, she told us, as I ordered a Diet Coke but she told me they only had Diet Rite.
Despite that, the food was pretty good. I was quite happy with my Sacramento Beef sandwich - grilled sourdough loaded with roast beef, Monterey jack, bacon, and tomato - and when it was brought to our table it was piping hot. The best thing I can think of is the fact that you can sub your fries for curly fries, cheese fries, onion rings or tater tots! Prices were reasonable. For two sandwiches and two drinks, I think our bill came to $20-25. We did not have room for dessert but I love dessert and would like to come back again to try it.
While it's not a super fancy place nor a trendy locale, I think CJ Arthur's is a great place for some good food.
I kind of feel bad about giving this place three stars because I've been there several times, and a truly bad place is somewhere I would not go back to. That said, I go there every year for my brother's birthday. He goes there every thursday night in the summer for the Karaoke.
So here's the star breakdown...
One star for being an establishment (you can't rate less than one star, anyway)...
One star for being my brother's birthday party place of choice.
One star for remembering me and being excited to meet the baby...
You do notice, however, that there are no stars for the food.
It is local and family run, though, which gives it extra credit in my book...
Would I go there on my own decision? Absolutely not. Will I go there again next year? Absolutely, to celebrate my brother's birthday (on a thursday night, rest assured).
This place might just be getting high marks from me because my mm and I always come here for lunch when I'm in Wilmette visiting my folks.
This place has a cute atmosphere-- dark cozy booths, soda fountain, outdoor seating-- and a vintage feel that are both very appealing.
The foods pretty good and the prices are fair. The local high schoolers who seem to almost entirely staff the place during the day are friendly and cheerful.
This is also a great place to come just for ice cream. They serve awesome sundaes and shakes.
I agree with David R. when he says that it "isn't a destination" but he's certainly right about it being a "nice place to have down the street"
Eh. It's a straightforward American-food joint. It might be nice to have down the street, but it isn't a destination.
I had my choice of tables, and took one near the front to enjoy the early-afternoon sunshine. Things looked promising when the waitress noticed my laptop bag and pointed out an outlet, even though I didn't intend to use it. Those kinds of touches are what elevate a service experience. But...then I didn't see her again for twelve minutes. At least she apologized, and tried to make up for it by pestering me every few minutes after that; she also may have put a rush on my food (which wasn't necessary) because it was out in less than eight minutes. But then after I finished, she disappeared for another ten minutes. At least there was another server who filled up my soda and took my plates in the meantime.
The Frisco Melt (pepper jack, mushrooms, guacamole on sourdough) was okay. The bread was toasted perfectly and thankfully not heavy with oil, but the sandwich was too mushy with an overabundance of cheese and guacamole. Balance is everything in a sandwich, you know?
Onion rings were solidly above-average, thick rings with a crumbly golden batter. The cole slaw was excellent; I'm not sure what was in it besides a few wisps of carrot, but it worked.
I ordered a chocolate-malt milkshake to go, and they gave me a 21-ounce cup. Yikes, that's a lot of milkshake. It was overpoweringly sweet, though--way too much chocolate and not enough malt. I want to be able to taste ice cream and not just chocolate syrup. Even a bad malt is still worth drinking, but still.
The place was fine overall, but nothing stood out besides the cole slaw, so I probably won't return.
CJ's is a great north shore restaurant. All of the food is good, but the hamburgers melt in your mouth. They are the best I've had anywhere, hands down! You can usually sit right down here and it's great for families, groups and just a casual dinner out.
They have great ice cream and deserts, so be sure to try the sundae with the warm chocolate chip cookie.
The service is good and friendly and they even have live music here some nights. You can't go wrong with C.J.'s.
CJ Arthur's is such a solid place. Like a lot of other stuff on the North Shore it's been open forever. It's a classic place and I doubt there's someone in town that doesn't know it.
I found out about CJ's because my father's friend's band plays there sometimes. My parents used to go all the time. One day I was starving and right nearby so I decided to try it.
I usually get the burger. It's definitely one my favorite burgers up here in the burbs. Tastes like a real honest hamburger. The ground beef is bought right across the street at Al's. It's always fresh and it's always cooked just how I ask for it.
I don't drink but I remember them having about 8 beers on tap which isn't bad at all.
The staff there is warm and personable, I've never had a bad experience. The restaurant itself is classic looking. Not new or high tech or sparkly shiny or anything. It's kept up nicely though.
Big plus about CJ's is the free live music they have. You won't find Eric Clapton here but the musicians are always pretty decent and usually play some great cover songs that you know and love. Solid fun for a friday or saturday night.
The only thing that's kind of a bummer is the price. In the city, I wouldn't expect to leave any place for any less than $12 for a burger and a coke. However in the burbs I usually expect prices to be a little less. At CJ's they're on par with city prices. I would be more happy if I walked out of here for $8 or $9, but what are you going to do about it, you know?
Give it a shot I don't think you'd be disappointed.
CJ Arthur's has been around for ages. I know that when I was 5 years old, we used to go here for grilled cheese sandwiches and a day out of the house. That sandwich was reliable then, and it still is now!
We stopped by this afternoon for a late lunch, and I was surprised to see a new menu since the last time I had been in--it looks nicer and a little more upscale. CJ Arthur's is definitely still a diner in my mind, but they've put a lot of work into being something special. They have music in the evenings, a soda fountain, a full bar, and a fairly large menu--you're sure to find something you'd like. The man had a cheeseburger with curly fries, and I had the chicken stir-fry pita with curly fries. He liked his burger, and I was pleasantly surprised by my pita.
As far as small town family diners go, CJ Arthur's is really as good as it gets. I'll always be a fan, as places like this on the North Shore are few and far between.
This place is awesome!! They have live music everynight (I think, but pretty close). I love the staff, they are so friendly. I think the reason why this place is so charming is because it's family owned. The first night I went there I got to meet the owners, when does that ever happen?
Oh, Oh!! and they make milkshakes by hand...... AND WILL PUT ALCOHOL IN IT!!!!
We come here late at night; I think they may stay open extra long just for us (we go here after the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the theater down the street).
Very friendly service; good soft drink selection and yes, you can get shots of syrup (remember to stir). Mix of prices on the menu, ranging from $5 onion rings (good!) to entrees nearer the $10 mark (tried the Southwestern Chipotle Quesadilla; tasty, and almost too much food). Even the vegetarians have a couple of options; my dinner partner had a vegetarian patty melt and was ecstatically happy.
Nicely located if you're shopping in downtown Wilmette.
They have an extensive menu of American cuisine. Lots of different burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, soups and all sorts of good stuff.
And a soda fountain!!
And a liquor license!
The outdoor seating is great (but since its on sometimes-busy Wilmette Ave - not very relaxing).
The expansion is really nice - comfortable and doubled the capacity. CJ's added a little excitement to the non-existent Wilmette nightlife when they started hosting kareoke and live music!
It's a fun, family-oriented Wilmette establishment.
Awesome! Old school milkshakes, good sandwiches, great service, live music. This place has it all. I forget the exact history, but I believe the place is close to 100 years old and used to be a pharmacy with a soda fountain. The soda fountain is still in place and utilized. You really can't go wrong here. I wish Glencoe had a place like this!
Classic neighborhood bar/restaurant. A great place to both bring the kids and get a nice meal and be able to order a beer/wine. The karaoke is an added plus if you like that kind of thing. The burger was big and tasty, although a bit too greasy. I love that it is made to order. The deserts sounded great, although we didn't get desert.
Booths, a soda fountain, and outdoor seating are all available here. Sit where you want, and enjoy the burgers and fries and ice cream delights. Those are the staples here, but check out the menu for other goodies. Live music occasionally.
