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Players Grill
Categories: Restaurants American (Traditional) Restaurants Barbeque American (Traditional), Barbeque
1855 Deerfield RdHighland Park, IL 60035
(847) 831-4445
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 9 pm
Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat 4:30 pm - 10 pm
Sun 4:30 pm - 8:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
20 reviews for Players Grill
Review Highlights
"Reminds me, we haven't had ribs in a while."
(in 7 reviews)
"The entire staff are very friendly and the food is great."
(in 3 reviews)
"...burgers, jambalaya, "max" steak sandwich and pasta dishes..."
(in 2 reviews)
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20 reviews in English
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Review from Jennifer C.
Buffalo Grove, IL
1/11/2012
Everyone is always friendly which is always a great way to start any review/dining experience. Carrie is a great waitress, always takes care of you and knows what you want before you even ask.
There are a lot of options to choose from, so the fact that we go every Wednesday doesn't dull the menu. The house poppyseed dressing is the best! And Gerry sometimes makes veggie chili that is awesome!! My mom always gets the BBQ salmon and loves it. Brownies are awesome!!!!!!! The chicken marsala is great, love the mussels in garlic, and in marinara... I just wish they had a veggie burger to go along with everything else!!!!
FINALLY- you can't go wrong with the turkey burger. I got it this way: TB on regular bun with calypso mayo, avocado, tomato, and put the slaw right on top and a side of fries... OMG so good.
A really nice casual place for you to go with your family and watch any of the number of games that are going to be on TV. -
Review from Steve E.
Chicago, IL
12/6/2011
Get the Max, skirt steak sandwich, my personal favorite. The BBQ Salmon is excellent.
They have seafood specials everyday. Great salads too many to mention. They have homemade soups and fast delivery. -
Review from ellie g.
Highland Park, IL
1/19/2012
Just spent a night at the bar with Jerry the owner of Players. Feels like a home away from home. Alway a great pour along with great music and consistently good food! Players is one of Highland Parks best!
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Review from Dylan Z.
Buffalo Grove, IL
12/21/2011
Very good family owned restaurant. Typically filled with regulars. Found out that most of the staff has been there for years and continues to work there as a second job, not so much for the money, but because they are a family. Had the veal skirt steak, very good. They poor a nice drink, very reasonably priced. The owner is always there and very hands on. Really nice to see a family owned restaurant still doing well after 20+ years in business.
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Review from Wesley B.
Kenosha, WI
3/16/2011
This place has an excellent lunch menu for a reasonably priced sit-down lunch.
The buffalo chicken sandwich is a terrific gargantuan sammich that will destroy your diet. Seriously, cut it in half. I like that they offer more potato options than just fries on the side. You can do wedges, french fries, sweet potato fries, or cole slaw. This isn't the token cole slaw you get in a sad li'l cup next to your sandwich and then proceed to not eat it. This cole slaw is for real, home made, fresh, and delicious.
I also can recommend the jambalaya for lunch. It's just the right level of spice for me and has wonderful shrimp and sausage . The only disadvantage is good jambalaya reeks when you take it home and put it in the fridge. Definitely don't leave it in the car, either, unless you're leaving it in the car of someone you don't like.
Be warned, the portions are large and you may be tempted to fill up on the bread they give you. This would be a tactical error on your part. Don't screw this up! Unless of course you're actually skilled at eating and can handle it all.
Fantastic place, and I've yet to have been disappointed after about 7 or 8 visits. -
Review from Seth A.
Skokie, IL
9/17/2010
Over the years, I've eaten at Players more often than any other restaurant on the planet and though I no longer work or live particularly close by, I still make a point of periodically stopping in for lunch.
Much of their food is great--I'm a fan of their burgers, jambalaya, "max" steak sandwich and pasta dishes, and friends have sung the praises of their BBQ chicken sandwich--but for financial & nutritional value, combined with taste, their fresh fish choices at lunch really can't be beat.
For $8.95 you can choose from a variety of fish, prepared in myriad ways, with Cajun, DeJonghe and Grecian (which isn't even on the menu) Tilapia being among my favorites. You get a good-sized portion, accompanied by soup or salad and choice of potato, rice or veggies.
Quite a bargain, especially for those watching their weight, as I always should be. In fact, I got hooked on Players because their economical fresh fish lunches helped me lose 40 lbs. one year. (If I kept if off, perhaps I could've been their Jared ;-)
No wonder food from this tasteful, comfortable joint--despite the name, it is not a sports bar although alcohol is available and the decor salutes some local sports heroes--is rumored to have been a regular pre-game ritual for a certain Chicago superstar.
(From from Highway 41, exit Deerfield Rd. West and look for the strip mall with the Starbucks and 7-Eleven. Players is in the northwest corner.) -
Review from Mona B.
Northbrook, IL
8/24/2011
They have the most fabulous veal ribs !! They are the only place I know that makes them !!
Also have an awesome turkey miliniti dish!!! -
Review from Liz S.
Overland Park, KS
11/6/2007
This is a cozy sport/family restaurant (yeah I know don't think it's possible, but it is). that has it's regulars. The food is always good; esp their cesaer salads and and one of their sandwiches. They have a multitude of sides to pick from; anything from sweet potato fries to garlic mashed potatoes.
The have a frequent diners card, I'm not sure on the specifics, but if you like the food you should definitely ask about it and get one. The deduction of the one star was for the staff. Unfortunately, the owner hires HS students and let's just say they aren't the most attentive servers. Which is why I generally will order take out. -
Review from Charles R.
Tempe, AZ
5/25/2010
The place where the jewish old people of highland park come to get the early bird special.
Alright, first off, do not go to players for the bar, it might say sports bar, but its not a happening place during the game. The bar consists of 8 bar stools and they do have sports apparel hanging on the wall and about 4 TV's.
But GO FOR THE FOOD!
The menu is full of stuff that include sandwiches, salads, burgers, seafood, and beef. There amazing BBQ sauce is so good on salmon on brisket on a burger, you could put the stuff on a piece of bread and it would taste great.
Even if your going just for a salad its great, big portions and moderately priced.
The place is kind of small good for groups of 2-5, but when you get there if it was any bigger it would never fill up.
Definitely go if you are in the area. The wait staff is really good and they have a good selection of beer. I just tried a new one when I was there its called DAB get it!.
Recommendation: to any jew in the area older the 65 and to anyone that like BBQ sauce on anything. -
Review from Steven K.
Minneapolis, MN
1/1/2010
Lots of times, how you feel about a restaurant depends on the circumstances of why you're there. We ended up at Players Grill on New Years Eve because our daughter went into labor and delivered her baby a week early. We drove all night to be there, arriving just a half hour after our new grandson was born. After spending most of the day at the hospital, with only a few hours sleep at our daughter's and son-in-law's apartment, we found our selves hungry and at loose ends for dinner.
Our son-in-law's parents met up with us at the hospital. We decided to find someplace casual nearby for dinner. They drove us into Highland Park where we found Players Grill. The ambiance is nicer than a sports bar (though there are tv monitors with athletic events on the screen). The menu is reminiscent of a supper club in Minnesota or Wisconsin. Ribs, burgers, shrimp, meal platters dominate the menu choices.
As some of the other reviewers have noted, the clientele seems to be a lot of local people, probably regulars. I had a brisket sandwich that was very good. My wife liked her burger. My son-in-law's mother had a half rack of ribs that she enjoyed very much. My son-in-law's father had a seafood platter that also looked great.
So - we were tired, elated after the birth of our grandson, hungry, and in an unfamiliar city. Players Grill was a comfortable, friendly venue with good-tasting comfort food. So, yeah. I'm a fan. -
Review from Don M.
Annapolis, MD
11/23/2009
I cannot belive the ratings that I saw were for the same place I went to. First of all, the BIG IGNORE upon entry. I was solo so went to the bar after hanging at the door a bit. There were 3-4 service staff at the end of the bar. Took almost 7 minutes before someone recognized that there was a new patron there. I think the girl that did acknowledge me was actually a floor server...not sure because no one moved out of that 'gaggle' of servers for at least 10-15 minutes.
Had to ask for a menu and a drink. Got the drink, no problem if you like tiny glasses at $7/ea. Ordered ribs, which this site recommended. They were frankly awful. Tasted boiled, not 'qued, coleslaw was very 'oniony' and the fries were limp.
Ate about half. Got them to go. Ditched in the first receptacle I saw.
Won't be back. -
Review from Mike P.
Highland Park, IL
1/12/2011
Players is the perfect restaurant when my wife and I want to carry out. I order the full slab of baby back ribs, my pig-out favorite (pun intended) while my wife orders one of their fish dishes, usually one of the specials. The included salads are too much to eat that evening, so they become the base for the next day's lunch.
I like ribs where you're obligated to chew the meat off the bones. If a place says "so tender the meat falls off" I avoid them. The ribs at Players give me that gnawing opportunity. It takes an hour for me to polish off the ribs, fries, bread, and then another hour for all of that food to digest, but the two hours are worth every minute. The sauce is dark and tangy but doesn't overpower the taste of the ribs themselves. Fries are fries, but the bread is a sampling of sizes and shapes - nice to have a choice.
A good value for the money, I think. Look for a coupon on their web site to help defray the cost.
Reminds me, we haven't had ribs in a while. "Oh honey..." -
Review from Luke S.
8/26/2009
Truthfully, I didn't know what to expect when I walked into the place. I have driven by here numerous times, but I had no idea this place was here. The menu was large and covers just about any taste you may have. Our server Kate was excellent and the food was outstanding. I now can add anther restaurant to the regular rotation that we hit up when I visit my parents.
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Review from Adam B.
Chicago, IL
3/12/2009
Awesome fish and ribs. Get the ribs for sure. If you're eating healthy, get the BBQ salmon, the cajun tilapia, or whatever else is on the specials. The seafood gumbo rocks and the garlic and house (honey mustard) salad dressings, both housemade, are excellent. Service is great!
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Review from Lois W.
Lincolnwood, IL
3/28/2011
unlike liz s. from overland pk. ks. we find all the servers efficient and gracious.
the food is excellent, the service is far better then most of the restaurants we have frequented and the prices are fair so what more can you ask for? -
Review from Dan B.
Highland Park, IL
1/24/2011
Great sandwiches and salads, and thats where it ends. Staff is very unfriendly, the owner just looks at people and doesn't speak
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Review from Linda G.
Highland Park, IL
12/4/2010
Players Grill is a great place to go. The entire staff are very friendly and the food is great. We have been going since they opened and nothing has changed. It is very family friendly. They also have carry out and delivery. My suggestion is if you haven't tried it yet "do so".
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Review from Denise G.
Highland Park, IL
12/3/2010
We have been going to Player's since it opened. The food is great and the menu is varied. The beef ribs are outstanding. They pour an excellent drink. What more can one say.
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Review from Colleen S.
Deerfield, IL
9/21/2010
Fantastic food at reasonable prices! I was having approx. 30 people over after a funeral and was looking for some well cooked food that wouldn't blow my budget. We had the Chicken Vesuvio & potatoes, Pasta Primavera, Caesar Salad, rolls, garlic bread & fresh parm. Everything was prepped perfectly, served piping hot and ready for me to keep warm in the oven. The portion's were very generous, we had plenty of leftovers to share with family and friends. This will be my go to restaurant for catering as well as eating in.
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Review from Kathryn M.
Portland, OR
12/15/2008
How have I NOT review players? It's sacraledge to eat anything other than Players on a Friday night in my parents' house and I have to say the best chicken caesar salad pretty much on the face of the planet! If you don't want to wait on the weekends, show up before 6 or order take out, both are yummy options. My parents love the ribs, the steak sandwich with fried onions, and I cannot live without the above mentioned chicken caesar salad, grilled chicken sandwich, and chicken fingers (are you sensing a pattern here?). When I was in high school a lot of my friends worked here, but now most of the servers are older than high school-age. Players used to be decorated completely in sports paraphernalia, they recently had a fire and have come back with a new floor plan (it's more open and spacious) as well as sleek, relaxing decor. They still have the sports stuff on the walls, just not as much. It looks more like restaurant than sports bar now.
