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Washington Gardens
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Pizza Italian, Pizza [Edit]
256 Green Bay RdHighwood, IL 60040
(847) 432-0309
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
dilbert z. said: "This is a good place for lunch with very reasonable prices which maintains the general quality of the prior Kaiser's operation. New owner didn't change that much, but really miss the specials board on the wall when you walk in. It's…" read more »
22 reviews for Washington Gardens
Review Highlights
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"For dessert we had the carrot cake, and it was moist and..." In 3 reviews -
"Great homemade pasta and canoli." In 5 reviews -
"And if the osso bucco is a special." In 3 reviews
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22 reviews in English
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Review from Jeffrey B.
Deerfield, IL
5/12/2012
I have been going to Washington Gardens since I was a kid and the consistency and authenticity of this Highwood Classic is about as good as it gets up here on the North Shore. These recipes have lived here for over 50 years and it is about as old school as you can get. Stick with the classics and you cannot go wrong.
Highly recommend the Fettuccine Alfredo, which is a decadent dis, probably best enjoyed as a side. Love the Veal Parm which is a unique preparation of a large flattened slice of veal, fried crispy with great flavor from the marinara sauce. The baked ravioli and ravioli al forno are also excellent dishes.
For those who like their Italian food basic, you absolutely cannot go wrong with the Tortellini Alfredo as an appetizer. The spaghetti is perfect, meat sauce is a classic and will bring a smile to your face every time. The biggest secret here is how good their pizza is. It is rare that you can sit down, have a few beers and enjoy a piping hot pizza out if the oven. The crust is thin and crisp with a cheese topping that is caramelized and crispy too. The new owner Jim also has a lot of great beers that he keeps on tap.
If you are looking for some authentic Italian food, Chicago Style, this is the place. This is not Mia Francesca folks, it is a Highwood classic. -
Review from Elaine M.
Highland Park, IL
2/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
I know it's seems impossible but I completely agree with both the lovers and the haters. Here it is, this is a neighborhood eatery that wants to be fine dining. It might have been fine dining thirty years ago but the only thing that has kept up with current trends are the prices.
We have dined here a few times during the more than a decade that we have lived here. Every time we leave feeling the same-it was okay but nothing great.
We tried again this past weekend. Soup or salad is offered with your entree. I had the salad which was supposed to be dressed with the house dressing, a balsamic vinaigrette. It did not seem like balsamic at all. Oil and regular vinegar maybe. My husband had the cream of carrot soup. It was cold (not on purpose) and he didn't care for the taste. For our entrees we had two of the February specials. I, the linguine a la pesca and my husband and our friend the cioppino. The linguine was fine, although the pasta was a bit over cooked. The cioppino was also fine but was labeled as being served in a tomato broth. It turned out to be of a thicker tomato substance than broth which was disappointing.
The place is pretty small so it gets crowed and loud and fairly quickly.
Wish that they would come to terms with what they really are and just sell some really great pasta and pizza at reasonable prices. -
Review from Patti W.
Highland Park, IL
5/19/2012 7 Check-ins Here
We just love this place, mostly for take out pizza and salads--it's our Friday night ritual. After shopping around, my husband and I both think they have the best pizza around Highland Park. We have eaten in a few times and always feel well-taken care of. Love the bartender. It's a homey place with good food. Usually bustling with a good-time feel. A bit of an escape from posh and wanna-be posh restaurants.
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Review from Brian P.
Vernon Hills, IL
5/4/2012
I've now been to Washington Gardens a couple of times. Everytime it's busy, and just a great buzz inside for a restaurant. The first time they were running late for our reservation. We had a drink at the bar and when our table was ready, we had an appetizer for free...a great start!
I'd have to highly recommend the pizza here - very thin, and great ingredients. My favorite is sausage, onion and fresh garlic. Also love the tortellini in white sauce - fantastic. -
Review from Jacqui S.
Deerfield, IL
10/2/2011
We had a fabulous dinner tonight! There were nine of us, including a baby sleeping on her mommie's lap. Indeed, she missed all the fun. AND the food, it was delicious! The meal at Washington Gardens was very "home cooked" like Grandma's cooking! The service was impeccable. We are NOT an easy crowd, continually asking for another coke, some extra sauce, some more water...
Every request was met with grace and a smile. Love that place! Maybe we'll meet there next Sunday!
LOVED IT!!!!!
: )Listed in: Days Inn Chicago
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Review from Ryan P.
Chicago, IL
11/14/2011
Now I haven't written a Yelp review for quite some time, but I was forced to after this evening!
I always tell myself that I will NEVER believe the ratings by suburbanite yelpers, but OOPS I did it again! This restaurant should be the poster boy for why one cannot trust yelp for suburban restaurants. People out here must have forgotten what good food and service is! The fact is, I made a return to yelp so that nobody else would get suckered into this place like I did.
This was by far the WORST italian food I have ever experienced.
1. I'm pretty sure the gravy (sauce) was ragu; either that or they dump an entire bottle of dried oregano into the pot (the best italian sauces are mostly flavored with basil FYI) That should have been enough to get me to leave right then and there.
2. Frozen food. That's right. No way in hell the veggies or calamari (rubber) was fresh.
3. Veal parm was almost as thin as paper, and was chewy as well. It came with some boxed spaghetti in a tiny saucer with ragu, one (yes one) frozen broccoli, sliced fruit (WTF?!), and some kraft pre-shredded cheese on top. Hurl.
4. Companion got the chicken fontina, which looked like it was a boiled chicken breast (yikes) and tasted like they boiled the chicken then simmered it in 12 sticks of butter and 9 cloves of garlic. Top with kraft parmesan cheese and you got yourself a winner!
5. Service: Pretty bad. Had to wait for over 10 minutes just to get out entree order taken (rubber calamari was long discarded by then)
The waitress had about 9 tables to care for of about 30 total guests. Overwhelming much? Get another waitress!
6. Price: The reason I wrote this review. HOW DARE YOU CHARGE THESE PRICES! I normally wouldn't go out of my way to write such a long winded review, but charging us minimum $20 for these abominations is insulting. Truly.
7. Tables and booths: Ancient, carbon dating places them from the age of the roman empire. Hard and uncomfortable.
Want some italian food in the burbs? Go to Volare in Oakbrook. I'd much sooner recommend that you even go to the Olive Garden. In fact, you're better of getting stouffer's frozen lasagna from the supermarket.
Overall: wouldn't even feed it to my dog. Strangely the place was packed! If you think that this is "great homecooked food" I feel truly sorry for you. Shame on you Washington Gardens for charging $26 for an entree of such low quality.
/rant. -
Review from Tom S.
Deerfield, IL
1/23/2012
Wonderful homemade fresh pastas. Love their pizza's, ultra thin and I think their sausage is homemade! This fish entrees and specials are always fresh and delicious. We can not go without our kids, they have their favorites.
My only grip is that we once in a while get the waitress that is slow to take your order, slow to get your drinks to you. Ignores your table completely once you have your drinks and food. What if you want another drink? You have to almost jump in front of her for her to see you! The other waitresses are stellar! They jump in and help when needed and I think they all know this particular one always needs it. Then if you party is larger, they tack on the 18% gratuity when you haven't had the best service!
Otherwise we would have given it 5 stars. Wonderful freshly made food! -
Review from Jayne D.
Chicago, IL
1/7/2012
We've had dinner here 3-4 times and have always enjoyed the food and service. Entree prices include your choice of soup or salad. The salads are very good but I'd choose the minestrone soup, which is stellar. The sig o raved about his lobster pasta on our last visit. Over the past year or so I've enjoyed the chicken parm, veal (can't remember the name -- had peppers, fontina cheese...) and chicken marsala. The atmosphere is very northwoods homey...don't expect fancy. It's homestyle, not gourmet. But it is very good at that and it is a fun night out in the burbs, which can be hard to find.
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Review from Ted K.
Highland Park, IL
11/30/2011
My wife and I had a great dinner here the other night. My Chicken Limone was awesome and my wife enjoyed the Caribbean Salad that she split with me (it was huge.) My wife had Salmon that she thought was great and always requests the tomato cream sauce with her side of pasta.
The service was great as always. My kids were jealous when I told them they were not accompanying us as they always enjoy the pizza (the best around) and the special chocolate milk made for them. My oldest son insisted we bring home some carrot cake that he graciously agreed to share with us! -
Review from Amy G.
1/27/2010 1 photo
The decor may not be upscale and modern and it may be a little cramped... but none of those complaints stand up when one considers how stunningly delicious and homey the Italian food at Washington Gardens is.
Walk in and prepare to be treated like family. Hosts (often the owner or his family) are warm and friendly and the servers are some of the sweetest, most considerate, and genuine I've ever encountered. How they remember all the details about where I'm at college, how my internship went, all of my family's names, I'll never know.
As far as the food goes, you literally cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. Start with a steaming, tomatoey, herbed bowl of minestrone soup or, better yet, their fantastic house salad with bleu cheese crumbles. Menu highlights include the homemade ravioli filled with spinach and cheese baked al forno in butter, parmesan, and tons of garlic. All of their pasta sauces are delicious too, from hearty, meaty bolognese to tomato-cream. When in season, go for the fried soft-shell crabs. And if the osso bucco is a special? Don't pass up.
Now, I almost never order dessert but Alex's is always an exception to that rule. If you're a cheesecake fan, the star of your meal with be the ricotta cheesecake with strawberry sauce. Phenomenal, unique texture (it's more crumbly than cloyingly creamy), delicious crust-- it is absolutely perfect. -
Review from Rachel F.
Northbrook, IL
4/14/2011
OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive for the poor food quality. Honestly the best thing they had their was their tomato bread. I went with a friend and we ordered the lobster fritters, which did not have that frittery sweet batter, but were okay. I also ordered the straw and hay which was absolutely disgusting. The pieces of prosciutto were way too thick, the sauce felt like i was eating butter by the stickful, and there was no flavor differential between the egg noodles and spinach noodles. to pay 20+ dollars for that mess is ridiculous. Finally, we ordered chocolate cake to split for dessert and i swear it tasted like it was straight from the box. Sure, the cake tasted good, but to pay 5 dollars for a slice of betty crocker cake when i could have bought the box myself and made an entire cake for 3 dollars? It's insulting. I would never go back.
Comment from jim s. of Washington Gardens 6/7/2011
It is very humbling to receive a review like this. It is… More » -
Review from Elina S.
Buffalo Grove, IL
4/20/2011
This place is delicious! My friends parents own it and perhaps I'm a lil biased, but everything here is just exceptional. I'm not the biggest italian fan, but they have te best stuff. The pizza is not only the best in the north shore, but it's the best pizza I've ever had in my life, totally go for the hawaiin. Also, the calamari is just mouth watering, fresh, soft, not overly chewy and not super fried, really good. I've had a couple of their salads, always prepared fresh and crisp, just the way I like it. Also, they have this whole wheat pasta w/ cranberries and chicken that is literally my favorite. This place is classy, romantic setting, yet also fun with the bar that they have. I truly recommend it!
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Review from Brenda R.
Winnetka, IL
11/30/2011
I am with all the negative reviews. Last night, I ordered lasagna and a small caesar. No beverage. I received (as did others at my table) LESS than a half portion of over-al dente, or maybe the day before, lasagna. The caesar salad was some refrigerator creation. What did this noodles and sauce entree cost me? $24.
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Review from Ronni G.
Highland Park, IL
2/6/2011 10 Check-ins Here
Remember the neighborhood Itslian restaurant with checked tablecloths, great veal parmiagian and pizza(Possibly the best thin crust pizza in Chicago.)? Where "ala carte" wasn't on the menu? It's here. Don't think the restaurant is out ot date. Owner Jim Stoecker has kept old favorites, and added new ones, like cajun martini whitefish and a killer carrot cake. Washington Gardens offers something for everyone. Friendly, prompt service and reasonable prices.
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Review from Darlene L.
Chicago, IL
11/7/2010
This is the place for no nonsense Italian food. Decor is stale but it's ok because the service is friendly and efficient, the food is wonderful, and the prices are reasonable. For starters, the bread basket is chock full of freshness and variety. Loved the minestrone and crisp green salad with Italian dressing. Had great tilapia cooked in olive oil, lemon and a bit of teriyaki. Sides included rice and fresh green beans. The platter was enough for two people, so half went home. My companion had great chicken Sofia on a bed of delicious angel hair with a cream sauce. It was also a large portion. Our Groupon helped but even without it, prices are very decent for large portions. The pizza seems popular here and would like to try it.
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Review from John K.
Gurnee, IL
12/11/2007
Everything is great. Best kept little secret in Highwood. You will love it here, you can mix and match with half orders. Not huge seating, but It tastes like homemade Italian, like Mama used to make. Recommend Highly.
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Review from Rich A.
Gurnee, IL
7/19/2010
Great homemade pasta and canoli. U have to have the canoli.
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Review from E M.
New York, NY
8/26/2010
My favorite tortellini alfredo ever, a must every time I go! Love their lobster fra diavolo and lobster fritters for appetizer. The salmon is really tender and the sauce is yummy. Osso buco is also great. Quaint atmosphere with reasonable prices for authentic cuisine.
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Review from David N.
Lake Forest, IL
4/16/2011
I have been going to WG for over 20 years - love the food - great, friendly staff - I especially like the spaghetti with meat sauce, whole wheat pasta with alfredo sauce and their great specials. Jim, the owner, is a great host. Best Italian food in Highwood!
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Review from Steve o.
Highland Park, IL
8/25/2006
Always had a good meal here. Stopped going only because its too cramped for a family with small children. If your kids are glued to the seats its fine, but mine like to move around after a while and that doesn't work so good here.
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Review from chris f.
Lincolnshire, IL
1/13/2011
Small & cozy w great food. Everything was was so fresh and very flavorful. Friendly staff & good service. We will be back
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Review from Grace L.
Glenview, IL
9/27/2009 1 Check-in Here
Walk in and relax..what a great way to enjoy your meal. The place is not very large, well themed, or shnazzy, so don't come if that is what you are in the mood for. The decor is a bit boat/dock like, but the menu is mainly Italian. However, we were welcomed the minute we came in and felt welcome the rest of the night. The staff really took their time to talk to us, from the front bar keeper, waitress, and even wait staff. The food was really good...we started out with the mussels, which are great with tomatoes... for a twist. We had the osso bucco, the spaghetti and meatball, and chicken (with cranberries) forgot the name. Everything was great....the cranberry chicken pasta dish was excellent, the cranberries cut down the creaminess with a tangy sweetness that went so well with the chicken. The meatball, according to my husband, is amazing. The only so-so dish ended up being the osso busso, surprisingly, the most bland out of the three. For dessert we had the carrot cake, and it was moist and not too heavy. Overall, a great restaurant!
