Restaurants in Naperville

Odyssey Greek Taverna has two locations, both of which maintain old-world charm with crisp white linens, dramatic pillars, stone-textured cream walls, and interspersed colorful murals. Dinners begin with bites of moussaka, which layers eggplants, zucchini, and potatoes for a multitoned meal that doubles as a cutaway model of the earth's crust. The gyro plate showcases spreads of beef and lamb with pita, tzatziki sauce, tomato, and onions, and warm, flaky phyllo dough wraps around spanakopita —a savory spinach-cheese pie.

An extensive wine list loosens first dates’ tongues so they can give better PowerPoint presentations detailing their romantic qualifications.

Dips & Dogs swings open its doors seven days a week to on-the-move munchers from lunch hour until late in the evening. Succulent wafts of chili-coated fries, cheesy hot dogs, and freshly grilled burgers escape from the snack stand onto Garfield Street, luring passersby in to browse a menu of eats more American than an apple pie sliced by Hulk Hogan. Outside, a patio hosts meals and games of bags throughout the summer.

Inside each Hickory River Smokehouse location, chefs create award-winning Texas-style barbecue, first hand-coating meats with a spiced dry-rub blend. They then slow-cook each morsel—whether beef brisket, pulled pork shoulder, turkey, ham, or on-the-bone chicken—over a hickory-wood fire for several hours in an in-house barbecue pit. The resulting meats fill platters or sandwiches with their smoked aromas and pair with the restaurant's signature Texas-style barbecue sauce.

Chefs also put together a spread of Southern sides to pair with their meats, such as barbecue beans, potato salad, and cornbread molded into racks of ribs.

The Indian Harvest adorns white tablecloths with north Indian curries, pilafs, and kebabs distinguished by myriad spices such as leaves of cardamom and bowls of mint or pickle chutney. Over 20 vegetarian dishes showcase the versatility of eggplant, cauliflower, and peas, as well as their ability to harmonize with lentils and avoid getting redfaced when infused with whole chiles. A clay oven known as a tandoor sizzles lamb, chicken, and shrimp at a high temperature to seal in marinade and keep cholesterol down, and provides the bellows to puff up rounds of seasoned, leavened naan bread. Wood panels cut with floral designs screen sections of tables and booths in the dining room, whereas views of the lake open up the banquet hall.

When Rowena and Joe Salas bought the Hotel Baker in downtown St. Charles nine years ago, they knew they were taking on the pressure of not only being business owners but caretakers as well. The landmark hotel’s founder, Colonel Edward J. Baker, built it in 1928 as an economic and communal anchor for his hometown.

“We have a responsibility to the city,” Ms. Salas says. “People here know the hotel’s story and we want to be true to the original vision.”

The Salases have protected the hotel’s legacy, carefully preserving its Spanish romantic revival architectural style while updating its amenities and polishing its décor. But they’ve also made their own mark by reconfiguring much of the ground-level space and making room for Rox City Grill. The Main Street eatery has itself become a fixture in downtown St. Charles’s revival as a destination for nightlife and entertainment.

Like the hotel under the Salases’ stewardship, Rox puts a modern spin on a classic setting. The business-casual grillroom makes a comfortable venue for dining on the prime steaks and fresh fish prepared with creative flair by Executive Chef David Hassan. Dinner crowds clamor for the 20-ounce bone-in angus rib eye and the pan-seared tilapia, served with crushed yukon gold potatoes and lemon butter. The starters menu changes with the seasons and is printed upside-down during a lunar eclipse, but it usually includes popular stalwarts such as tenderloin sliders and the jumbo-shrimp cocktail.

On weekend nights, Rox gets especially lively with live piano sing-alongs in the lounge and a bustling mix of locals and hotel guests mingling over martinis and wine chosen from the extensive cellar. The restaurant is closed Monday and Sunday, but the lounge remains open to serve drinks and the starters menu seven nights a week. Weekend patrons at Rox are also likely to spot Joe Salas himself, dining with friends or clients and keeping an eye on the new legacy he’s creating in the heart of St. Charles.

Alfie's Inn takes its name from the 1966 film in which Michael Caine plays a carefree playboy. In contrast to this flippant character, the chefs at Alfie’s Inn work with military precision, particularly when it comes to their signature burger. After whipping up a top-secret in-house seasoning, they grind burger meat and treat it for precisely one minute and 10 seconds—any longer and patties become mushy; any shorter and they toughen. Fried and mounded with grilled onions or blue-cheese crumbles, the end result is an epic burger that has earned praise on WGN’s Chicago’s Best.

Though known for its burger, the eatery also boasts impressively sized portions of baby back ribs, new york strip steaks, and surf ‘n’ turf dishes. Diners feast on meals amid the restaurant’s medieval decor, complete with suits of armor and a roaring indoor fireplace. Kids also walk away bearing trinkets including balloons, lollipops, and a little Magna Carta that emancipates them from their parents.