Restaurants in Waukegan

The chefs at The Grill man the restaurant's namesake forge, which sizzles cheerily beneath burgers, sandwiches, and steaks. During periods of sunshine or kite fires, waiters bustle between the indoor dining area and tables on an outdoor patio. All-day delivery services shuttle filling dispatches to busy diners, and curbside carryout service sates the mighty hunger of jealous automobiles.

Every month, Sweet Tomatoes rolls out a new roster of fresh-made eats—including many vegetarian and gluten-free selections—in its wholesome buffet. Simmering soups bubble with vegetables and savory chicken, alongside tossed salads tumbling with crisp produce, much like an Ent in a washing machine. On Sunday mornings, plates fill with comforting breakfast classics such as belgian waffles and scrambled eggs.

Murals of Chicago sports legends surround Blue 60's bar and dining area, joining flat-screen televisions that act as windows to a world of huffing linebackers and fire-eyed pitchers. While safely perched at bar stools and pub tables, diners can watch the modern gladiators compete during contests including hockey games, college basketball match-ups, and the NFL’s off-season Shakespeare in the Park productions. Blue 60's kitchen staff fires stuffed burgers, stone-baked pizzas, and specialty sandwiches to accentuate each game while also bringing out the flavors in the beers that grace the bar’s tap list.

At Trattoria Valle D’Itria, chef Giovanni calls upon a brick oven and an armory of fresh ingredients to bring to life the culinary traditions of the sun-soaked Itria Valley. Diners draw in deep breaths loaded with the aromas of sweet polenta, chicken stuffed with mushrooms, and gnocchi cloaked in vodka-cream sauce. Cooks roll sheets of dough, which they trim into myriad fresh pastas bound for steaming pots and the desk of alphabet-soup editors. Warm lighting romps across dark wooden accents in the restaurant's interior, and umbrellas shelter patrons as they dine and people watch in sidewalk seating.

Eight Piece is all about serving up food fresh and fast, yet each of the restaurant’s dishes remain meticulously prepared. As chefs layer fresh fish and vegetables into their signature versions of California and Philadelphia rolls, guests watch on through glass like proud parents and point out the roll they named after a grandparent. In an interactive turn, diners are encouraged to create their own sushi rolls from a menu of base rolls, creative toppings, and sauces. From those choices, chefs can add heat to a vegetarian roll with a chili oil-infused kamikaze mixt topping or cool down a chipotle roll with an individual topping of avocado and a sauce. With sushi plates in hand, diners are invited to nestle into the airy dining room where neon lime chairs and white banquettes invite conversation and leisurely dining.

The original Dear Franks location in Deerfield flung open its doors back in 1978 and has served the same quality dogs, burgers, and fries ever since, only now at two additional locations in Niles and Glenview. Charred Vienna Beef hot dogs drag through a garden of traditional Chicago-style toppings, and freshly cut, double-crisped fries are draped in creamy wisconsin sharp cheddar. Italian-beef sandwiches, tuna melts, and assorted sausages also assuage cravings for comfort food, as do chocolate malts and teddy bears stuffed with foie gras.