EJ's is a perfectly fine casual dining family steak kind of place, which is priced like it a fancy high end steak place. Â High end it ain't, and I don't need to pay these kind of prices to eat dinner with families with screaming kids and TVs with sports on all over the dining room. Â For that kind of experience I should be paying a lot less. Â But then again, plenty of people seemed to be willing to pay these kind of prices for an average restaurant experience when we were there. Â I am continually surprised at how the mediocre get ahead, but then again it looks like EJ's is laughing all the way to the bank, so what do I know?
The food and service are all fine. Â Not great, but certainly very good. Â Food is well prepared, if familiar Italian steak house classics. Â I had a Veal Chop which was tender and well grilled. Â Cottage fries were also crispy and good. Â Broccolli Rabe was very nice. Â Garabge Salad to start was, once again, fine. Â Nothing special but it did everything it was supposed to.
Big fail on the cocktail - my Manhattan was weak and lacking in flavor. Â If you are serving big steaks you better know how to mix a cocktail.
Service was prompt and attentive, and they even handled the typical high maintenance requests for special food/drinks with aplomb.
So the food is fine and the service fine. So why don't I rate it higher?  It's boring - you've been to this kind of restaurant a million times and EJ's executes it well but is undistinguished.  The room is awful - this is a casual dining place with TVs playing sports, no décor or ambiance, plenty of screaming kids, and an awful '70s paneling kind of thing going on.  It's just bad.  Finally, it's the prices.  At Chicago Cut I'd pay these prices, but that's a real restaurant.  EJ's is a restaurant where you take your cousin Phyllis when she is in town from Boca.  For that, I should pay less.
I see that EJ's gets some crappy reviews, but I have to ask.... why do people come to a steak house to order pasta?
Anyway I come here to have MEAT and meat is what they served me, specifically a delicious perfectly cooked NY Strip, huge baked potato with lots of butter and sour cream on the side.... and of course the wedge salad with blue cheese.
Everything was cooked perfectly and one of the best steaks I had in 2012.
Plus the great Martinis keep the conversation flowing.
Yes I will be back.
Great classic Italian steakhouse, service was perfect considering it was a very busy Saturday night. Â I have read some of the negative reviews and I find it very hard to believe them, we dine here 3-4 times a year and have never had a bad meal or bad service. Â Yes, it's not cheap but keep in mind everything is huge and you can share most meals !
Review Source:My "Go To" place for client dinners and special events with my Skokie-based business. Â Atmosphere is similar to that seen at old school steakhouses such as Chicago Chop House, Ben & Jacks (my fav in NYC!) and Smith and Wollensky.
Steaks are exceptional as is the service. Â Wine list is good with affordable pricing. Â The grilled calamari appetizer is simply outstanding.
My clients are always pleased with the meals we have there and not uncommon for them to ask that we eat at EJ's again during return visits.
Epic fail.
(1) The ambiance was awful -- like someone's musty old basement after some old Christmas decorations had thrown up all over it .
(2) The food was pretty gross -- tasteless, over-salted, and served lukewarm.
(3) The prices were OUTRAGEOUS (think $30 for ordinary plates of pasta -- in Skokie). Â While the portions were pretty generous, none of it seemed particularly fresh or tasty; for instance, in the spaghetti and ravioli dishes, both the noodles and the sauce seemed to come from cans/bottles. Â So... totally not worth it.
All in all, it was an overpriced and unpleasant dinner experience. Â A friend recommended this place, which is how we ended up here, but honestly, I don't know how she or anyone could give this place a good review.
Expected so much more from this place especially for the price and packed parking lot. Dined here on a Friday night with reservation, had to wait 15 or so minutes so my husband and I sat at the bar but it took forever to get a drink and there were even two bartenders and no more than four other customers seated there. They tried seating us in their back room by ourselves. Actually every group that arrived after us was taken to the back room and all refused to sit there. Place is old school in every way and food is average at best. Go elsewhere, don't waste your money.
Review Source:I hate writing this review as I am normally a frequent diner here. Â But I was very disappointed with my most recent experience this weekend. Â
Most people come here for meat. Â But I always love coming here for the fresh seafood, in particular the whitefish and salmon. Â It's always great. Â To say the least, I was disappointed last night and it was just not the same. Â The whitefish was mealy in texture and the salmon tasted old. Â Even the clams were rubbery and I loved their clams. Â I've eaten here a dozen times and have never walked away feeling like this. Â I don't know what has changed, but it honestly wasn't very good. Â My friend and his wife ordered steaks and that looked pretty good, though.
Oh well, think I'll take a break from this place. Â I'll give it another chance down the road. Â Maybe.
First time customer, VERY happy with EJ's. Â We ordered the sea bass, the food was fantastic, very tasty, fish melted in your mouth. Â The place reminds me of an upper Wisconsin supper club which is fun and different. Â The bread that comes out at the beginning of the meal was great, the salad with blue cheese dressing was amazing. Â We had the side broccoli also good. Â The service was top quality, very attentive. Â The wine by the glass also was tasty, Malbec, very nice. Â Overall, great place, the only downside is it is a bit on the pricier side, not for every Friday night (at least for us).
Review Source:OK, it's a Friday night after a very hard week at work. The hubby and I are just looking for a decent place for drinks and food. We want to find something close to the Edens expressway where we can relax, have  a cocktail and a decent meal. I've passed by this place for years and thought why not give it a try? I wish we hadn't.
1. Prices are insane. I mean insane. Wine list was limited and very pricey. Pasta dishes roll in at 24.00 to start. Grilled or fried calamari is 17.00 as an appetizer, strip steak is 44.00. Â Come on, this is Skokie and the joint is decked out like a resort place from the 60's. This is not downtown.
2. Waitstaff is rude and can hardly be bothered to talk to you. That actually goes for everyone who works there. As I pulled in, the valet screamed at me to stop. I did and told him I didn't need valet. He informed quite rudely that it was required due to high volume. No sign indicating anything about valet service, just a young guy screaming at me....nice, very nice. I knew at that point I should have just left.
3. If you don't know these owners then just forget about it. You are nothing to them. I watched the owner EJ schmooze his regulars and give the bare minimum to new people. I realized as the treatment continued all evening long that THAT was what EJ's was all about. If you are in the in crowd it's fab, but if not then who cares? This is one of those places that could be a case study on poor management. Watch the guy in charge and how he treats others. The rest of his team follows his lead.
I left that behavior far behind when I graduated from high school. Too bad EJ's didn't. We will never go back.
To be fair, our dinner Chicken Vesuvio, was good and it was plentiful but it just didn't make up for how unwelcoming everyone was in this place.
the worst experience ever! sat down, was not given a menu. we asked to see a beer menu.. he mumbled a few selections. we asked to see a wine menu.. recieved our drinks and sat, and sat and sat. Â 29 min later (i had checked into 4square when i sat down so i knew the exact time) we watched as at least 1/2 a dozen waiters walked around.. finally our waiter came over and asked "are you ready to order or do you need more time".. i couldnt help it.. i broke out in laughter.. he walked away. Â we asked for a manager, who appologized and said he would give us a new waiter. Â we asked for the check for our two drinks. Â Instead of comp'ing the drinks and urging us to give them another try, they brought over the check (and shorted us a dollar in the change) Â when we were leaving the manager again asked us what happened.. he then told us that there was no way we were waiting 1/2 hr because i hadnt finished my wine.. Â Â really?!? he wanted to argue with us.. now i know why everyone looked so old.. they probably just aged at their tables..
Review Source:I waited a long time to write this as I really couldn't believe how bad my experience was. I brought three professional friends there from out of town as they had requested a True Chicago Steak House experience.
We had a 7:30 reservation, got there on time however the restaurant was crowded. We got drinks from the bar, expecting some wait but not too long, after all we had reservations. After a half an hour when it seemed that many others were seated who came in after us, I asked the maitre'd when we might expect a table he was rude, told me that he was very busy and walked away. We waited another half an hour and I noticed a table for 5 set and available. The Maitre'd was busy talking to his "regulars." I went over to him and asked if we could have that table and he dismissively said go ahead,. How long would it have taken him to notice he had an open table and to seat us? So we waited an HOUR for a table even though we had made a reservation.
After that the food was only adequate and the wait staff was perfunctory. It was VERY expensive for what it was. I won';t be returning.
I Â never before took the time to write a restaurant review either positive or negative. But in this economy, I felt compelled to share my experience so others will not waste their hard earned money at EJ's. This is BY FAR the worst meal I ever had in a high end restaurant. Â The steak was tough, whitefish was fishy tasting, salmon over cooked, calamari greasy and limp. The iceberg lettuce ( ICEBURG LETTUCE??!) didn't even have a slice of tomato. The service was horrendous. The best part of the meal was the key lime pie. For almost $50 per person - there are 10 other high end restaurants that I would rather go to. WIldfire, Ruth Chris and Mortons to name a few. Â Don't waste your money. You will get a better meal across the street at McCormick and Schmidts or Cheescake Factory!
Review Source:Why would anyone except the most regular regulars eat here? Â Prices are in the sky, more than a great majority of Chicago restaurants, but they probably justify by saying we give huge portions, and they do, but so what. Â Who needs to eat like that anymore, but the kicker is the very indifferent service. Â Recognize me when i come in. Â We sat for a good ten minutes or more before even seeing our waiter, in his white outfit. Â Finally, after having another person summon him, he made his way over, took our wine order then disappeared again. Â Finally brought the wine and left. Â Finally came back to take our order. Â Giant skirt steak, and broiled salmon. Â Who broils anymore? Â No grill in a steak house? Â Big old veggies with the steak, at $35.50, and well done cottage fries for two of us. Â Decent wine, Hitching Post at $40. Â Had a gift card making that the only reason for going there and will not go back under any circumstances, even if offered a free meal.
Review Source:This place is an old school Italian steakhouse housed in a northwoods ski lodge setting, complete with open beamed ceilings and a nice fireplace. The ambiance and lighting is cozy and the smoky sweet smell of chargrilled steaks and roaring fireplaces is appealing.
Service by an all-male staff dressed in white jackets, most who have been there for years, evokes a different era. The waiters are very attentive and professional.
We have eaten here many times and we nearly always enjoy our experience. The steaks are very good and the portions are huge. The grilled calamari is excellent as is the seared ahi tuna steak. It's not cheap by any means but you typically get two meals out of your order.
There are some negatives: The house salads, which are about as unimagainative as you can get, with iceberg lettuce and forgettable dressings; and I don't think their tap lines for the beer have been cleaned in years. The last couple of times my Stiegl on tap had the taste of vinegar and beer is a big part of my dining experience.
Overall, the ambiance, food and service wins out but until they can pour me a fresh half-liter of pilsener I don't know if I'll be back anytime soon.
Cool atmosphere and attentive service (although several of the waiters are difficult to understand with their accents).
Very pricey for a lodge atmosphere.
I asked where they got their steaks and it was confusing, they brought over other waiters to help answer. They kept saying, "the steaks are the best, very good".
I asked if the beef was corn fed or grass fed.
Then they brought over the manager who was surrounded by a gaggle of waiters, he says in a loud voice: "What seems to be the problem?". Suddenly I'm the bad guy.
He tells me the steaks are from Stock Yard Steaks. I ask if they are grass fed and he says yes. So then he and his posse leave the table and I order a filet.
It was huge (nice) but dry.
When I got home I looked up Stock Yard steaks and find that all their steaks are corn fed. (Watch the movie Food Inc. and see why it matters)
The steamed spinach was only ok, two of my guests wouldn't eat it.
For dessert we shared a fruit tart. It was so cold you could barely cut the crust.
For the money, I won't return, you can get better food, value and attitude elsewhere.
EJs Place never disappoints. Sure, it's pricey, but worth it. That's why we save it for special occasions. Johnny is our favorite waiter. The service attentive, generous and delicious portions, and you feel very special every minute you are there. The Prime steaks are mouth watering and the shrimp cocktail is an oxymoron. They are colossal, meaty and chilled perfectly and enough to share. I love the old-school doggie bags as another reviewer mentioned, it's classy. No reason to fix what ain't broke. Looking forward to another visit to EJs. Keep up the excellent work! I tell everyone about EJs Place!
Review Source:We were here for my husband's work holiday party. The food was excellent and the staff was very attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was nice. We were served salmon and chicken along with asparagus and potatoes. The food was excellent . My favorite was the salmon. Later a dessert assortment was served and each item was better than the next. Everything was delicious and I would definitely return on our next visit to Illinois to try some of the other menu items.
Review Source:The only thing that was good at EJ's Place was the blue cheese salad.
The prime rib was fatty and just gross.
Oh, and our waiter, who was pretentiously attentive during the first part of the dining experience copped a HUGE attitude during the ordering process after I ordered just a drink and a salad. (We even went out of our way to explain that I wasn't feeling well enough to eat a huge meal, but that we'd surely be ordering desserts & coffee.)
In retrospect, the waiter didn't deserve our explanation or our tip.
Get your nose out of the air, EJ's Place, and start treating your patrons with some respect.
Hmm...the fact that it's located next to a funeral home is not just a coincidence because once its clientele "moves on" the place will cease to exist.
If they'd spend as much money on the food and its preparation as they do with the number of staff who work there, then there might be a fighting chance for this neighborhood institution could survive, unlike those who are patrons next door.
The food was bland, over-priced and the potatoes were instant, not to mention the chewy cottage-fried potatoes. Great for entertaining your grandparents, not so great for a nice dinner with your mate! This, by far, was one of our worst experiences in Chicago, let alone a suburb of it.
Better off eating at a chance if you are in Skokie.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Good neighborhood steak place and great service. Â If you're in the suburbs/Old Orchard shopping and want to get a nice bite to eat, but not fast food...this is a nice spot. Â
We've always had fantastic service. Â Lots of choices even if you don't want steak. Â
Rarely have to make a reservation.
Boring, expen$ive, and in desperate need of updating (lest I say, cleaning) have been my experiences at EJ's. Â There's nothing special here, except the downtown prices for the food, that is served with no frills or care. Â The salad is a couple of handfuls of iceberg lettuce with one translucent slice of tomato, and dressing poured on top; Â no cucumbers, croutons, or even ground pepper (which wasn't offered) Â to make it visually appealing. Â Who wants a pound of whitefish for $28, with no seasoning (except paprika), on a plate, and a medium-sized, scrubbed baked potato? Â Not even a sprig of parsley to add some color! Â Or a plateful of plain (again, little seasoning except capers), beige veal limone for $32, again with a plain baked potato? BTW, did I mention that side dishes, like vegetables, are extra? Â Â Entree salads are costly ($17.95), so if you want an alternative to steak-chicken-fish, your choice is...no choice--not even a burger appears on the worn menu. Â Looking at the food at neighboring tables, I saw equally unappealing entrees and heard a few comments about the diners' disappointment. Â There's valet parking--big deal--the parking lot is so small that your great-grandmother could make it to the front door from the car in a snowstorm. Â And pushy waiters, who are not there so much to serve you as to get you out the door so they can turn over the table; Â ours ignored our request for salad dressing on the side and forgot the ground pepper, but he kept asking us whether we had finished and then started hovering over us after dinner. Â The bottom line: Â instead of looking at a TV, as is visible in main the dining room instead of the bar area, go to McCormick & Schmick's in Old Orchard or Pete Miller's in Evanston for really good food and ambiance.
Review Source:I come here for business dinners about 3 times a year. Â Never disappointed! Â Reasonable prices and quality steaks. Â The veal chop is exceptional as is the GRILLED calamari (not breaded). Â Salad and potato side is included which is rare for a shop house in the Chicago area. Â Good wine list at moderate (dare I say "cheap") prices.
Review Source:After hearing of this place and driving by for years, we decided to finally check it out. Â I had always heard that this place had a loyal following much like L. Woods in Lincolnwood and Myron & Phil's on Devon. Â Those places I understand, EJ's I do not. Â It must just be family tradition or nostalgia that bring them back to EJ's because it is not the steaks.
The prices are right up there with Joe's Prime Steak and Seafood and Gibson's. Â I mean come on - $25 for chicken vesuvio and $95 for lobster tail in Skokie. Â I had the bone-in ribeye medium rare ($44) and it was a very large piece of meat. Â Unfortunately, it was very tough and was so chargrilled on the outside that the table shook when I cut it. Â My husband had the sirloin al forno special and the meat was tasteless. Â The onions were undercooked and it really was a disappointment. Â The bread, salad and blue cheese dressing and the service were the only things good about our experience. Â If you are going to charge downtown steakhouse prices, Â you should at least deliver a good quality steak. Â
Service was top-notch and that is the only reason for the two stars.
Oh EJ's Place, my first "real" steakhouse experience! Â
Once I figured out that you have to order sides at real steakhouses, I have slowly started to relax and truly enjoy the experience of eating here. Â
(The first time I came, I ordered a big ol' hunk o' meat ... and that's exactly what I got: a big ol' hunk o' meat, on a plate, nothing else.)
Now I know better and usually order some delicious steamed broccoli (or more recently, because it's coming into season: grilled zucchini!)  to go with my "small filet" (which is definitely 2+ meals ...) ... or sometimes  sit next to my father-in-law to snatch a handful of his cottage fries!
Pastas here are also very satisfying and taste just as good heated up the next day.
Service is friendly and attentive and atmosphere is cozy and nice!
Portions are incredibly generous. Â Whatever you order and regardless of how delicious it is and how hungry you are ... you will almost certainly be taking home a size-able part of your meal to eat for lunch or dinner the next day. Â Best part: the doggie bags are these old school paper bags with cute little poodles printed on them. Â So great!
After years of driving by this place, I finally gave it a shot, and boy was I glad I did! This was a classic Chicago Style Chop House Experience! Outstanding Table Service, with those classic straight forward five star waiters that we all love so much. You ask, Â "What's good?" and They ask, "What Do You Like?". I love it!
This isn't a high turn over type joint where they're going to rush you in and rush you out, and that may be a little hard for some people to grasp, especially if your dining outside of your regular dinner hour. Don't Come to this place Starving, the fantastic aromas will drive you crazy while you wait. Trust me, make a reservation.
This place is a special night out, come and celebrate a milestone, host your in-laws to the best, type of restaurant. The Steaks Are Amazing! So flavorful and Juicy that my mouth is watering just thinking of it. I mean it's a 12 step program just waiting to happen!
The owner or at least the Guy in charge is a real restaurateur who knows his stuff, trust me I can tell. My wife had an issue with her veal, and the waiter and the host Eugene were on it like white on rice! I love that. They knew what I was paying for and they were gonna make sure we left satisfied.
I can honestly say I will be taking my wife here again, and again, and again, well you get the pic!
Are we Good? Good... Now, Go EAT!
Cheers!
The old sage says that you get what you pay for. Well, I sure paid at EJ's, but I'm still waiting for something worth the coin I laid out. Â About the worst service I've experienced; food along the lines of a Longhorn or Outback (gag); ambience like a Denny's. Â All in all a total waste of time and money.
Review Source:First, let me start off saying the service here is impeccable, our waiter was standing by ready to serve our every need, never did we have to wait for a thing. The food, however, was not so impressive. I had the T-bone steak and ordered a lobster tail to go with it. I ordered my steak rare, and it was cooked medium rare, not the end of the world but you figure they would cook a $42 steak the way the customer ordered it. My girlfriend ordered hers medium rare and my steak looked more cooked than her steak. Next was the lobster tail, which was very tough. I would guess that it was cooked way to long, and you would think the chef would pay a bit more attention when cooking a $95 lobster tail. I didn't even finish the whole tail as i got sick of chewing lobster flavored rubber. I would give the waiters here 5 stars but the food was very mediocre. Large portions but the quality was lacking.
Review Source:We've been to this restaurant many times and, on a weekend evening, went again for the first time in a few months. Â The setting is pleasant, the food is always plentiful and very good and the experienced staff (bartenders and waiters) provides efficient service. Â The crowd for the most part appeared to be in the 40-60 age bracket. Â On balance, the restaurant provides a comfortable dining experience.
On Saturday evenings, this place is always packed at dinner as it was when we last attended. Â We had reservations, but many times, I think the restaurant views reservations as suggestions rather than a commitment and with reservations we waited about 20 minutes for our table (we've waited as long as 40+ minutes for a table on occasion even with reservations).
The decor has a rustic feel to it. There is a large room that includes the bar area and a couple of side rooms as well. The main room includes (as noted) the bar area. Â We usually wait at the crowded bar for our table. Â Sometimes we stand at the bar as we did last night (other times we can find a chair at the bar) dodging servers and other customers. Â
The restaurant is known as a steak place, but also has pasta dishes as well. However, the best thing on the menu is the chicken with peppers. Â This is a large portion that can be easily shared and includes chicken that is smothered in red, green and yellow peppers as well as hot banana peppers. It's very spicy and is highly recommended. Â Other things that are recommended include the cottage fries and shrimp cocktail. Â The shrimp cocktail features large firm shrimp and may the best shrimp cocktail in the Chicago area. The Caesar salad is always good. Â Our meals were accompanied by crisp delicious cottage fries (you always want more even if they give you an enormous serving). Â We also ordered sauteed broccoli (sauteed with garlic) which provided a nice accompanying side dish to the chicken. Â The portions are enormous and accordingly, I skipped desert. Â
The wine list is not extensive (only about a page long) with lots of reds, but, for a steak place, its not as deep into reds as other steak places in the Chicago area.
I attended a team dinner that was hosted at EJ's Place because they are sponsors of our cycling team. Â This was my first time at the restaurant, and I was amazed at how great everything was! Â The food was amazing (well spiced, perfectly flavored) and the service was outstanding. Â My water glass was never empty, and we had more food than we could possibly eat. Â
Thanks, EJ, for such a great dinner!
Cat sitting for 12 days in your non-cat home for your good friend Lauren = zero dollars
Clean out litter box (whilst gagging) for said Persian cat twice per day for 12 days = zero dollars
Administer liquid Pepcid via syringe for said Persian cat every morning due to cat's Irritable Bowel Syndrome = zero dollars
Administer liquid Prednisone via syringe for said Persian cat every other day = zero dollars
Feed cat some dry food (non-gag inducing) every day = zero dollars
Feed cat 1 tsp of GAG INDUCING wet food twice per day = zero dollars
Put up with massive amounts of long haired Persian cat hair on clothes and furniture for 12 days = zero dollars
Being take to EJ's for steak as a reward for our cat sitting adventure = PRICELESS
My friend has been bugging me to go to EJ's for ages. And what a dumbass I am for not going sooner. We had a fabulous dinner last night  - here are the highlights:
1. Huge unlimited amounts of assorted breads and breadsticks
2. FABULOUS bone-in Ribeye steak - I bet this puppy weighed over 20 ozs! Â So huge in fact that I have another complete leftover meal for tonight. YUM!
3. Creamy garlic mashed potatoes with just the right amount of garlic so I am not burping them up today, thank you.
4. Homer's Spumoni ice cream - orgasmic.............
5. Attentive friendly service
6. FREE valet parking
7. Very cozy ski lodge-like ambiance
Other items highly recommended by other members of our party: Minestrone soup
Fresh Lake Superior Whitefish
Chicken Vesuvio
FYI - EJ's also has a number of veal, seafood and pasta dishes, and they have a variety of side dishes which sound great including "Broiled Slab Bacon" - which greatly piqued our interest being the PIG eaters, that we are - next time perhaps.
Lauren, drop off Ruddi the cat whenever you want - when are you going away again? Â We will cat sit ANY TIME you want! Â Seriously.
Can't WAIT to go back to EJ's!
"WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN HERE IN AWHILE?!?"
My husband and I are still asking ourselves that question.
Maybe it's because we've been trying new places...
or maybe it's because the last time we went here ...
we were attempting to play "cupid" and "trying to fix up" Â two of our friends...
well, that didn't work...soooo...that being said we went back on this past Valentine's Day.
YUMMMMIEEEE...so glad did!!!
We starting with delicious Lobster Bisque...mmmmm.
My husband had his favorite Prime Rib.
Folks...I am not exaggerating, Â it covered the WHOLE entire plate with very little fat!
I had the most delicate, flavorful, buttery Dover Sole served with Almond Butter, filleted table-side.
We finished with chocolate dipped strawberries and creamy vanilla ice-cream. I think it was a V-Day special dessert, but on previous occasions we've had their Creme Brulee and  Cheesecake desserts....oh just unbutton my pants now!!
This place has a great, cozy, fireside, ski lodge/cabin-esque atmosphere.
Inviting bar, great wine list, fantastic service, valet parking.
I recommend the Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Dover Sole and the Chilean Sea Bass.
NOTE: "Alex" is THE best waiter EVER!!!
He even remembered us and asked us where have we've been!
"Don't  worry, Alex we won't take so long to see you next time!!"