Hidden treasure in Evanston close to the University. I had the best lamb I have ever had. For the atmosphere the prices were reasonable. Great service. Close to the University.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Miss Clev
Food & drinks: We've dined here a few times, but unfortunately it'll be our last.Lack of management attention or care has really taken this place down. No host or bussers, so the one waiter was left to do it all making for long waits, phones ringing away w/out answer and a general feeling of being ignored/not cared for.We were told there was no cocktail or wine list to share, but that we could "ask for whatever" and the server/bartender would attempt to accommodate. So no pricing, no understanding of wines or spirits offered - a blind guessing game.Then the food. The stand-out for issues were the entrees - the chicken roulade was laughable; a 2.5" round and 1/2" thick slice of "roulade" with a side of broccolini for $34?? The beef cheek gnocchi was inedible after two bites, SO MUCH vinegar (i doubt red wine touched this dish, but maybe red wine vinegar?), zero seasoning, and just awful. We asked for a to-go container so the waiter didn't feel bad, but it was dropped in the first trash can we found.We will not be back again, sadly - this place used to be a gem.
Service: 1
Natascha Freeman
Really love the food and atmospehere. Will definitely return! Trout, choloate mousse and burrata were amazing!
Service: 5
Rodd Hall
We did not stay at The Graduate in Evanston, but met friends there for Sunday Brunch in The Homestead Room.In short: We are from out of town, but if we lived in Evanston or anywhere nearby, The Homestead room would be our new go-to spot for brunch, and we would be headed back tonight to try out the dinner menu.First of all, the service was impeccable. Dion Lane, Food and Beverage Supervisor, and the young man assisting him were amazing. Attentive, courteous, and thoughtful to the point of being surprising. The food was fabulous. My wife and I shared the Creamy Heirloom Grits and the The Brunch Madame. They were perfection. Our friends shared The Homestead Chilaquiles and French Toast and said the same thing. Finally, that atmosphere was cozy, warm, and inviting.I can't recommend The Homestead Room strongly enough.Food & drinks: We did not stay at The Graduate in Evanston, but met friends there for Sunday Brunch in The Homestead Room.In short: We are from out of town, but if we lived in Evanston or anywhere nearby, The Homestead room would be our new go-to spot for brunch, and we would be headed back tonight to try out the dinner menu.First of all, the service was impeccable. Dion Lane, Food and Beverage Supervisor, and the young man assisting him were amazing. Attentive, courteous, and thoughtful to the point of being surprising. The food was fabulous. My wife and I shared the Creamy Heirloom Grits and the The Brunch Madame. They were perfection. Our friends shared The Homestead Chilaquiles and French Toast and said the same thing. Finally, that atmosphere was cozy, warm, and inviting.I can't recommend The Homestead Room strongly enough.
Service: 5
Garth
Came here for dinner. We arrived early so the dinner service hadn’t started yet. Had a couple of drinks in their bar area which was nice and cozy. We eventually made our way to the dining area. Sat in a booth by the fire. Service was very good, friendly. Food was filling, although I would’ve liked it to be more flavorful. Overall, a neat spot to visit, but would’ve liked more from the food.
Service: 4
Janet Andrews
We stayed at the one in Evanston this past weekend in the Home Alone Room! It was truly one for the memory books!
Kian Maleki
Everything is
Service: 5
Brian Gower
I checked in the other day with a worked colleague and was delighted to learn that they finally fixed the elevator. Last night the elevator broke and my colleague was stuck inside for over an hour. The fire department had to break in to rescue her. A traumatic experience. During the stay the heater in the room did not work, the bathroom door did not close and when I took a shower the water would not drain. I ordered Chicago deep dish pizza and brought it back to my room. I had read that I could request a microwave for the room. They said that is not possible. Overall, not a good experience at all. The staff was not friendly.
Service: 2
Rebecca L
As always, the ambiance was lovely and the food was delicious. However, the service left much to be desired. I sent the following feedback to the Graduate and did not receive a response. We arrived at 6:30 for a 6:30 reservation. The host was showing our seat options and we asked about sitting in the lounge. She said sure, walked us over, and invited us to sit where we liked. There was a small circle of couches in the corner - a few too many seats for a party of 2, but comfy, romantic, cozy, and just what we were looking for to celebrate our special occasion. We had great memories of eating in that room a few years ago when it was Hearth. As we were speaking to the hostess, a woman came in the room behind us and was trying to get the host's attention. She was asking about sitting in the lounge as well, for a party of 4. There was space at the bar, or the host offered her a table in the dining room. As we were getting settled, the woman was speaking quietly to the bartender in the lounge. A minute later, the bartender called over to us, "Hey you on the couch! How many in your party?" When we told her 2, she said, "Come sit at the bar, this lady's got a party of 4." We opted instead to leave the room, preferring not to eat our dinner in the same room as a patron who could be so entitled and a bartender who could be so rude, not to mention enabling the entitlement. We reflected later that we perhaps should have politely declined to move, having been sat there, and especially because (1) there were multiple other tables available large enough for a party of 4 and (2) they didn't politely ask if we would consider switching. The customer went directly behind our backs to ask someone else to ask us to move, and the bartender didn't ask us if we would mind moving, she ordered us to. In the end, we decided we'd rather try to enjoy our dinner in the other room, but felt this treatment was pretty unacceptable. The dinner was good and the server was pleasant and polite. The only complaint would be that a few times, various staff tried or offered to clear our plates before we were finished. All in all, we still had a good evening, but also probably figured we wouldn't be coming back.
As always, the ambiance was lovely and the food was delicious. However, the service left much to be desired. I sent the following feedback to the Graduate and did not receive a response.We arrived at 6:30 for a 6:30 reservation. The host was showing our seat options and we asked about sitting in the lounge. She said sure, walked us over, and invited us to sit where we liked. There was a small circle of couches in the corner - a few too many seats for a party of 2, but comfy, romantic, cozy, and just what we were looking for to celebrate our special occasion. We had great memories of eating in that room a few years ago when it was Hearth. As we were speaking to the hostess, a woman came in the room behind us and was trying to get the host's attention. She was asking about sitting in the lounge as well, for a party of 4. There was space at the bar, or the host offered her a table in the dining room. As we were getting settled, the woman was speaking quietly to the bartender in the lounge. A minute later, the bartender called over to us, "Hey you on the couch! How many in your party?" When we told her 2, she said, "Come sit at the bar, this lady's got a party of 4." We opted instead to leave the room, preferring not to eat our dinner in the same room as a patron who could be so entitled and a bartender who could be so rude, not to mention enabling the entitlement. We reflected later that we perhaps should have politely declined to move, having been sat there, and especially because (1) there were multiple other tables available large enough for a party of 4 and (2) they didn't politely ask if we would consider switching. The customer went directly behind our backs to ask someone else to ask us to move, and the bartender didn't ask us if we would mind moving, she ordered us to. In the end, we decided we'd rather try to enjoy our dinner in the other room, but felt this treatment was pretty unacceptable. The dinner was good and the server was pleasant and polite. The only complaint would be that a few times, various staff tried or offered to clear our plates before we were finished. All in all, we still had a good evening, but also probably figured we wouldn't be coming back.
jrafiner
The place is clean, and the staff is courteous. Get ready to walk up the stairs, I was on the third floor, it was not bad for me. I saw others struggling to go to the higher floors. The location is perfect, close to Evanston downtown and very close to the lake. Parking is tough, get ready to pay big city prices.
L B
The food is great and the ambiance is sophisticated
tinapT8416XA
The only accessible elevator was out of service. I was not informed of the elevator issue prior to arrival in spite of texting them ahead of time that I was disabled and asking about parking options. They answered my question about parking but did not mention that rooms were not accessible due to the accessible elevator being out of service. As of August 2023, seven months later, there is a notice that comes up on the site that the elevators aren’t working, but the hotel does not appear to care about fixing the issue and from my perspective appears to be violating the ADA. Comments I received from other visitors indicate that the elevator access issues predated my January 2023 visit by a year or more as well. Meanwhile, other historic hotels all over manage to keep their historic elevators working. My impression of The Graduate Evanston is that they don’t care about disabled access and just hope no one complains and they don’t get caught violating the ADA.
ChicagoBauer
The hotel is very charming and perfect for the area. It's a nice change from the chain hotels in Evanston. The room itself was comfortable and very quiet. Overall, though, the hotel does not seem to be adequately staffed and maintained. * Many have commented about the elevators not working; was no big deal except that my room lock was broken and I couldn't get into the room. It took a couple of trips from the 6th floor to the lobby to finally get a different room. In 90 degree weather, with no AC in the stairwells or hallway, the lack of an elevator definitely tried my patience. * There were holes in my bottom sheet. * The valet service was terrible. I waited 30 minutes each time dropping off and picking up my car. In both instances, there was no line or people waiting for cars. The valet was simply missing.
Good (but not great) cocktails. Way overpriced.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
Hidden treasure in Evanston close to the University. I had the best lamb I have ever had. For the atmosphere the prices were reasonable. Great service. Close to the University.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food & drinks: We've dined here a few times, but unfortunately it'll be our last.Lack of management attention or care has really taken this place down. No host or bussers, so the one waiter was left to do it all making for long waits, phones ringing away w/out answer and a general feeling of being ignored/not cared for.We were told there was no cocktail or wine list to share, but that we could "ask for whatever" and the server/bartender would attempt to accommodate. So no pricing, no understanding of wines or spirits offered - a blind guessing game.Then the food. The stand-out for issues were the entrees - the chicken roulade was laughable; a 2.5" round and 1/2" thick slice of "roulade" with a side of broccolini for $34?? The beef cheek gnocchi was inedible after two bites, SO MUCH vinegar (i doubt red wine touched this dish, but maybe red wine vinegar?), zero seasoning, and just awful. We asked for a to-go container so the waiter didn't feel bad, but it was dropped in the first trash can we found.We will not be back again, sadly - this place used to be a gem.
Service: 1
Really love the food and atmospehere. Will definitely return! Trout, choloate mousse and burrata were amazing!
Service: 5
We did not stay at The Graduate in Evanston, but met friends there for Sunday Brunch in The Homestead Room.In short: We are from out of town, but if we lived in Evanston or anywhere nearby, The Homestead room would be our new go-to spot for brunch, and we would be headed back tonight to try out the dinner menu.First of all, the service was impeccable. Dion Lane, Food and Beverage Supervisor, and the young man assisting him were amazing. Attentive, courteous, and thoughtful to the point of being surprising. The food was fabulous. My wife and I shared the Creamy Heirloom Grits and the The Brunch Madame. They were perfection. Our friends shared The Homestead Chilaquiles and French Toast and said the same thing. Finally, that atmosphere was cozy, warm, and inviting.I can't recommend The Homestead Room strongly enough.Food & drinks: We did not stay at The Graduate in Evanston, but met friends there for Sunday Brunch in The Homestead Room.In short: We are from out of town, but if we lived in Evanston or anywhere nearby, The Homestead room would be our new go-to spot for brunch, and we would be headed back tonight to try out the dinner menu.First of all, the service was impeccable. Dion Lane, Food and Beverage Supervisor, and the young man assisting him were amazing. Attentive, courteous, and thoughtful to the point of being surprising. The food was fabulous. My wife and I shared the Creamy Heirloom Grits and the The Brunch Madame. They were perfection. Our friends shared The Homestead Chilaquiles and French Toast and said the same thing. Finally, that atmosphere was cozy, warm, and inviting.I can't recommend The Homestead Room strongly enough.
Service: 5
Came here for dinner. We arrived early so the dinner service hadn’t started yet. Had a couple of drinks in their bar area which was nice and cozy. We eventually made our way to the dining area. Sat in a booth by the fire. Service was very good, friendly. Food was filling, although I would’ve liked it to be more flavorful. Overall, a neat spot to visit, but would’ve liked more from the food.
Service: 4
We stayed at the one in Evanston this past weekend in the Home Alone Room! It was truly one for the memory books!
Everything is
Service: 5
I checked in the other day with a worked colleague and was delighted to learn that they finally fixed the elevator. Last night the elevator broke and my colleague was stuck inside for over an hour. The fire department had to break in to rescue her. A traumatic experience. During the stay the heater in the room did not work, the bathroom door did not close and when I took a shower the water would not drain. I ordered Chicago deep dish pizza and brought it back to my room. I had read that I could request a microwave for the room. They said that is not possible. Overall, not a good experience at all. The staff was not friendly.
Service: 2
As always, the ambiance was lovely and the food was delicious. However, the service left much to be desired. I sent the following feedback to the Graduate and did not receive a response. We arrived at 6:30 for a 6:30 reservation. The host was showing our seat options and we asked about sitting in the lounge. She said sure, walked us over, and invited us to sit where we liked. There was a small circle of couches in the corner - a few too many seats for a party of 2, but comfy, romantic, cozy, and just what we were looking for to celebrate our special occasion. We had great memories of eating in that room a few years ago when it was Hearth. As we were speaking to the hostess, a woman came in the room behind us and was trying to get the host's attention. She was asking about sitting in the lounge as well, for a party of 4. There was space at the bar, or the host offered her a table in the dining room. As we were getting settled, the woman was speaking quietly to the bartender in the lounge. A minute later, the bartender called over to us, "Hey you on the couch! How many in your party?" When we told her 2, she said, "Come sit at the bar, this lady's got a party of 4." We opted instead to leave the room, preferring not to eat our dinner in the same room as a patron who could be so entitled and a bartender who could be so rude, not to mention enabling the entitlement. We reflected later that we perhaps should have politely declined to move, having been sat there, and especially because (1) there were multiple other tables available large enough for a party of 4 and (2) they didn't politely ask if we would consider switching. The customer went directly behind our backs to ask someone else to ask us to move, and the bartender didn't ask us if we would mind moving, she ordered us to. In the end, we decided we'd rather try to enjoy our dinner in the other room, but felt this treatment was pretty unacceptable. The dinner was good and the server was pleasant and polite. The only complaint would be that a few times, various staff tried or offered to clear our plates before we were finished. All in all, we still had a good evening, but also probably figured we wouldn't be coming back.
Restaurantji Recommends
As always, the ambiance was lovely and the food was delicious. However, the service left much to be desired. I sent the following feedback to the Graduate and did not receive a response.We arrived at 6:30 for a 6:30 reservation. The host was showing our seat options and we asked about sitting in the lounge. She said sure, walked us over, and invited us to sit where we liked. There was a small circle of couches in the corner - a few too many seats for a party of 2, but comfy, romantic, cozy, and just what we were looking for to celebrate our special occasion. We had great memories of eating in that room a few years ago when it was Hearth. As we were speaking to the hostess, a woman came in the room behind us and was trying to get the host's attention. She was asking about sitting in the lounge as well, for a party of 4. There was space at the bar, or the host offered her a table in the dining room. As we were getting settled, the woman was speaking quietly to the bartender in the lounge. A minute later, the bartender called over to us, "Hey you on the couch! How many in your party?" When we told her 2, she said, "Come sit at the bar, this lady's got a party of 4." We opted instead to leave the room, preferring not to eat our dinner in the same room as a patron who could be so entitled and a bartender who could be so rude, not to mention enabling the entitlement. We reflected later that we perhaps should have politely declined to move, having been sat there, and especially because (1) there were multiple other tables available large enough for a party of 4 and (2) they didn't politely ask if we would consider switching. The customer went directly behind our backs to ask someone else to ask us to move, and the bartender didn't ask us if we would mind moving, she ordered us to. In the end, we decided we'd rather try to enjoy our dinner in the other room, but felt this treatment was pretty unacceptable. The dinner was good and the server was pleasant and polite. The only complaint would be that a few times, various staff tried or offered to clear our plates before we were finished. All in all, we still had a good evening, but also probably figured we wouldn't be coming back.
The place is clean, and the staff is courteous. Get ready to walk up the stairs, I was on the third floor, it was not bad for me. I saw others struggling to go to the higher floors. The location is perfect, close to Evanston downtown and very close to the lake. Parking is tough, get ready to pay big city prices.
The food is great and the ambiance is sophisticated
The only accessible elevator was out of service. I was not informed of the elevator issue prior to arrival in spite of texting them ahead of time that I was disabled and asking about parking options. They answered my question about parking but did not mention that rooms were not accessible due to the accessible elevator being out of service. As of August 2023, seven months later, there is a notice that comes up on the site that the elevators aren’t working, but the hotel does not appear to care about fixing the issue and from my perspective appears to be violating the ADA. Comments I received from other visitors indicate that the elevator access issues predated my January 2023 visit by a year or more as well. Meanwhile, other historic hotels all over manage to keep their historic elevators working. My impression of The Graduate Evanston is that they don’t care about disabled access and just hope no one complains and they don’t get caught violating the ADA.
The hotel is very charming and perfect for the area. It's a nice change from the chain hotels in Evanston. The room itself was comfortable and very quiet. Overall, though, the hotel does not seem to be adequately staffed and maintained. * Many have commented about the elevators not working; was no big deal except that my room lock was broken and I couldn't get into the room. It took a couple of trips from the 6th floor to the lobby to finally get a different room. In 90 degree weather, with no AC in the stairwells or hallway, the lack of an elevator definitely tried my patience. * There were holes in my bottom sheet. * The valet service was terrible. I waited 30 minutes each time dropping off and picking up my car. In both instances, there was no line or people waiting for cars. The valet was simply missing.