For starters, let's get the spelling correct, it's the Freehling Room. Specifically, a private - yes private, dining establishment adjacent to the Bennet Gordon Hall, within Ravinia Park, in the town of Highland Park. This place should be exempt from any Yelp review, including this one, as it is (again) in the private domain, not public. Well, how much you ask, is 'membership' - correction there also, that well publicized on Ravinia's website under 'benefactor levels'. No specifics given here as that is not the purpose of this review. Therefore it is my assumption that any previous trashy reviews, should be given the reader attention they should - that being, less than none. Less than favorable reviews more than likely came from bitchy benefactors guests, not the benefactor(s) themselves, who more than likely picked up the tab for dinner, that made it possible for their ignorant barbarian 'guests' who amazingly learned to spell and dine with a fork and knife without dragging their knuckles, to write this garbage. The elegance of the room is understated, you can feel a warm vibe once you walk inThis is the place for civilized dining, pre or post concert, whether the CSO or Pitbull is playingThe front end is conducted by Debbie, while the staff performs in unison, just like an orchestra. The kitchen art cooked by Chef Carlos, is like Picasso on a PlateThis is a 'must visit' placeTo miss coming here, and sharing that experience with a precious loved one, is tantamount to saying no to happinessEnd of story
iTraveltheworld195
My goodness, should have known better but thought I would give them another shot. Still some of the worst service. You would think that an hour and half of dining time would have been enough for three courses. Nope, concert started before we were finished. We had the same waiter as the last visit and though friendly enough we had to ask him to take our order then don't know if it was his fault or the kitchen's but the time it took for the food to come was just too long. I started with the mushroom soup which was good. Nice and hot. Hubby had the strawberry arugula salad. He gave me a taste and it was also very good. My chicken though was tough, rubbery and completely overcooked. I thought it practically inedible. Hubby ate it for me. I didn't taste them but those that had the halibut and the Cobb salad were satisfied with there choices. I must say, the salad looked really good and I would suggest ordering that. For dessert hubby and I split the dutch apple pie with cinnamon ice cream. It was okay but not exceptional. We were also late at that point so we were just rushing to get going and get to our seats. They had some computer problems so they had to take our credit card numbers to be run later. Promise of an email confirmation never arrived. Given the lack of service and unremarkable food they are overpriced.
Nick B.
We took my 14 year old granddaughter for dinner prior to the Bonnie Koloc concert. Food was great American Food. Friendly attentive service. Even though the restaurant was fully booked the team of waiters were always available and graciously available. I had the grilled Salmon and it was prepared perfectly and plated beautifully on a bed of lentils. Bread was brought to the table warm and very tasty. I would hope that during the off season at Ravinia it would be possible to eat at the Park View restaurant. Just a great dining experience.
Judith S.
The Lawn Bar is a terrible disappointment. The service is non-existent, the food is slow in being served and when it arrives, it isn't worth eating. A waste of time and money.
K L.
Literally inedible. Don't bother eating here. I can't believe anyone would waste their time eating this horrible food. And the service is even worse. Dirty dishes sat on our table for 45 minutes before anyone thought to remove them. So, we stared at our half eaten food without the option to forget how disgusting the food was.
Jerry F.
The food is ok but enough wrong with everything we bought that I should have brought my own. Avoid the tacos Oversee the burger. The lettuce was sparse but that was the good part because it was nasty. Pizza was good Guacamole was mediocre Corn elote was good Of course Snarky Puppy was amazing
Lucas C.
Absolutely terrible tacos, should've read the reviews. Chicken, steak, and pork was all old and dry. Six flags and Taco Bell could provide better tacos. The advertisements make the food look good but DONT FALL FOR IT !!
Richard N.
Why eat before the venue when you can eat right here! The food was delicious, pricey, but delicious and convenient!!!!! Sit outside and enjoy the show!
Donnita S.
I love the whole park atmosphere. Best concept ever. Affordable, convenient,clean,and decent food.
Glynis W.
I wanted the park know that some of the employees cooking the food in the food court area are not the most personal and they need to have a chat with them about attitude and work on the food keeping it consistent Three weeks ago I had the Cuban sandwich not bad for food bought at a venue like this. This week ordered the same sandwich. I had to throw it in the trash it was just that bad I wasted my money $$$ And my time!!! my time standing in the" no line and being ignored." I should have known. The sandwich was dry no meat looked as if it had been from the previous night and they tried to warm it up but didn't quite get it warm. Nevertheless will not buy from this place save your money I also rented chairs. I didn't want to travel from the western suburbs carrying a chair so why not rent? The kids here need to be taught how to hand a chair to a lady and say Thank you! Come on people where is the customer service? Highland Park...! Let's work on this I mean Ravinia. Thank God for the entertainment!!! Thank you for your time.
At at Park View before the UB40 concert. Service was unacceptably slow, food was room temperature at best, and lacked any seasoning. Had to ask for our coffee twice, and had to ask for water refills. Had to ask three times to get our check. Overpriced and poor quality experience.
Valerie Z.
Food was over priced for what you got. The food was just okay. Not great and it was cold! Yuck. Who wants to eat cool pulled pork?!? The highlight was the ice cream we found at the stand at the other end of the park. But everything in the Park View was insanely expensive and not good.
Deb B.
Ate at the Parkview restaurant. Very over priced for the quality of the food. Most all of the food was cold, from the shrimp to the chicken and vegetables. Drinks poured with a heavy hand. Server was good but food was horrible.
Carol A.
My friend and I went to see the concert for performance on Henry Mancini music, the concert was great. Since we arrived a bit early to the park, we decided to have an early dinner there and wanted something that would not cost too much so we chose the Ravinia Market. It had rained that day so it was a little wet outside. We got our food and we were shocked to see that all of the tables & chairs were soaking wet. After several trips to get a multitude of napkins so we weren't sitting in wet, I went inside and asked one of the cashiers why the tables and chairs weren't wiped off. She didn't care what I had to say and just about ignored me. I will NEVER eat there again. Best to bring your own food because the food at the market was not good at all! They don't even deserve 1 star!
Elaine M.
This three star is a no brainer because there are both five and one star experiences to be had here. Mirabelle is a gourmet farm to table buffet experience. This is probably my favorite dining option here. Mostly they get it right. Once in a while they can have an off menu. Not sure if they still do this or not but they used to invited guest chefs to come for a week or two at time. Sometimes my tastes wouldn't align with the guest chef and finding appealing items would be difficult. Honestly though, this hasn't happened often and most of my experiences have been five star! I love the big selection that is offered and you can pace yourself. I also love that there is patio seating available here. When we make a reservation here, we always make it early enough to finish before the start of the performance. As an FYI these restaurants are not made to sit for the performance. The best sound is on the lawn or in the pavilion. Don't plan on sitting here for the performance. The Park View is okay but not my favorite. Food is okay but not quite the level that the prices would indicate. Although the view of the lawn is spectacular, it is all in doors. The Ravinia Market is awful!!! One star. Prices are way too high. Service is way too slow. They close whenever they feel like it. We went just before intermission and only pizza or pre-made foods were available. The grill was closed. We asked what the policy was and were told that it was totally up to the chef that day. How can you not have a standard policy on closing. We ended up getting a sandwich that was labeled turkey cranberry and swiss. Not a speck of cranberry could be found. I looked at all the sandwiches and none had any cranberry visible so I thought it was just hidden in there. Nope, I thin they ran out of the cranberry and just shoved the sandwiches out anyway. A very disappointing dinner indeed. Don't do this, just pack your own picnic instead!
For starters, let's get the spelling correct, it's the Freehling Room. Specifically, a private - yes private, dining establishment adjacent to the Bennet Gordon Hall, within Ravinia Park, in the town of Highland Park. This place should be exempt from any Yelp review, including this one, as it is (again) in the private domain, not public. Well, how much you ask, is 'membership' - correction there also, that well publicized on Ravinia's website under 'benefactor levels'. No specifics given here as that is not the purpose of this review. Therefore it is my assumption that any previous trashy reviews, should be given the reader attention they should - that being, less than none. Less than favorable reviews more than likely came from bitchy benefactors guests, not the benefactor(s) themselves, who more than likely picked up the tab for dinner, that made it possible for their ignorant barbarian 'guests' who amazingly learned to spell and dine with a fork and knife without dragging their knuckles, to write this garbage. The elegance of the room is understated, you can feel a warm vibe once you walk inThis is the place for civilized dining, pre or post concert, whether the CSO or Pitbull is playingThe front end is conducted by Debbie, while the staff performs in unison, just like an orchestra. The kitchen art cooked by Chef Carlos, is like Picasso on a PlateThis is a 'must visit' placeTo miss coming here, and sharing that experience with a precious loved one, is tantamount to saying no to happinessEnd of story
My goodness, should have known better but thought I would give them another shot. Still some of the worst service. You would think that an hour and half of dining time would have been enough for three courses. Nope, concert started before we were finished. We had the same waiter as the last visit and though friendly enough we had to ask him to take our order then don't know if it was his fault or the kitchen's but the time it took for the food to come was just too long. I started with the mushroom soup which was good. Nice and hot. Hubby had the strawberry arugula salad. He gave me a taste and it was also very good. My chicken though was tough, rubbery and completely overcooked. I thought it practically inedible. Hubby ate it for me. I didn't taste them but those that had the halibut and the Cobb salad were satisfied with there choices. I must say, the salad looked really good and I would suggest ordering that. For dessert hubby and I split the dutch apple pie with cinnamon ice cream. It was okay but not exceptional. We were also late at that point so we were just rushing to get going and get to our seats. They had some computer problems so they had to take our credit card numbers to be run later. Promise of an email confirmation never arrived. Given the lack of service and unremarkable food they are overpriced.
We took my 14 year old granddaughter for dinner prior to the Bonnie Koloc concert. Food was great American Food. Friendly attentive service. Even though the restaurant was fully booked the team of waiters were always available and graciously available. I had the grilled Salmon and it was prepared perfectly and plated beautifully on a bed of lentils. Bread was brought to the table warm and very tasty. I would hope that during the off season at Ravinia it would be possible to eat at the Park View restaurant. Just a great dining experience.
The Lawn Bar is a terrible disappointment. The service is non-existent, the food is slow in being served and when it arrives, it isn't worth eating. A waste of time and money.
Literally inedible. Don't bother eating here. I can't believe anyone would waste their time eating this horrible food. And the service is even worse. Dirty dishes sat on our table for 45 minutes before anyone thought to remove them. So, we stared at our half eaten food without the option to forget how disgusting the food was.
The food is ok but enough wrong with everything we bought that I should have brought my own. Avoid the tacos Oversee the burger. The lettuce was sparse but that was the good part because it was nasty. Pizza was good Guacamole was mediocre Corn elote was good Of course Snarky Puppy was amazing
Absolutely terrible tacos, should've read the reviews. Chicken, steak, and pork was all old and dry. Six flags and Taco Bell could provide better tacos. The advertisements make the food look good but DONT FALL FOR IT !!
Why eat before the venue when you can eat right here! The food was delicious, pricey, but delicious and convenient!!!!! Sit outside and enjoy the show!
I love the whole park atmosphere. Best concept ever. Affordable, convenient,clean,and decent food.
I wanted the park know that some of the employees cooking the food in the food court area are not the most personal and they need to have a chat with them about attitude and work on the food keeping it consistent Three weeks ago I had the Cuban sandwich not bad for food bought at a venue like this. This week ordered the same sandwich. I had to throw it in the trash it was just that bad I wasted my money $$$ And my time!!! my time standing in the" no line and being ignored." I should have known. The sandwich was dry no meat looked as if it had been from the previous night and they tried to warm it up but didn't quite get it warm. Nevertheless will not buy from this place save your money I also rented chairs. I didn't want to travel from the western suburbs carrying a chair so why not rent? The kids here need to be taught how to hand a chair to a lady and say Thank you! Come on people where is the customer service? Highland Park...! Let's work on this I mean Ravinia. Thank God for the entertainment!!! Thank you for your time.
Restaurantji Recommends
At at Park View before the UB40 concert. Service was unacceptably slow, food was room temperature at best, and lacked any seasoning. Had to ask for our coffee twice, and had to ask for water refills. Had to ask three times to get our check. Overpriced and poor quality experience.
Food was over priced for what you got. The food was just okay. Not great and it was cold! Yuck. Who wants to eat cool pulled pork?!? The highlight was the ice cream we found at the stand at the other end of the park. But everything in the Park View was insanely expensive and not good.
Ate at the Parkview restaurant. Very over priced for the quality of the food. Most all of the food was cold, from the shrimp to the chicken and vegetables. Drinks poured with a heavy hand. Server was good but food was horrible.
My friend and I went to see the concert for performance on Henry Mancini music, the concert was great. Since we arrived a bit early to the park, we decided to have an early dinner there and wanted something that would not cost too much so we chose the Ravinia Market. It had rained that day so it was a little wet outside. We got our food and we were shocked to see that all of the tables & chairs were soaking wet. After several trips to get a multitude of napkins so we weren't sitting in wet, I went inside and asked one of the cashiers why the tables and chairs weren't wiped off. She didn't care what I had to say and just about ignored me. I will NEVER eat there again. Best to bring your own food because the food at the market was not good at all! They don't even deserve 1 star!
This three star is a no brainer because there are both five and one star experiences to be had here. Mirabelle is a gourmet farm to table buffet experience. This is probably my favorite dining option here. Mostly they get it right. Once in a while they can have an off menu. Not sure if they still do this or not but they used to invited guest chefs to come for a week or two at time. Sometimes my tastes wouldn't align with the guest chef and finding appealing items would be difficult. Honestly though, this hasn't happened often and most of my experiences have been five star! I love the big selection that is offered and you can pace yourself. I also love that there is patio seating available here. When we make a reservation here, we always make it early enough to finish before the start of the performance. As an FYI these restaurants are not made to sit for the performance. The best sound is on the lawn or in the pavilion. Don't plan on sitting here for the performance. The Park View is okay but not my favorite. Food is okay but not quite the level that the prices would indicate. Although the view of the lawn is spectacular, it is all in doors. The Ravinia Market is awful!!! One star. Prices are way too high. Service is way too slow. They close whenever they feel like it. We went just before intermission and only pizza or pre-made foods were available. The grill was closed. We asked what the policy was and were told that it was totally up to the chef that day. How can you not have a standard policy on closing. We ended up getting a sandwich that was labeled turkey cranberry and swiss. Not a speck of cranberry could be found. I looked at all the sandwiches and none had any cranberry visible so I thought it was just hidden in there. Nope, I thin they ran out of the cranberry and just shoved the sandwiches out anyway. A very disappointing dinner indeed. Don't do this, just pack your own picnic instead!