Lovell’s of Lake Forest

R.I.P. (they closed their doors earlier this year). It was a great place, though… especially their Banquets department — the lady (Gwen) was very personable and took a great deal of responsibility making sure we were well taken care of. If I find out who snatched her up, I’ll likely give that spot a 5star review as well: P

A very classy establishment. I ordered the bass and my fiancée ordered one of the pastas. They were both cooked to perfection. The service was very professional, and my every needs were met (They kept bringing me water and bread even when I asked for a refill for the 6000^th time!). I understand why the Lovells closed up, but I certainly will miss this place.

Was able to get one last dinner here for our 18^th anniversary before they closed. Solid food, good service, great ambience. Sorry to see it go. Thanks Lovell’s!

I really wish they weren’t closing forever on Sunday. I went here today because I’d heard nothing but good thing about Lovells. I got the NY Strip which was crusted with peppercorns on one side and topped with a great jus of cabernet reduction and crimini mushrooms. We split the bruschetta as an appetizer and my wife had the roasted duck which she said was good but she would have changed the sides for something else. I had a fabulous Manhattan and we each had a glass of wine. So with our babies pasta meal $ 130 before tip wasn’t bad.

Beautiful location and amazing food. I had the Linguini Jumbo Gulf Shrimp, which I was a little nervous about at first, due to its «Chipotle Butter Sauce,» but it was absolutely amazing. The bread is always wonderfully warm as well, and the waiters bring it around in a basket to you, so you know it’s always fresh! One of the coolest aspects to me is the Capt. Lovell (from Apollo 8 and 13) memorabilia, as the place is owned by his son. We sat right next to a massive poster from the Apollo 13 movie given to Capt. Lovell by Tom Hanks (and it was signed!). Definitely a must see if you’re in Chicago — it’s worth the little drive.

I was disappointed. The food was OK, the service was outstanding, the ambiance was nice. However, when you are going to drop that kind of money, you should expect a special experience. I don’t have an issue with spending a lot of money, however it does raise my expectations. The reality is the food was really average. We had the crab gazpacho soup which was very good. I also had the duck which was good. The other appetizers, side dishes, salads and my wife’s main dish were below average. A strange lack of flavor or seasoning. I was surprised and disappointed at the food quality. The issue is in the kitchen. The waitstaff was top notch. Our expectations were not met and I will not return nor recommend. In the northern suburbs there are lots of better choices.

Had a first time visit on Valentine’s day 2015. Loved it so much, had the mushroom soup, filet with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. My husband and I shared a lovely desert. We just loved this place our wait person Analisa did a great job on a very busy night. It was romantic and a really nice evening. We highly recommend Lovells and we will be back!

Why post that you’re open until 11, when your kitchen closes at 9? Thanks for wasting our time tonight.

I really enjoyed the ambiance and the bruschetta appetizer. I got the trout as my entrée which was mouth watering good. Meat dishes weren’t as flavorful. I would stick to their seafood selections.

Omigod, what an expensive horror: for Thanksgiving, yet. How does one recoup money or have these folks closed down for committing a restaurant fraud? averaged to about $ 90/​person.
I should have been alert when I saw the special not as roast turkey, but «turkey breast.»
Nothing whatever was hot. How can that be?
Tepid, bland pumpkin soup. A nothing salad of a couple sliced beets, dark green lettuce and goat cheese.
Entrée? tepid turgid slices of supposed turkey breast (an exclusively non-​English speaking waitstaff was in the kitchen warming this precooked rot in the microwave, I’m certain). They forgot to add the cranberry to the plates. Some dark meat that was unpalatable bony pieces of neck; completely bland, formless, uninspired stuffing, green beans, and good (but tepid) sweet potatoes.
Dessert was a tasteless pumpkin pie and I left it.
Don’t expect to have cooked food at this joint.

I wanted to try something new (to us) for my birthday. I tried one of the dinner specials, grouper, and was very disappointed. The fish was not seasoned, the rice tasteless and the squash blossom, sad. My husband enjoyed his roasted chicken and my son enjoyed the blackened salmon. My bloody Mary had a minimum of vodka in it… Loved the home-​y atmosphere & space memorabilia. Will return and order something different AND ask to be seated in a more comfortable space downstairs. Lastly, my son booked our reservation online and noted that it was a birthday celebration, but we didn’t get a dessert… or even a birthday greeting.

Wow, I was completely disappointed. I’ve been there twice for dinner but this was my 1^st time ordering lunch. Since my time was limited, I ordered takeout; Poached Pear & Beet with Goat Cheese Salad $ 15 ($ 16.13 with tax). (Gave the waitress $ 20– told her to keep change, regret that decision)
Was told it would take 10 minutes, arrived 15 minutes later, still had to wait.
When I got back to work, and pulled out the contents of the takeout bag, I was completely disappointed. For what I received, this meal was not worth the cost (See picture below). Exactly 23 leaves of lettuce, half of one small pear, one yellow beet and about two small clumps of goat cheese. Also received two small bread rolls.
For the cost of this salad, expected more.
Word to wise, DO NOT ORDER TAKEOUT IF ORDERING LUNCH. You will be disappointed with the portion size.

WOW, what happened to this, «once fantastic» restaurant? I am so disappointed… This used to be one of my favorite fine dining establishments in the Chicago metropolitan area, but over the last couple of years i have noticed a gradual decline in both service and food quality. My wife and I recently dined here for Valentines Day and walked out disappointed. The food was fair, at best, and the service was fair, at best. Also, when spending $ 250 on dinner for 2, I expect the maitre d’ to do more than point us at the table he is seating us at, and throw the menus down on the table. That is correct, I felt like I was at Denny’s.

I dine at Lovell’s at least 3 times a month for a consistently delicious culinary experience. In the summer this is a short walk home, so I can enjoy several of their delicious martinis and not worry about the boys in blue.
My standing order is the delectable French onion soup, followed by the wedge salad. For entrees I will enjoy either the filet topped with crab or the strip steak au poivre. The bread service is nice when eating the strip steak to savor the extra sauce.
Due to the history and vibe of this eatery I always start and end my meal with a «Space Cadet» martini. Again, during the summer I may enjoy more than the standard 2.
I hope you enjoy this gem in Lake Forest as much as I have over the years. But please, don’t overcrowd this place and turn it into a frat house!

The interior and exterior of the building was cool. Plenty of parking in the front lot. Service was good. The menu selection was plentiful. Pricing was comparable to what you would expect at a restaurant like this. Food wasn’t bad. I tried the pot pie which was ok but needed more seasoning. I would go back again sometime and try some other entrees.

My boss took a few of us here for lunch as a thank you since it was his last day. This is a fancy restaurant; very cute and pretty inside. The service was great — the waiters, waitresses, and host were all very cordial and friendly. They made sure we got good service from them and that we were taken care of.
They served us bread to start — a man walked around each of us asking which type of bread we wanted — multigrain, Italian, sourdough, etc. There were many choices. For entrée, I had the traditional cobb salad with the dressing on the side. This is the BEST cobb salad I’ve ever had. Portion was big, and it was just delicious! Two of my co workers ordered their pulled pork sandwich. They really liked it. My boss ordered their beef brisket sandwich which was also good. Another co worker ordered shrimp with rice. not sure what that dish was called but she finished it pretty quickly. This place is pricey for the type of food we ordered, but it was very good. I definitely would return next time.
This is a great place to take your customer out for a work lunch!

A good place for Steak & Fish with a little bit of History tossed in on the side. This establishment is owned by the astronaut, Jim Lovell, commander of the Apollo-​13 mission.
This is a dressy type place complete with white table clothes and high end décor. We come here around once a year for a special occasion or if I happen to know someone who likes Space/​NASA. Throughout the restaurant and especially so downstairs, there is a good deal of NASA /​Apollo 13 memorabilia and artifacts.
As for the wait staff… they are on top of things, know the menu well and are curious, yet do not come across as stiff or snobbish. If your in a rush, then you may want to let them know at the start, for here they don’t push you out the door… they assume your there to enjoy company and socialize for a time, so the time between settings can be a bit long.
As for the food, I’ve had several steaks here and they have been okay. Good cuts, but a few times the sauces they serve with it can overpower the taste of the steak. The fish however, especially any of the freshwater fish has always been very good. The dessert are also very good and I’ve not been disappointed in anything served here so far.
On account of the costs we don’t come here often, but it does make for a good place for special occasions. I also wouldn’t recommend this place for younger kids on account of the time it takes to go through the entire meal. (generally 1.5 hours with a table of 5 or so people).

I imagine that after you’ve been in space and eaten dehydrated food for a long period of time, you appreciate well prepared meals in a different way.
We went here for New Year’s Eve (yes, check the date stamp — I’m writing this the same night, sparkling wine in hand), and it was our first visit. We’d heard quite a bit about Lovell’s from others in the area and were excited to finally have a reason to go.
We had no problems getting a reservation through OpenTable. We were seated immediately at a nice table for two near a window. There’s no view to speak of, but we were cozy and tucked away from dining room traffic.
They offered a limited menu for the holiday. I’m never opposed to the prix fixe menu, especially when it highlights some of a restaurant’s best offerings. We both started with the baked French onion soup, which certainly raised our standard for this classic soup. My husband lamented the lack of bread in his; mine had plenty. I’d prefer my cheese a little more well done under the broiler, but that’s a personal taste and not their fault.
My husband had the trio of filet prepared medium-​rare. He finished every last bite and declared it delicious — high praise from him. I had the seared Amish chicken breast with walnut and apple stuffing. The chicken breast was rather unseasoned; the stuffing more than made up for it. Dotted with walnuts and apples, the stuffing was what your grandmother wishes she made on Thanksgiving.
We passed on dessert, though it was tempting and what we saw being served around us looked lovely.
Service was spotty throughout the evening. It took longer than necessary to be acknowledged by our server and then to have our drink order taken. A couple sitting next to us shared the sentiment and told us they go every New Year’s Eve. The restaurant didn’t appear busy by any definition; maybe just an off night for the staff.
We’ll go back for another special occasion — it seems like the perfect place to take the in-​laws when they’re in town.

One of my favorite holiday/​special occasion spots!
I’ve been coming to Lovell’s since approximately the year 2000 for work events… and even after I stopped going for work events, I have been lucky enough to have been taken about every year for lunch.
I have eaten all sorts of things here and they are always delicious. I typically get dessert as well… and today’s yummy ice cream was the perfect end to a perfect lunch.
So, whether you go with a sandwich or an entrée, starter (French onion soup — YUM!) or anything in between, I would imagine that you’d be happy.
Service is always top notch and friendly. I feel very well taken care of here and it’s really an enjoyable and relaxing spot to be for me. When it’s snowing out, the window seats are very enjoyable!
Check out the fun pictures in the basement from Apollo 13 — very fun!
Food — 4
Atmosphere — 5
Service — 5
Value — 4
Bathrooms — 5

Came here for 2 company events and enjoyed both!
First was held downstairs in a cozy room with a fireplace and a wall of Apollo 13 memorabilia. Pre-​fix menu was decent, but my entrée lacked «oomph». Otherwise, very enjoyable experience and great service.
Second event was held upstairs — not as cozy, but sunnier and more private. The food was fantastic — served buffet style– especially the salads (perfectly cooked calamari, beef carpaccio, delicious roasted vegetables).
Great service as always!