Rayme’s

Rayme’s is our favorite restaurant. Period. Once you’ve experienced the succulent food (their prime rib is superb), the super-​sized cocktails, the super-​friendly wait staff, and the no rush, caring atmosphere, Rayme’s will become your favorite eatery, too !!!

Rayme’s was a nice place, but a couple of things just seemed off.
First, it’s better for a date than a group because their 4-​person tables really only comfortably seat 2 people! The way the table legs are situated, it’s all but impossible to sit on two of the sides (and I’m a very small person, so if I can’t fit comfortably, no one can). It was so absurd, I really don’t know why they put 4 chairs around those tables.
Second, I’m not sure why the menu says «home of the king sized cocktail», because the cocktails were perfectly average in size. (In deliciousness, however, had no complaints. I recommend the cherry cake martini!)
I don’t mean for this to be a terrible review! Those were my two big complaints. The food was fine, and the staff was great. I had a great date night here.

We saw the remodeled restaurant and thought we’d give it a try. First of all, it is LOUD! They should ask for a refund from their designer for such terrible acoustics. My husband and I had to scream at each other just to hear. Second, the food was just okay-​under-​seasoned stuffed flounder and over-​sauced chicken parm (ala 1970). They seem to cater to an older crowd, but the dated cuisine and noise level will keep us from going back.

The last time I was at this place was a birthday party when I was 10. It is a staple in this town and now with grandma as the built in babysitter for New Years Eve, my husband and I thought we would try it.
First off, the hostess is amazing and professional and speedy quick. We were seated at our reservation time, which on New Years is great.
The warm bread was the starter and was so yummy! We started off with French onion soup which was delicious although heavy on the garlic.
Next up, our mushroom appetizer that didn’t show up but came as sautéed mushrooms as the side dish with the meal. Ok, miscommunication.
My husband ordered crab cake entrée which was undercooked and no crunchy crust.
I ordered the filet which is was cooked perfectly although the veggies were bland.
The drinks were great!
The service was good not great, again, New Years.
I’m not sure if being New Years, if this was the normal crowd but it’s mostly 50 – 70 year olds and super, ummm… how do I say… Lacking in diversity… which is fine, I think.
Dining room is lively and beautiful. The bar seems super nice, although a bit too bright.
All in all for the super reasonable price point ($ 30 for the filet) it was good.
And this review is really long because we have been waiting for the dessert for about fifteen minutes. Hoping the butterscotch bread pudding is worth it.

We saw the reviews and were going to skip this place, but changed our minds on the fly to try it out. We were shocked to walk in at 6:30pm on a Sunday night, and have them pull a table for 9 together right away. And the lot looked pretty full, so it wasn’t because the place was dead.
The server was friendly and helpful, although probably spread too thin. There were times we didn’t see her for a while, and the meal did not move along quickly, but the food came out hot, and all 9 meals in quick succession. And the food was very good. I Had the Mango Tilapia special, and the waitress volunteered that substitutions of a different patio or different vegetable were okay. (This was a pleasant surprise, and they have a good variety of potatoes and vegetables.)
The fish was delicious, and the smashed potatoes were good. I substituted the brussel sprouts for mixed greens. The sprouts were very tender, but not flavorful. (Boiled or steamed, not grilled.) But overall the meal was very good. My son’s chicken pot pie was huge, and nobody walked away hungry.

Food was delicious and cooked perfectly to order, drinks were tasty and generously sized, dessert was outstanding, and service was great! Love this place!

Our waiter was awesome! He let the kids draw on the table cloth with crayons (the paper part) and even wrote out the kids menu on the table for them. He also brought the kids sundaes after they finished dinner. The food was great! Loved the Cobb Salad, Red Snapper Veracruz, green beans side, and kids were very happy with their grilled cheese, steak fries, Cole slaw and apple sauce. One of my favorite things – the lava cake with ice cream. Fried chicken was ok, creamy garlic dressing was ok. The restaurant was decorated nicely for the holidays. Definitely would go back.

Came here last nite with my fiancé. It was super busy and there was about an hour wait to dine. When a restaurant is that busy it is always a good sign. The hostess was very nice and said that the bar area was first come first serve, luckily there were 2 seats at the bar so we had a seat. We ordered some cocktails that were generously poured, and then had some appetizers to start to determine wether we would stay for dinner. The appetizers were really good so we decided to stay and we both ordered steak with some sides and we were pleasantly surprised. The staff behind the bar was very entertaining and we enjoyed watching them interact with their customers, it definitely gave us some laughs. We will for sure be coming back!

I try really hard to like the newly renovated Raymes. I really, really do. But I never can.
After being out for — what, nearly a year? — rebuilding because of flood damage, I find that Raymes has lost its charm for me. The new building is beautifully done, the parking is accessible and mindfully designed, the new outdoor seating is really nice. The tables inside are ridiculous. I’m a tall person and can’t sit without having to jam my knee into a bar underneath, no matter what side I sit on. Someone overlooked this when selecting these. It also feels very crowded in the dining area, and there’s no way to reduce the noise level when it gets loud.
The menu is essentially classic Americana. Basically the same from the original restaurant and, after a summer of figuring out their kitchen, things seem to have hit some consistency with how it’s prepared and come out (I’ve been here several times over the summer — it’s a family favorite). That said, I find the time it takes for entrees to be served to be tediously long. I’ve found that some dishes are fairly consistently dry or overcooked. The ribs are always good. They do a fair job with their pastas. But for the price, I really have always wanted better — and with the more upscale interior, I feel as if I can go to another restaurant with a similar ambiance and prices, and get better food.
It’s disappointing. I grew up coming here with my grandfather, and have such fond memories of Raymes, but I’m just not a fan.

Went here last night on the recommendation of a friend and was blown away. Three of us all had prime rib. Best I’ve had in years. Good service. Nice atmosphere. Not bad prices.

Rayme’s is a Lisle gem! It instantly became my fine dining restaurant of choice after only one visit.
DISREGARD the negative reviews here. This place is a hot spot for a romantic date night.
My girlfriend and I made reservations for 8pm. We arrived 15 minutes early, and we’re promptly sat by the manager, Jerri. More on how wonderful she is in a moment.
Our server, Lupe, arrived in less than 30 seconds to deliver menus, and ask for our drinks. Shortly after, fresh bread and butter arrived. The restaurant was nearly full, with a comfortable noise level.
We ordered the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms for an appetizer. It was phenomenal. I rarely enjoy mushrooms, and these were cooked perfectly, with a delicious spread of melted cheese on top.
The french onion soup arrived before our main dishes, and they were heavenly.
I had already drained a mai tai – which had a perfect mix of alcohol to juice – before ordering a second drink.
I’ve never had a New York Strip. But the one I tasted here instantly hooked me forever. I paid the extra $ 2 to have bleu cheese melted on top of it. It was cooked to a perfect medium.
Throughout our dining experience, Lupe was attentive enough to handle our needs, but gave us equal privacy to enjoy a romantic date night.
Before we left, we chatted with the manager Jerri. She took our picture for us, and told us some of the history of Rayme’s. She was a wonderful little lady, and I look forward to chatting with her again.
To say the least, this date worked in my favor for more than just delicious food and drinks ;).

The inside of the restaurant is very nice, white table clothes and candles. The service is in need of a major overhaul and matches a fast food restaurant. Took a while to get our first drinks and the waitress was a bit short and not very friendly. Ordered our drinks and was told it would take a while to get as the bar was backed up. Looking at the bar, the bartender was talking to people so that might have been the wait. Our order is also delayed due to a backup, there are 10 empty tables. Wonder what the wait when they are full. Asked for a manager and was told they do not have one. All of a sudden someone showed up that was a manager. This place is a joke, unorganized and not managed in any way. First time her and last time.
Good luck if you venture out to this establishment.

The hostess (blonde lady wearing chef jacket) was rude. Showed up at 5pm and the restaurant was not very busy. We were told we would need to be done eating by 7 pm because there was a party of ten coming and they needed our table.
I ordered the pot roast sandwich and it was delicious. That’s the only reason I’m giving it two stars. Everyone else’s food was tasteless and un appealing.

Being it used to be (previous owner at location) a hip 50’s swanky retro-​chic atmosphere, it’s a shame the setting is now riskless and drab.
Service was average, food was below-​average. And with an above average price tag, it all didn’t add up for me.

I’ve only been twice and only had the Cobb Salad and a few King Sized Cocktails. But I like Rayme’s. I like the atmosphere and the service. I like the big old martini out front. And I like that they have an option to sit outside now. The flood of 2012 was not kind to Rayme’s. But like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, it’s better than ever. It’s a Lisle institution and it’s a must if you’re in the area.

Just okay. My first visit since being rebuilt. Soooooooooooooo, bar area to the left upon entry, dining room to the right. Yes, it can now accommodate more diners and you can hear it the second you walk in. And what’s with the large counter area toward the rear of the dining room. Is that a support beam trying to be camouflaged? As best we could tell, it served no purpose except for people to move the candle, sugar holder, salt and pepper shakers, dirty napkins, and other stuff off the small tables to make room for food.
Even yelling made it difficult to hear each other at the table. We asked to move over one table next to the one we were shown, but we were told that was not possible. Huh??? Yet, another table of 4 moved to another table when they did not want to sit at the table they were shown. How does that work??? A table set for 4 was short a bread dish. Upon request, 2 were very unceremoniously dropped on the table, no comment like, «sorry about that» or” here you go”. When you sit, you will find the bread dishes are stacked under the bowl of butter.
Yes, the ribs still fall off the bone, but the baked potato was not hot, my husband’s potato was not fully cooked, the water had an awful taste to it, service was slooooooooooow. Our simple dinner took just over 3 hours ~ no dessert. Our server disappeared for looooooooooong periods of time and multiple requests for things were required: i.e. a knife, a sprite, a glass of ice water without lemon (which is how I found out I was not able to drink the water), a glass of wine.
Yes, it has a following and maybe they get treated better.

Walked in scan left, bar is packed on a Friday night at 6:30pm, scan right, nice size dining room with only a few tables occupied. Already thinking «place for drinks». Sat in dining room, ordered our super sized Martinis, which were very good. Came in timely manner. Ordered food, a steak for hubby and ribs for moi. Steak was good, not great. Ribs were ok. Would not get them again. The meat on it fell away almost mushy. No texture at all. The Brussels were un interesting, boiled? It’s white table cloth with diner food. Just ok. Service was fine. Probably come back for drinks, but won’t spend money there on food. Too many other options.

Our first time visiting the NEW Rayme’s and we had an excellent meal!
We arrived at 5:00 PM on a Thursday evening and the bar was ¾ full already. Only 4 tables were occupied in the dining room but by the time we left at 6:15, ¾ of the dining room was filled. We were seated at the second table along the windows and in fairly close proximity to the bar. Yes, the folks in the bar were having a good time but we were still able to have a comfortable conversation throughout our meal. I only mention this because noise has been a frequent complaint in other reviews.
I ordered broiled grouper with a horseradish crust ($ 22) and it was prepared perfectly. The seasonings were spot on and the «heat» of the horseradish was not overpowering. I had a standard dinner salad with blue cheese which was OK. My wife ordered Gary’s Special Pasta which is a medley of clams, shrimp, artichoke hearts, sun-​dried tomatoes in garlic oil over cavatappi pasta ($ 19). This was very good. I sampled a couple of forkfuls and this is a really nice pasta dish full of flavor. This pasta dish would pair nicely with a good white wine. Unfortunately, the wine list is not up to par with the food menu. It’s a small and average selection of wines.
Cocktails on the other hand are another matter entirely. Yes, Rayme’s is STILL the home of the king sized cocktail. (I noticed one reviewer claim that the cocktails «proved to be normal in size». If these are «normal» Kelli, please let me know restaurants/​bars that serve bigger cocktails. I’m serious and not being a wise guy here. :)) Prices for cocktails are reasonable as well. Vodka Martini = $ 8. Vodka & Tonic = $ 6. Martini’s just about everywhere are $ 9-​$ 10 and not as large.
I notice that the new Rayme’s has received mixed reviews. All I can say is that our first experience at the new Rayme’s was excellent and we will be back soon.

I was excited to finally try this place after driving by it for the um-​teenth time. I decided my friend and I would head there to try a king sized cocktail and some dinner for my 29^th birthday.
It has lovely charm and a soft atmosphere. It is perfect for an intimate meal with great conversation.
The wine list, honestly, could be better for being a fish and steak place. But I wasn’t there for wine anyway, I wanted a cocktail. It was amazing!
I ended up getting the Filet Medallions, Medium Well. I ended up with three medallions, one was cooked Medium Rare, one was Medium, and on was Well Done. Since I was with a friend I just ate what was on my plate and called it a day. The food was my reason for only the 3 stars. It wasn’t anything I would rave about, but with a hungry tummy, it was satisfying.
We also split the Crème Brulee cheesecake. You can tell that it was definitely frozen. It was still good, but the waitress told us it was Eli’s. I wish for that price we got a dessert made in house.
Next time I think I will head there just for a drink.

Rayme’s was… okay.
I was there with a group of about 25 for my Grandma’s 86^th birthday. I only know this because my mother, who lives out of state and couldn’t join in the fun apparently texted to one of her siblings to wish Grandma (her mother) «Happy 85^th Birthday.» A good laugh was had and she was then informed that Grandma’s 85^th birthday was last year. I shouldn’t laugh because that’s the only reason how I figured out how old she was turning.
So as our party of 25ish people slowly began to arrive, many of them immediately from the Illumination thing at the Arboretum up the street, we convened in the bar area where many family members (not me) ordered adult beverages.
After everyone was present and accounted for, we were led to our ridiculously long table. To everyone else in my family, this is normal. To me, it’s terrifying. My mother is the only sibling of 7 who chose to move out of state so I’m still not used to having any more than five people (my immediate family unit) at any given gathering. Crowds freak me out and I think I suffer from social anxiety disorder when I’m around my family.
So I seated myself beside the one cousin I can actually kind of carry on a normal, pleasant conversation with (the older I get, the more strangely introverted I get) and I was actually kind of directly across from my Grandma, which was nice because I was able to talk to her a bit.
I think our reservation was for 7:00. It was on a Sunday and I had to work an 11 hour day the following day, Monday, which I was already dreading. Mondays at my job are very often hell (as they are for most people I guess) and especially when it’s such a loooooong day. I was glad to be there, but feared it would be a late night, which it was. It was a very leisurely and social meal, which I expected, but I was preoccupied with the work situation which prevented me from fully enjoying the meal, and instead kept staring at the time on my phone.
On to the food…
I ordered eggplant parmesan with cavatappi and I’m guessing a caesar salad, I don’t really remember. I thought it was pretty awesome that they offered the cavatappi option. Spaghetti is such a pain for me to eat.
Husband ordered the boneless rib eye, we think. We can’t remember.
Seeing as we were a huge group, I obviously couldn’t see and hear what was going on everywhere, but I heard several people ask for things that were forgotten. Side items, soups and salads, for example. And one cousin was apparently completely forgotten about altogether. He was just getting his food as I, and others, were finishing and I guess there was something wrong with it because his mother picked up his plate and started to talk back to the kitchen herself before catching a waitperson en route. So his had to be made over again, or whatever the issue was had to be fixed. I think he got a steak so perhaps it wasn’t cooked the way he asked? I think it was 9:30 before he actually ate. Drink refills were hard to get also, though I totally pity any waiter or waittress that has to serve a table of 25 people. Everyone seemed to be having a lovely time and I didn’t hear anyone complain about anything.
So they brought out a turtle cheesecake or something and we sang Happy Birthday to Grandma. Then other desserts were ordered. Me, being the crazed timekeeper, was freaking out all the while because the time was past 10:00 by this point. We pretty much split at 10:30 and were the first people to leave.
So Raymes was alright, but not a place I would frequent on any kind of regular basis. Grandma seemed to have a nice birthday dinner and enjoyed the company so I guess that’s the most important thing.