Westfield Hawthorn

Wow, I hadn’t been to Hawthorn in years. (I have lived in LA since 2002) Had some time to kill on a rainy 23 December last week and decided to hit the mall. We got a few gifts and my son rode in some motorized car. He did not want to sit on Santa’s lap so we may try again next year.
The mall looks much nicer than it used to with flashier stores and a cleaner appearance. I strolled through Spencer’s for nostalgia and didn’t recall an entire wall of dildos being there when I was younger. Like I said, improvements all around.
Glad to see someone turned it into a great mall again. Some good memories at this place.

This center needs to get an Apple Store and some upscale stores. I would
Also suggest improving there security. The security personnel seem
To walk around aimlessly and when you point out a problem nothing is
Done.
I suggest if they want to see what a real security team looks like
Send the Management to Northbrook court.
It also appears that the center has a difficult time getting good store to
Open up. As for the venders in the small stands, nothing but crap.
There is no excitement about this center, send the management to
Wood field where the management knows how to run a shopping
Center.

This mall has come a long way in just the last few years. I have lived in Vernon Hills for over 20 years so I speak from experience. The recent addition of the 1200 seat AMC is a welcome entry into what used to be a boring place to hang around after shopping. The seats are the most comfortable of any theater I have been in. I am not a fan of Dave and Busters and do not feel it should have been added to this Mall (maybe another location in Vernon Hills), but Maggiano’s is an improvement over the earlier restaurants in that slot. There are new stores being added all the time and the mall now has a better ambiance to it. Still, the feel is more mid level shopping vs. upscale like Northbrook Court or Old Orchard. I think having a Sears (cannot believe that place is still in business) and JC Penney’s keeps it more grounded vs the Lord and Taylor, Nieman Marcus, Bloomingdale anchors. There is a Macy’s, which seems to fit well into the Mall’s demographics.
I think when all the improvements are done, I hope to be able to add a star because Hawthorn would have a nice blend of stores and entertainment. One last thing… please get rid of that Train! The little kids may love it, but it is annoying to most shoppers and I don’t see how it can be safe.

A good mall. There is a great selection of stores (even though selection in them is always a bit touchy) that will cater to any need one would have. With a recently remodeled food court and a brand new AMC theater, there is good reason to check this place out! Much better than all other malls in the area.

Getting better selections. Still could use some better anchor. Love the new movie theater. Heard there’s a good crêpe place that has amazing pastries.

The mall itself is okay. I was there today with my son to buy shoes, book etc. I am constantly stopped and sought after by the kiosk downstairs by Victoria’s Secret. It’s the one that sits you down and straightens your hair, Royale Hair Straighteners. Anyway, I always try and avoid it but sometimes I can’t, like when I need to go to bath and body or VS. I was hounded, literally the guy ran after me, grabbed my arm and sat me down. I told him that I was at the mall for my 12 yr son and didn’t have time for it. He said it would only take a minute. Now the rest is on me– he’s a good sales men and ended up selling me a straightener. I paid $ 199 for it. Feeling a little buyers remorse I looked at the receipt and wouldn’t you know it, I can’t return it! For an alternative, I thought about selling it on EBay and guess what? It’s only $ 99!!! I feel so ripped off, what a scam!!! Yes, I bought it BUT when a girl says «no thank you», these guys need to leave you alone!!! I will NEVER walk that way again– sorry stores that are in its path, I won’t be coming to see you either.

Great mall! Wish it were closer to home– we have to drive like 45 minutes in a good day to get here but I’d rather do that than go to the craziness that’s known as Woodfield Mall for the same type of stores. The big plus for me is the Yu Kids Island, the Barnes & Nobles and the Kid Snips! The eating area is clean and has a pretty good selection. Whoever’s unhappy with this mall should spend a day at Golf Mill mall, which is the one nearest where I live. So sad.

I am happy to have a mall nearby but it is not the greatest. Love Carson’s but it’s the shrunken version, no housewares, linens or china. The manicure place should be closed it’s such a pit. There is a foot massage place where the employees stand in front and shill for customers. Another low end addition is Dave & Busters. They added a few higher end shops but it still is more Gurnee Mills than Northbrook court.

Pretty big indoor mall with lots of stores for everyone. The food court was remodeled recently. Amc theatres just moved in
Maggianos moved in too along with dave and busters.
You gotta check it out. The new hawthorn mall.

Been going here a bit since I moved to the area. It’s ok for a mall, but far inferior to other places like Woodfield. I haven’t had a bad experience, but it’s just not great. I know they’re adding a lot; there’s a movie theatre coming soon, so maybe these improvements will make a big difference, but as of now… eh.

I updated my review and rating because the mall has done a great job of resolving the issues with the children’s play area. Now the play area is filled with children instead of rowdy Tweens. And, mall security is quick to rein in misbehaving brats and their oblivious parents.
The play area has been renovated and redesigned. The family room, located next to the play area, is large and brightly lit. There are multiple changing areas and sinks for children. The room also has a TV and games to keep children occupied when Dad needs to put his feet up!

It’s getting better all the time…
The food court is fully remodeled and the Ketchup food stand is still going strong. I was jonesing for a Philly steak sandwich at the Philly Steak stop the other day, but I noticed on their menu board that everything is cooked in 100% soybean oil. I have a soy allergy, so I moved next door to Ketchup for a fried chicken sandwich.
The food at Kitchen rocked. Chicken sandwich wasn’t greasy, the onion rings were supreme, and the side of fries was more than ample. My hubby ordered the Greek salad, and for quick mall food the dressing was perfectly seasoned and light.
Overall the food court is clean and modern with really cool comfy mid-​century looking seats. No more birds flying around (yep in the past this really happened). A little bit of everything for any member of your family. McDonalds to stir fry to burgers to Philly Steak sammies to hot dogs. Plenty of seating, nice variety of food stands to choose from, and our meal was served up fairly quickly.
Next time my hubby suggests we eat at the food court, I won’t feel like I’m cheating our date afternoon ;-)

Total food court redo, very nice. Added maggianos. Amc 15 movies coming, Dave and busters open, $$ up in hur, check it out. Rock the app for deals, remodeled bathrooms by foodcourt.

We live in Northbrook and have the Northbrook mall filled with higher end stores. I have a 14 year old teenage daughter who likes to shop and her favorite stores, and this mom who isn’t made of money likes her to have more affordable choices.
Hawthorn Mall makes both daughter and mother happy. My daughter loves all the stores geared towards teens such as Rue 21, Hot Topic, and her favorite Animé store Too Cool.
Sears, JC Pennys, and Macy’s are some of the anchor stores.
The mall does seem like it’s a bit older, but money is also being pumped into it. I wish there were a few more restaurants. This being said a Dave and Busters just opened, so there is hope.
So, it’s not the fanciest mall around, but there is a good assortment of affordable stores to choose from, and I save sales tax. It’s a win/​win for me.

How are you supposed to shop here when there is only one map in the whole place?
One extra star because it is empty and clean here.

Great place to shop and for the family to enjoy. Not crowded (I don’t like to see a looooooot of people at the mall) and its always clean. Food court has a lots of option. I go there almost every week. Will be back again and again

Like the mall a lot. Def. better then Gurnee Mall. I can never find anything there plus, I wear a lot of kids size. So a lot of thing I have the hardest time finding clothes that fit me. Luckily, there’s Delia’s there.

Westfield Hawthorne Mall is not your typical impersonal shopping megacenter. It boasts a family-​owned toy store (Snickelfritz Toys), a karate dojo, a tailor that will do alterations while you shop, a non-​profit bakery, and an actual food court with more than the standard offerings like Cinnabon and Panda Express. For example, they have a restaurant called Toasted that sells fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. Outside the food court are still more restaurants, like Melt, a crêpe and gelato shop.
There are several nice features here like high chairs in the food court, a family restroom/mother’s lounge, and a play area. These are all kept very clean, which is something I love about this mall. You constantly see staff tidying up and wiping down surfaces.
Another nice thing for families is that they offer a Gymboree play studio, rather than just a Gymboree clothing store. Confusingly, they are not attached or even next to one another, but it’s still preferable to the usual clothing-​only mall Gymborees. They also have fun photo booths
The mall is seldom busy, or at least not while I have been there, so I think it is a bit under-​appreciated. This is actually a perk for me, since I don’t have to worry about hordes of people blocking store entrances or my child getting separated from me and lost in a crowd.
New to the mall as of this review, they now have a Sephora.

Let’s be honest here. This mall can still deliver the goods even though it’s a shadow of it’s former self.
I actually remember when this mall was built in 1973. It was called and known as Hawthorne Mall. When the mall was built, it was something that was fairly new to people (one stop shop). I remember shopping here and purchasing my first stereo (Harmon Kardon) from a store call Shack Electronics where you could actually negotiate the purchase price or purchasing my first tools (Craftsman) from Sears.
After 40 years, the times have changed and many of the original stores that had once graced Vernon Hills is no longer here. Blame it on the economy or the fact that stores can’t keep up with the times with all of the super stores out there with Giants falling to the wayside like Marshal Fields did. The fact that they can keep the mall filled with some decent choices means that they are still in the ball game.
So I have recently rediscovered this mall and I am okay with the fact that there are people that don’t want to shop here anymore. You can still find some pretty nice items in here so I will continue to shop here.

This mall is pretty good for being in Vernon Hills and what is has to offer. It’s not super high end like Northbrook Court, as massive and overwhelming as Schaumburg or as low quality (IMHO) as Gurnee Mills.
The stores have gotten better over time to include more high end stores like Coach. Also, the mall is pretty small so it is easy to navigate.
I would recommend shopping here to take advantage of the better sales tax, less crowds and decent selection of shops and merchandise.
Of course, if you are looking for super high end this is not the place to find it.