Fuel

Came for breakfast on a Saturday morning. Food was good. Service was great. Wish I had heard the specials. I’ll be back.

Fuel was a very nice evening. We went on a Friday night after booking a reservation through open table. Our table was by the window and the four of us were pleased with the décor and environment. I was not sure what to expect based on some of the reviews about dinner, but we were all pleasantly surprised. The ahi tuna appetizer had a light and flavorful taste, as well as the caprese salad we shared.
We all tried one of the specials that day, which were fantastic. I had the lamb and it was very good. The presentation on the plate was beautiful, bravo to the chef. If you are looking for a nice ambiance and something different, then go to Fuel.
We had the same waiter that is mentioned in other posts and I would agree with their reviews, however I think he just isn’t a trained waiter. It isn’t that he is trying to be rude or do something different, he might just not know certain etiquette things that we would normally expect at a place like Fuel. For example, he gave the steak knives to the two people not having steak for dinner, he served the men first, and he just doesn’t have any «table side manner.» I don’t think that is a reason not to go, he just needs time to learn. The other gentleman there (maybe the owner) made up for it. He came to the table twice to check on us and was lovely.
I suggest giving it a try and judging for yourself.

I have been so hesitant to write this, because I truly don’t like being negative in life. But after my recent experience at Fuel, I decided it was time. EVERY, single experience we’ve ever had here has been pretty awful. The worst is breakfast.
The gentleman who is typically the only one working (beard and man bun) needs a lesson in service. We arrived a few minutes after opening the other day, and he was busy with all the prep-​if your business opens at 8am, sorry-​get there at 7:30! This shouldn’t be being done while customers are coming in. He seemed annoyed that we were there, and did not come to our table to greet us. But this is totally normal for him. Terrible attitude.
My husband and I had our small child with us, and after about 5 minutes, I had to just get up and ask him for some waters, coffee, etc. Again, this is our experience pretty much every time we go.
His tag line is, «just give me a minute, ok?”-never said in a kind way. And, perfect example was the other day-​there were NO other customers there, and he needed us to wait! Ridiculous.
I’m not going to go into how I always have to get up to ask for things, bc he is busy texting at the host stand. Or how he always makes me feel bad for asking for my food to be cooked through (not a crazy request). But I will mention the poor souls who come in for coffee, running to the train, and he just can’t be bothered to move his behind a little. Or the lady next to me a few weeks ago whose food was not cooked the way she had asked-​she politely walked it up to him (he can’t come to your table to check on you) and asked to have it heated. Annoyed, he walked it away. Literally 15 minutes later, she still had no food, and had to go awkwardly walk up to the server and ask for the check.
The worst part is that I always find myself starting my requests with, «I’m sorry…» I’m sorry, but can I please have some water… I’m sorry, can we please have a napkin… I leave Fuel EVERY time feeling low, stressed, and pretty pathetic.
However, like a dog who’s been abused and comes back, I keep coming back. Because the food is pretty good. But guess what-​NO MORE.
I will eat the so-​so breakfast at Ridgeview from now on. A place where they smile at you, and refill your coffee, and ask how you’re doing.
I absolutely don’t know how Fuel is still in business. And for this review, as with everything surrounding my feelings at this place, «I’m sorry.»

Poor service with an attitude from the staff, which seems to be the directive of the owner. As he is full of excuses for the level of poor to bad service all around. Save your money & go elsewhere.

Superior, high quality, flavorful brunch. I came here with my mom to celebrate my pregnancy news and the staff was so friendly, warm and accommodating. The food was super fast, waters always kept full and the flavors and ingredients were unforgettable. We had the Chilaquiles Verdes and Crab Cake Benny with corned beef hash! So tender and delicious; you must order these two dishes!

The service was great, and the waiter was very knowledgeable about items that were gluten free. The food was fantastic, and I loved knowing that the food was humane, fresh, and organic.
I built my own omelette, and added the chorizo on my potatoes. The chorizo was not the usual grease filled meat, but it was flavorful and delicious.

I attempted to go to Fuel today, even had a reservation. But the host would not seat my party until we both arrived, and actually seated people ahead of us twice, suggesting it was our fault as they don’t normally take reservations for less than 4 but conceded for me as he thought we were a part of 3+ a high chair when we were 3 with the hc. I would have not made the res if I wasn’t within the rules, but even worse he made up a story about clarifying the number of guests when the res was made, which was not true. Basically the host (manager/​owner? I don’t know) was a huge jerk and we left and went to another spot 2 blocks away where the service was fantastic.

Great food and fast friendly service. Food came in five minutes. Very polite host and waitress. Small cute place. Delicious squash soup and Cuban sandwich. Free ice tea refills

Every year around the holidays I meet an old friend from grad school for breakfast somewhere on the north shore. We always try to pick a place close to the metra and about halfway between us. I did a quick Unilocal search of places near the Wilmette stop and found Fuel right across the street from it. Their farm to table philosophy seemed interesting and their menu looked simple. I like places that just focus on a few dishes instead of having pages of mediocre items.
They serve their coffee in big mugs you can hold with two hands. That was so nice because it was pouring down rain outside and I was really cold. I ordered the eggs benedict and it was one of the best I’ve tried. I don’t know what was different about the hollandaise sauce but something was and it was very good. Some extra spice I can’t quite put my finger on. The ham was thick. I mean THICK. We’re talking serious ham. It was delicious and definitely farm fresh. My friend had a mushroom, spinach and gruyère omelet and liked it but her side of potatoes were the star. She insisted I try some and they were very good and also tasted very fresh. Get that as your side!
So, why four stars and not five? It wasn’t the service. That was great. Although I did feel a little rushed at the end of our meal and they stopped refilling our coffee. It was my side dish that was disappointing. I got the fresh fruit and it was mostly very underripe cantaloupe that tasted like it came from a grocery store. Not what I’d expect from a place like this. I’ll definitely go back but I’ll order the potatoes on the side.

Great food– chilaquiles were on point! Awesome flavor.
Breakfast sandwich was really good as well– recommend the boule
They were very busy for Sunday brunch and you could tell the servers were stressed. Could use a larger staff on the weekend
Overall great place– will be back!

I have recently been to Fuel twice and have had decent experiences. The service the first time was bad. We had to go get our waitress on more then one occasion. The food has always been fresh and tasty. I like the healthy restaurant option. It is a nice option for lunch where you can bring your little ones.

This place is great! Awesome food, and kid friendly. The staff was so attentive. Where is everyone? This is a great find!!!

They must have changed owners.
My sister and I used to really like this place as a weekend brunch spot. The food was fresh (boasted farm-​to-​table), the place was clean, and the service was excellent. I don’t know if they changed owners, but this place has really gone downhill from a year ago. We both went last weekend, and our experience was disappointing.
Other than the subpar quality and portion of the food, the service was what ensured us that we would not come back. Though the place was relatively empty, the service was incredibly slow. They would seat us and take orders even though the table was still covered with the trash and leftover dishes from the party before. The table next to us got their food but was forced to wait until their utensils were brought. Little kids were told by the server that they were out of soda (really??) and that they didn’t have orange juice left (even though we just saw the owner bring in a few store-​bought Tropicana gallons moments before). We had to request very basic things and wait a while for our server to bring them, such as straws for our drinks and jam for our toast. By the time the owner (or manager) asked two elderly women, who had finished up their meal and were simply enjoying the beautiful day, to leave because they «needed the table» (again, it was not busy and there were other empty tables), we were pretty set on not coming again.

Had lunch at fuel today with a friend we sat outside and after we had finished our meal the owner asked us to pay up since someone else was waiting to sit outside when we walked into the restaurant all tables were empty. I don’t think it’s good business to ask people to leave we got there first it should be our table until we are ready
To leave. Not happy !

Great little gem in Wilmette. Good for children. Fresh local ingredients. Really savory dishes. Very resonantly priced. Had the Moroccan chicken salad and the Cobb salad. Kids had pancakes. All delicious!!!

Wow, this place was AWFUL for breakfast! We were intrigued by their advertising a «farm to table» meal. This was NOT true at all. The orange juice was store-​bought regular, the creamers were in diner-​style creamers (not organic), and both my husband and I had very bland, boring meals. It’s pretty hard to mess up a meal with eggs and bacon. My husband’s french toast was dry and quickly dipped in batter, even though it was advertised as being «soaked in vanilla custard and cinnamon». The highlight of our meal was honestly the coffee (it was decent).
This place is DEFINITELY not what it’s cracked up to be, at least for breakfast.

We arrived at 10 on a Sunday morning when it was way too cold to sit outside, despite the date being May 31. We waited about ten minutes for a table. The waitress asked if we wanted drinks. We ordered one Diet Coke and three coffees. They arrived. The waitress did not bring a straw for the Coke even after being asked. My friend eventually got up and asked the manager for one. The waitress brought no cream for the coffee even after we asked for some. Finally I asked the manager and he brought some. The waitress took our order in a surly fashion as if it was all just too much trouble. She was impatient when I asked what types of bread were available. The order took about twenty minutes to be delivered, but that was okay. We wanted time to chat.
The food was good, hot, well and correctly prepared to our order. We enjoyed it. No coffee refills were offered. We asked and it took some time to arrive.
The restaurant is small and, while it was full, the waitress did not appear to be rushed. She just failed to respond to our politely voiced requests.
When we had finished eating, our plates were whisked away. Although only one foursome was waiting for a table, I felt the manager breathing down our necks as we lingered slightly after the check arrived.
Despite the nice surroundings and food (and it was quiet enough for normal conversation), I would not return. There are too many other breakfast places around with friendly servers where I can get the same food.

Went to the car wash place next door and did not expect good food here! The chicken salad is amazing! And the portion is large…

For this month’s date night, I took my wife to Fuel. New to us. A bit off the main drag it sits across from the Wilmette train station. Very casual interior, with a semi-​diner vibe owing to the large counter/​bar in the middle of the space. Cosy and casual, we liked it.
The menu is appealing and filled with fairly traditional dishes. They do seem to vary the menu and feature a lot of different specials. We each had a salad to start. Arugula with beets which my wife liked quite a lot, blue cheese and roasted pear which was very tasty. Both were properly dressed.
I had papardelle with Bolognese sauce and rage. The noodles were well cooked and the sauce was a true Bolognese (ground beef and carrot, no tomato). The ragu at the bottom was thin but tasty.
My wife ordered vegetable enchiladas. They were really soft tacos as they were not baked so the tortillas were raw. Topped with lettuce and cheese. She liked them quite a bit but they were not really enchiladas.
The owner recommended good wines and was very attentive. The waiter seemed new (as if he was still learning the menu) but properly attentive and polite.
We liked the place and will definitely go back.

Best breakfast around. Service is excellent.
Dinner — limited menu but food always very well prepared — sensible portions — specials are interesting & always worth ordering. Service very good. Tim runs an excellent restaurant. Taken guests there and they call it ‘our’ private restaurant.