Gilson’s

We loved the bison burger but alas it seems to have closed down.

I’ve been there a couple times now and each experience, unfortunately, was progressively worse. It’s a cool little space in downtown Wilmette and, for a time, was the only game in town but that’s now changing.
My experience was similar to others, the prices just seem way to high for the type of food and portions. Don’t get me wrong, I get it in that you do have to charge higher prices for food if you want to stay in business — pay the rent, staff and make a buck. However, when you combine decent and not great food, small portions and bad service — there is a serious disconnect between the kitchen and the servers — there are just too many other places to go and get better value. Sadly, I haven’t been back there now going on two years.
The place is always packed though — at least on their sidewalk dining — so maybe it’s just me on this place.

Five Stars — As good as it gets… those pricey Loop restaurants have nothing over this place. I love steak and Gilson’s has two (that I’ve tried) that are terrific. And you don’t need to suffer through the stuffed-​shirt protocol of those places in the city. This is a comfortable, Northshore restaurant with friendly, personable servers who will offer you good suggestions. They listen to what their customers say about the food and the wines and will give you good direction (if that’s what you want). Gilson’s offers a limited wine and craft beer menu but it’s all personally chosen. Expect to pay a few dollars more than the place across the street, but it is well worth it.

I enjoyed my meal. Yes, this place is a little pricey and I honestly wouldn’t have been here if I didn’t have a voucher from Groupon, but i loved my salmon and kid burgers. I had wanted steak, but I’d never had fennel bulb before so I ordered the salmon. I officially love fennel bulb and I’m going to try to make this now.
I think they should offer some cheaper options and better daily specials. I don’t think they have a problem bringing people in for dinner, but I would be here at early off peak hours if they would put out some really delectable specials at a great price.
Overall, this is a cool place with great atmosphere. I inhaled my dinner in about five minutes. I’m very satisfied. :)

Gilson’s does a few things well and those are the things that put them in our restaurant rotation. Best bets are their appetizers and smaller plates. Their entrees are way, way overpriced, almost a joke, for what they deliver (entrees from the 1990s). Fortunately, it’s a casual place where it’s perfectly fine to stick with the appetizers. We love the Walleye fish burgers, scallops, mussels, and regular burgers. Side note: their lunch is excellent and well priced, especially their huge sandwiches.

We have been to Gilson’s twice and have had a pleasant time on both occasions. I think the first time was better though.
The stand out item are their Brewmaster fries tossed with hand grated parmesan cheese and fresh herb mix. Worth every stinkn” calorie. We had these on our first visit along with some burgers. We also had a Dogfish 90 minute ale for the first time here. We loved the ale and went out and bought some later. Beware though their beer list changes all the time and it wasn’t available on our second visit. Everything was so good on this first visit we looked forward to coming back.
The second visit wasn’t quite as stellar as the first. I decided to branch out and try some other items that weren’t quite as successful. Instead of beer I had a glass of what turned out to be a very mediocre rioja wine. I skipped the fries, a big mistake that I won’t make again! I chose the Pappardelle Pasta Carbonara with grilled chicken, fresh peas, pancetta in a cream sauce. It wasn’t bad but completely average. The husband had the Skirt Steak Barcelona with romesco sauce which comes with a side of red pepper and onion cous cous and sautéed green beans. This was excellent! I would stick with the grilled meats and pub food here. I think that is where they really excel.
Service is okay but far from refined. Our waitress couldn’t place a plate or glass to save her life.

We visited with 8 people for lunch:
— service was terribly slow despite plenty of empty tables
— server was pleasant but obviously inexperienced
— kitchen delivered a rare burger when it was ordered medium
— bathrooms were dirty
— food was average at best
— prices are excessive
— kids were irritable due to being hungry and waiting over 40 minutes for food
— waitress was apologetic for slow kitchen, undercooked burger, etc. but did nothing to address the situations
— some entrees were delivered then we waited 5+ minutes for the rest
— we never saw a manager
I have contacted the restaurant and will update the review if they do something to address the situation.

I now know why they had to resort to Groupons to entice customers. This was our first visit here. My husband and I each ordered The Gilson burger ($ 11.95) and he also ordered a cup of tomato bisque soup ($ 4.95) His cup of soup was half full & below par. I substituted their potato fingerlings instead of French Fries and they were greasy and inedible. I would have flagged down our waiter — IF — I would have seen him, but he didn’t come around until it was time for the check. My burger was fair… I asked for it to be cooked medium rare and it was a very bland, dry, medium. Will not be returning. Had high hopes for finding a new restaurant in the area but it was not to be.

I used to really enjoy Gilsons and have gone there as a special occasion spot at times. This last visit was so bad, I will not return. Our server must have taken lessons from the servers over at the Big Black Dog. We used to question how Gilsons could be so good and BBD be so poor. I think they may have done some switching around. Our server actually told a member of our party that «no, that isn’t bacon, it is Italian bacon.» Hmm, if one has a problem with bacon, I don’t think it matters from where it hailed.
I believe the prices have been raised, to a point I don’t find it worth it to dine here. That, mixed with horrible service (I kept this to a minimum, there were many other problems) will keep me away.

Having dined at Gilson’s in the past, I’m disappointed to have to write this lackluster review.
The food was fine; nothing spectacular or memorable, but fine. Prices, on the other hand, were considerably more than need be. Seriously, $ 18 for fish tacos? $ 24 for skirt steak? $ 27 for walleye? The food doesn’t come close to justifying these prices.
Even if the prices weren’t outrageous, our service was. We’ll give the server the benefit of the doubt when 5 of our 6 entrees arrived, with the 6^th following about 7 minutes later… maybe it was the kitchen’s fault. However, I can’t believe that right after properly asking how everything was a few minutes into the meal, he asked if he could get us any coffee or dessert! Our dinner plates were still ¾ full and in front of us! He was disinterested in being there and impossible to get his attention to pay the bill.
I was disappointed in the pricing and service, and probably equally disappointed that I can no longer support a local restaurant.

Always consistently good food. Fun menu. Super-​friendly staff. The one place in an increasingly decent bar /​restaurant diverse Wilmette that always scores delivers a lovely meal, perfect service and reasonable prices. Makes every visit — lunch or dinner — perfect.

I used to like Gilson’s a lot. They used to be participate in the WBEZ member card program, and with the discount, their prices were reasonable and the food was consistently good.
However, they’ve since dropped the WBEZ promotions and substantially raised their prices substantially higher to boot. At the same time, the quality according to recent reviews has been declining. If turnout is any indication the restaurant was empty on a weeknight at 6 PM. There were plenty of diners in other restaurants on the same street.
I can only assume that the owner has gone in over his head with his new failing place across the street and is trying to make up his losses by raising prices. I don’t think this is going to end well.

I like to try to support my own community and found a Groupon to check out Gilson’s. I found it to be just okay.
I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass which was very tasty and the baby potatoes were done just right sauteed with fresh broccoli florets as the accompaniment but I think it was overpriced if not for the coupon from Groupon.
My husband ordered the skirt steak and he enjoyed the steak and green beans that came with the dish, but based on the price I would have expected a soup or salad to go with dinner.
Service was prompt and courteous but not as warm and friendly as I would expect.
The food was good but not overwhelming and I would not come back unless there was another coupon because I think the dinners were overpriced for the venue.

I love to say nice things about local businesses. I wish I could say Gilson’s is great. It’s not. It’s trying to be a comfy yummy upscale neighborhood spot and it sort of is but the menu is overpriced, the service is terrible (our entrees took over a half hour to arrive and our waitress was disoriented throughout) and the food is just ok. The burgers looked good. Everything else was mediocre. My salad nicoise was so bad I had to ask the manager if there wasn’t some mistake and he instantly comp’d it. I wanted to like Gilson’s. I really did. But I don’t.

I have been to Gilsons twice in the last week. Went the first time for dinner on a Friday night. The food was excellent– the noise was horrendous– they need to use some acoustical material because everyone seems to be screaming. Next time I go there for dinner it will definetly be before the crowd or on a weekday night.
Lunch was very good– fortunately, the place wasn’t as crowded so my head was not pounding when I left. The sandwiches are huge and very good.

Steaks in Chicago are kind of like pizza in Chicago. There are so many places that do it right, if you’re going to make an attempt, it better deliver. Gilson’s of Wilmette did just that. I ordered the center-​cut fillet which was served with a lemon horseradish herbed butter. Whoever said the herbed butter trend was out, was wrong. Take that Tom Colicchio! This steak was cooked to perfection, served with tender grilled asparagus and a lemon mushroom risotto. Everything was great! My only complaint… they don’t have a full bar. Other than that, I will definitely be going back and trying many other items.
The Chowhound Chick

My husband and I had dinner there last night for the first time. I didn’t know this place existed until the hubby pulled out a Groupon he bought for it. Let me just say I was very impressed! The Groupon was a good one; two entrees, two glasses of wine. Our choice of anything on the menu plus they would switch out the wine for beer if we wanted. So from the get-​go I found this charming little place to be flexible and all about making our dinner a good one.
The wine and beer list were more than enough to choose from. Nice selections without it being insane. I might add they pour a NICE glass of vino too. Just what I needed after a long day at the office!
I had the Chilean Sea Bass with risotto and grilled asparagus. Totally delicious and I ate every bite. The grilled asparagus was perfection. Not mushy or under done-​simply perfect. Risotto had leeks and mushrooms added and it was a generous serving flavored very well. The sea bass was outstanding. Cooked perfectly, not too well done so it was moist and flavorful. I was quite impressed.
The hubby had the bison burger and fries and an additional cup of chicken noodle soup. He gobbled the soup down in record time which is a clear indication of how good it was. Large portions on his entrée and the adding toppings for the burger were very good. No dried out under ripened tomato slices here – all the toppings were fresh, fresh, fresh. It’s nice to get a good burger that has good toppings along side it!
Our server was very nice however I didn’t get her name for which I’m sorry because she should get a shout out. She was timely, very polite, discreet and right on top of things.
Gilson’s may become my new favorite place simply because it’s small, has great food and excellent service. Their menu while not huge has food at a variety of price points so this place does not need to be «saved» for special occasions only. I strongly recommend reservations. If you go after 6 pm on a weeknight you’ll wait for a long time. Save yourself some hassle and make the reservation! Go to Gilson’s, you’ll love it!

Went here on Saturday with Nick and had an okey-​doke time! The wine list was extensive enough and the prices per glass were average. The homemade cream of chicken and wild rice soup was wonderful and perfectly seasoned. But, the macadamian Chilean sea bass… much to be desired. The fish was cooked well and was fresh, but the mushroom leek risotto was borderline inedible. It was mushed together and way too dry to be called a risotto. For $ 27.95, it was not worth the purchase. Nick’s pasta dish had fresh pasta and the sauce was good.
Our server was young and spunky and was always around when we needed something.
It is a cute space, but a bit loud. Nick and I were almost screaming by the end of the night. It was packed by 6:00pm, so there are a lot of regulars who enjoy this place!

Thank you Groupon. Been here a few times. You need a reservation for the weekend for sure. It’s quite full by 6pm on a Sat evening. Had the baked French onion soup which comes with a full toast with melted Gruyère. Steamed mussels with wine sauce and garlic and herbs was delicious but very salty. Bison burger with cheddar in a nice sturdy bun (hate those wimpy ones) comes with delicious fries and a spicy aioli.
If you need a highchair, call in advance so they don’t seat you in the booth. Their booster chair does not have buckles.
Very friendly service and a great wine selection with ratings for each bottle. 10+ beer choices.

Gilson’s is a restaurant located in little old downtown wilmette.
It’s a nice quaint little location to order up a meal… just sit down outside and they will come out, t ake your order and bring it to you. Definitely enjoyable on a nice summer day. Of course indoor seating is available and the food is a little bit pricey for a lunch but very uniquely (and creatively) done.
I’d give it 4.5 stars if I could, but Unilocal lacks the half-​stars. I had the «Big (really big) Salad», which was extremely good. Described in their menu as «Leafy organic greens with chopped veggies (carrots, broccoli, tomato, cucumber)»…I happened to have it with a unique dressing as well, which was Roasted Tomato Dressing.
It was good and something I’ve not seen offered the way that they had it, at many other places. I even took a few pictures of it.
Of course my mistake was sitting facing the wind, at which point I was reminded that salad is like paper and flies away. So although I got to enjoy most of my meal, I wore a bit of it out of the restaurant.
I’d definitely recommend people to take a look at least for exploration purposes, but it’s a little pricey for an everyday eat to me. They do make some unique foods and some extremely good foods, so they are justified in their price if you want a quality lunch. However, if you’re looking for a cheap lunch, you’re at the wrong place.
To look at their lunch menu, go here:
To see their dinner menu, go here: