City Works

WITH HELP FROM YELP!!! 04/04/24 After my son's Navy Boot Camp graduation, he expressed to me and his dad that he was in need of a fat, juicy, and delicious hamburger with some SWINE on it, lol. He stated that he was tired of the military food that he had to endure during basic training. Since he knows that his mom is a devoted Yelper, he knew that I would find the perfect spot to satisfy his craving and I did just that with HELP FROM YELP! I have to admit that it would be extremely challenging finding good eats in unfamiliar territory without Yelp. So Kudos to the Yelp Team! As I searched for five star restaurants in the Chicago area, I kept finding some great choices, but they were all closed for business and wouldn't be opening up until 4:00 pm. That was totally unacceptable seeing that my son's graduation ended at 10:30 that morning and he was ready to get away from the Navy base and eat some delicious food. Especially with his curfew being at 8:30 pm, we did not have time to waste. Luckily, my search finally ended when I stumbled upon City Works restaurant located in Vernon Hills. After reading the reviews and looking at the photos of other Yelper's food, I was convinced that this was the perfect spot to take my son. Once I showed the photos to my husband and my son, they too were convinced. Furthermore, we put the address into our GPS and found that it would be a 20-30 minutes drive which was fine with us. We were all hungry and excited as we headed over to the restaurant, which was an awesome find. Upon entering this establishment, we were greeted by one of the friendliest hostesses that I've ever encountered. She asked if we preferred a table or a booth and I was happy that she gave us the choice on where we would like to be seated. She handed us the menus and told us to enjoy our visit. Next, our server came over and introduced herself as Angelica. She was also friendly and welcoming. Angelica exercised great customer service skills and professionalism. Moreover, for our drinks, my son ordered a lemonade, hubby ordered an Arnold Palmer, and I ordered a White Sangria cocktail and a Golden Honey Margarita on the rocks with salt on the rim. We all enjoyed our drinks, especially me, lol. The White Sangria was refreshing and bubbly. I think I liked it more than the Golden Honey Margarita, which was also tasty. As for our food, we started out with some appetizers while we browsed the menu. We started off with the spicy shrimp and the crab fondue. Although they were not spicy at all, I absolutely loved the spicy shrimp appetizer! They were flavorful and fried to perfection with a nice crunch to them and drizzled with a red sauce. The crab fondue tasted amazing and would have tasted even better if I did not have to play tug-of-war with the toasted bread that it was accompanied by. That bread was so darn hard that I felt like I was going to pull my teeth out from all the pulling and tugging, which discouraged me from fully enjoying this appetizer. I let my son and my husband have at the crab fondue and I stuck with the spicy shrimp, lol. My son was so hungry for some food other than military food that he didn't seem to notice how hard the bread was. He and my husband devoured every bit of it, lol. Now for our main entrees, my son knew right away which burger he wanted as he looked at the menu. Remember he stated he wanted a burger with some SWINE on it? Well, there was a Bacon Cheese Burger sitting on the menu with his name written all over it. My husband is a burger lover as well, but chose a burger without the swine, the City Works Burger. I ordered something a little on the healthier side, pan seared salmon accompanied by a mixture of vegetables which included butternut squash, Brussel sprouts, tomatoes, and corn. We all enjoyed our food to the utmost. Everything was absolutely delicious! My son said that his bacon cheeseburger was soooo good and that the bacon was nice and crispy. My husband said that his burger was divine. They were both so fat-full by the end of our son's celebration meal and were sitting slumped over in their seats, lol. The salmon on my entree was cooked to perfection, possessing a moist and flaky interior with a juicy and tender texture. The vegetables were equally as delicious as the salmon. The entire meal was 5/5 stars. Overall, City Works is a lively establishment with a vibrant and energetic ambiance that serves great tasting modern American cuisine. It is centered in the Mellody Farm Shopping Complex of Milwaukee Ave. in Vernon Hills. They are fully equipped with several large HDTV's which are great for sports fans and such. Customer service is amazing. I highly recommend them for anyone who is from out of town visiting the Chicago area. You will definitely find delicious and excellent quality food here! Thanks for making my son's graduation celebration dinner an awesome dining experience. We felt right at home! It was as if we never left Houston.

This is a large and spacious sports bar/restaurant with a rather nondescript name. So nondescript I know we've dined here before several times but my companion doesn't remember the experience.We didn't have a reservation but they seated us right away in a booth with good views of the numerous screens featuring March Madness games, as well as a large chalkboard with all of the beer selections. There's a tempting assortment of apps and we ordered the fried pickles which comes in a cute fryer basket with a dipping sauce. It came out hot from the fryer. This is how the City Works.My companion ordered a steak salad. I picked a Smokehouse burger which comes with pulled pork, provolone and onion rings (this is what sold me). I asked for it without the brioche bun and to substitute Brussels sprouts for the fries. Our server was ok with the subs because this is how the City WorksOur food came out hot, tasted good, and looked appealing. Someone at another table thought it looked good too and asked what we ordered. The pulled pork on top of my burger was a little tough and the sprouts could have been cooked a little more but overall the food was good because this is how the City Works.Once we finished, our server quickly got the check, asked for payment and started clearing plates. I was expecting to be asked if I wanted dessert because I was leaning in that direction, but I was ok with going somewhere else. We were quickly in and out because this is how the City Works.

I used to order food for my kids here. The chicken tenders *used* to be good and well breaded like the menu photos advertised, but recently in my last two orders the chicken tenders are barely breaded and barely fried. I had to throw them out because I wasn't sure if they were cooked correctly.

Food was great! Fantastic Cesar salad. It has Kalamata olives and a hard boiled egg, which is pretty untraditional - but highly appreciated! I added chicken to mine for an extra $5. My husband ordered their Cuban sandwich and he loved it! It had andouille on it in addition the pork and ham, which again was unique but very tasty! The sausage was super tender and not chewy at all - we loved that. Super nice lunch out with my husband and mom! My husband already wants to go back for another cuban sandwich! We sat on the outdoor patio which was super enjoyable and relaxing. Apps were super good. Don't skip the cheese curds or the fried pickles. Best cheese curds with the red sauce!

City Works - Vernon Hills is one of 8 locations. It is a great, cozy pour house that has a respectable selection of beer (they also have a full bar). I sat at the bar and was received with a smile from the bartender. I order the Caesar Salad and the Nashville Hot chicken wrap. It was good - traditional bar food, but nothing you couldn't find at another local restaurant.

I had a fantastic dining experience at City Works. The food was exceptional, with every dish packed with flavor and perfectly prepared. Our waitress, Armie, was outstanding--attentive, friendly, and incredibly helpful. Highly recommend this spot for a memorable meal and great service!

Only reporting on my own experience, not on anyone else in my party. I had the smoked bbq burger with pulled pork on top. The burger was dry and bland and the pulled pork was terrible. It was chewy and had a funky flavor to it. The fries were pretty good but not enough to make up for the burger. Also, our server was not very attentive and had to be asked more than once for drinks, silverware and check. I personally will not go back.

The salmon was enjoyable, and the accompanying puree added a unique touch. However, the presentation could use some improvement. The smash avocado was decent, but there was minimal avocado, resembling spread butter, and the eggs arrived cold. The service was satisfactory; the server promptly replaced the eggs to ensure they were freshly made and warm. The atmosphere was like casual dining nothing super fancy.

We've been to a couple of these but first time at this location. Felt very similar to the other places. It's a lively place and never feels overcrowded. We made a reservation for a friday night about 30 minutes in advance. We got right in. Waitstaff was nice and attentive.We ordered chips and salsa to start as we were starving. We then ordered our usual Ahi Tuna BLT and fries. We each got the same thing. The toasted bread is to die for. The Tuna is so fresh. We get this every time. LOL. The portion size is perfect for 2 people to share for lunch. You will be full if you eat the entire thing. My wife brought half home for our teenage son. Whole family is hooked!

What I had was great. Pulled chicken, coke slaw and beans. Bean side was good but very small. I took a Cuban to go. This sandwich was not good. I lived in Florida for 26 years. I could get a better Cuban at the grocery store there.