You may walk into Perry’s Steak House and Grille in Vernon Hills not knowing what to expect. It is an impressive, valeted, stand-alone outside the Hawthorn Mall on Milwaukee Avenue. It doesn’t look like any of the hamburger or breakfast/lunch spots in the shopping centers across Milwaukee on the east or Rte. 60 on the west. It looks more like the good, upscale places downtown Chicago and near O’Hare Airport. And it is – upscale that is. I liked the wall of wine bottles and the open-view kitchen. BTW, the wine list is impressive.
The wonderfully trained waitstaff make excellent recommendations whether looking for the perfect, not too expensive wine, to accompany your meal and what to expect of different entrees on the menu. We heard they had a senior menu for age 65 and up that is available before 6 p.m. for $39. You probably have to mention it when you make your reservation. Yes, reservations are a good idea. It covers three courses We eat early so my husband and I decided to try that for our first time there because we didn’t want leftovers to take home and we figured the portions were not huge. But the menu is large and has dishes for hearty appetites.
I loved the lobster bisque and my husband liked the Caesar salad. Next time I would probably opt for the field greens candied pear and pecan salad just for something different that also sounded good. We both chose the filet mignon which was each prepared the way we like it. Next time, and there will be a next time, I will try their famous pork chop. Neither of us chose a dessert for our third course because we liked the sides listed and usually do dessert at home. However, I probably will try a dessert when we return.
Perry’s is fairly new to the Chicago area but not new to the steak scene. It has been around since starting as a butcher shop in Houston, TX in 1979. It became a steakhouse in 1993 and is now in different towns in Texas plus 6 cities in the US. The high quality of the food and service reminds me of dining out in Chicago years ago.
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille – Vernon Hills is at 1050 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hill, IL. (224) 842-4620