The Tavern

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Lake County Institution Built on Quality

For nearly three decades, The Tavern has held a firm place in the hearts of discerning diners across the Chicago suburbs. Situated in the heart of downtown Libertyville on Milwaukee Avenue, this American steakhouse has built its reputation on a straightforward premise: exceptional ingredients, serious cooking, and one of the most extensive wine programs in Lake County.

That wine program earned the restaurant Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence — a distinction held by fewer than 700 restaurants worldwide — and the recognition has been well deserved. The drinks list spans prestige Champagne houses (Dom Pérignon, Krug, Laurent-Perrier), grand cru Burgundy, aged Barolo, and Napa's finest Cabernets, all curated with the same attention to detail that goes into the food menu.

Steak, Seafood, and the Details That Matter

The menu reads as a confident expression of American fine dining, with prime cuts and fresh seafood at its core. On the steak side, options range from USDA Choice filets to a 22oz USDA Prime 64-day dry-aged bone-in ribeye — served rare to medium at the kitchen's recommendation — and A5 Wagyu from Miyazaki Prefecture for those seeking something singular. Surf-and-turf combinations, blue cheese crusts, and foie gras add-ons round out the customization.

Seafood holds equal standing. Fresh oysters arrive on the half shell or baked with Nueske applewood smoked bacon, hollandaise, and Swiss gruyère. Wild Alaskan halibut comes with a lobster beurre blanc, Faroe Island salmon with lemon beurre blanc, and African cold water lobster tails are available solo or alongside a filet. Prince Edward Island mussels, colossal shrimp cocktail, and a pappardelle loaded with shrimp and scallops fill out a menu that takes its seafood as seriously as its beef.

Zagat reviewers once summed it up neatly: "the best steaks in the area, excellent fresh seafood, and an ample list of fine wines." The Daily Herald called the drive from Chicago — 45 minutes — worth every mile.

Atmosphere and Occasion

North Shore Magazine awarded The Tavern Best Décor, describing the interior as evoking "the silky panache of a pasha's" — an environment that feels genuinely distinctive rather than generically upscale. The restaurant accommodates private parties and events alongside its regular dining room service, and the dessert list — from a warm lava cake to a Tartufo al Limoncello made with Sicilian lemons — closes the meal on a note that Zagat called "satisfyingly sweet."

For Lake County residents and Chicago-area visitors alike, The Tavern remains one of the region's most reliable addresses for serious American steakhouse dining done with real care.