Yorktown Center — Attraction in Lombard

This used to be such a very nice mall many years ago. Now it seems to have turned into a pitiful skeleton of its former being. We were looking for certain types of stores and they were listed as being at the small plus it was convenient to where we were headed. I randomly pulled in near an entrance that was between two different places to work out. The entrance was at the second floor level but you walked into an escalator going down immediately. I don't remember that but I probably entered through a different entrance. The mall used to seem so big but now it just seems so small. What seems to make it so much worse was all the stories that were closed when we walked in and kept closing hours before the mall was supposed to close. We passed a couple stores when we got there that I thought I'll stop and then on the way back out and walking back by them an hour before close and the entire end of the mall was closed up. Every store except the anchor store at the end and a second hand shop on the first floor. On the plus side we did get to go to Hot Topic even though it was such a tiny one and found a few things at Spencer's. I had thought to stop in Kay Jewelers but went to grab a bite to eat first and they were closed when I finished eating. Several of the places in the food court were closed with the most disappointing to me being Billy Goat which is what I had really wanted to try. There were only a couple choices if I didn't want to eat junk food and I randomly chose one. The one I didn't choose was in Nashville hot chicken place that just sounded really good. I was trying to avoid deep fried foods though. I ended up at the Cilantro Taco Grill. I had some of the best tacos I have had in a long time there. I'm glad I stopped. The mall might have been disappointing but it did have just a couple of bright...

I was at this establishment on Tuesday, to have a quick dinner before rehearsal. I had seen that the Billy Goat Tavern had opened at Yorktown around Christmas, but I haven't had time to go until now.

I love Italian Beef and, in my short 23 years, I've probably had IB at well over 100 different places.

And I can say, unequivocally, that this was the worst.

First of all, the manager and cook were both half-asleep when we got there. They barely roused themselves to complete our order.

I ordered an Italian Beef (with chips) and my mother ordered a Cheeseburger. (The "chips" may I add are just bagged chips, so there's not much to say.)

When we received our order, there was NO cheese on my mother's CHEESEburger and the bun was two times bigger than the burger patty. She said it tasted alright, but I could tell she was not blown away.

My beef, on the other hand, was an unmitigated disaster. The bread was old and soaked through and the beef itself was tough as nails with the most sour, disgusting odor I had ever smelled. I took one bite, just to see if my senses were failing me. The beef was literally filled with fat, so much that from one bite the fat stuck between most of my teeth and I spent the next half hour picking every single strand out.

To his credit, the manager gave me my money back (before this he offered to give me a Rib-Eye Sandwich as a substitution, but if you can't get a simple beef right, how in God's name could you get a Rib-Eye right?)

Suffice it to say, I will not return and I hasten to advise that everyone who reads this review think twice about spending your money at this place. I can't speak for the original, but this ancillary location is akin to a tumor leaping from a body and creating a new skewed entity in itself.

Not...

Yorktown Center in Lombard is the kind of mall that still feels like home — familiar, dependable, and full of little surprises if you take your time to explore.

Walking in, you get a sense that this place means a lot to locals. The skin in the game shows: it’s clean, well-kept, and busy enough to feel alive without being overwhelming. It’s got the classic two-story mall layout, big anchor names (JCPenney, Von Maur), and a steady stream of stores and kiosks filling in the gaps.

What I liked: • The mix of shopping & entertainment is solid. You can knock out errands, browse fashion, then catch a movie or grab a bite. • Despite the changes in retail, Yorktown still manages to stay relevant. A lot of malls these days feel half-empty; this one still has foot traffic and enough anchors to keep things anchored (no pun intended). • The food court & dining options are decent. Enough variety to please different tastes. • Accessibility is good — lots of entrances, decent parking, and easy in/out from major roads. • The quirky bits are fun. Did you know there’s a small cemetery right at the edge of the parking lot that predates the mall? A little odd, and a little fascinating.

What could use work: • A few storefronts are vacant, and some corridors feel less vibrant than others. • Some parts feel a little dated. A refresh in décor, lighting, or common areas would lift the overall feel. • During busier times, the food spots get crowded. Be ready for lines.

All in all, if you’re in Lombard or the western suburbs and want a mall with decent variety, friendly vibes, and history, Yorktown Center is a solid choice. Not glamorous, but trustworthy—and that’s...