ANYWAY'S PUB - Oakbrook Terrace — Restaurant in Oakbrook Terrace

If you are seeking a phenomenal, versatile eatery that will quickly become your favourite place to frequent, Anyways Restaurant and Pub is the place for you. In efforts to keep the review concise, I will choose 4 aspects of the experience to expound upon. Let's get started.

1. exemplary service; as I always say, service begins and ends at the door. Every member of Anyways staff I had the sincerest pleasure of interacting with had such pleasurable demeanor; our kind hostess was the first to impress; such patience countenance as we debated where to sit. Upon choosing patio seating (absolutely lovely layout; more on this later) she kindly showed us to our seats-assuring us the table attendant would be with us shortly. Table attendant was friendly, professional, and knowledgeable of menu items as well. Throughout the meal, we were taken care of to the utmost extent (timely refills, every odd request for sauce/sides expeditiously met; most attentive service I've received at a suburban eatery, byfar). I thoroughly appreciated this aspect of the experience, as I felt highly valued as a customer; this heightened quality of experience for me in a significant way.
2. menu layout; well-organized menu featuring a variety of dishes that would indefinitely appeal to an array of eaters;  with such a range of menu options, every single one seemed tantalizing. Peering across the patio at other customers and their orders, I noticed every meal served appeared to be well-executed. I appreciated the fact that although selectivity was slight, the menu clearly outlined a section of vegetarian options. This was a mindful choice of layout that greatly assisted me in navigating such an expansive range of dishes.
3. venue/ site versatility; I'm not sure I've visited an eatery with more versatility than Anyways. I don't know how the owners managed to accomplish execution of this; to create an establishment that is entirely kid-friendly, intimate enough for a romantic date-night, lively enough for an evening with friends, yet tame enough to bring a beloved elderly family member or grab a delicious bite solo; this is quite a feat. Warm lighting inside of the establishment makes for a calm, memorable dining experience; music at a volume conscientious of those seeking to make conversation over their meal simply added to the ambiance; minimalist decor was a lovely contrast to the large columns and modern architecture of the establishment; somehow, the feel of this eatery still thrusts one into second-hand nostalgia. I'll be sure to upload more media upon my next trip. (Notation: affordability on point.The bill fell well within budget; and as is to be described below, every menu item ordered heartily exceeded the mark.)
4. incredible taste; dear readers, not only were all menu items presented in the most aesthetically-pleasing manner, both timely and temperature-appropriate, but the taste; every sauce impeccably rich (from the chipotle ranch to the Caesar salad dressing), packed with zest and flavor yet somehow; not overwhelming. Appetizers exceeded the mark (mozzarella sticks melt in your mouth; every bite of salad crisp to the taste). My main meal was one of the most delicious vegetarian dishes I've had over the course of my stay in the suburbs. Generous amount of toppings (from cheeses to veggies; which were incredibly fresh), well-seasoned breading, and a sizeable portion which made for a most delicious lunch the next day (count this leftover queen impressed; I haven't met many veggie flatbreads that retain freshness for more than an evening). Please see attached media for evidence of the generous serving of oreo ice-cream I dug into before even thinking to snap a shot (spoon marks visible).

Dear readers, I implore you to elevate your next dining experience and give this exceptional eatery a try.

Anyways,you are truly one-of-a-kind; forever a gem 💎 in my book. Thank you for a most...

Was in the area out on a trip and wanted to get a good taste of Chicago, based on the reviews, my party and I came out here: Cannot rate the food, it just never got to that point, however the service is dismal. Came in at 4 pm on a Saturday, way before busy hours so there's no excuse there. The host that came out don't think was the actual host and was doing something else at the bar but he just stood up to the occasion...sadly he wasn't much of a greeter and both his answers and body language were terrible. Since the day was perfect and not only were they not busy but the patio was empty, we asked to be sat down in the patio, he agreed and we led the way instead of the other way around so we wouldn't sit at a table that might've not been ready, which is exactly what happened. We first sat on one table but it looked dirty so we moved to one next over that looked like the lesser of the two evils. At this point he should have either offered himself or have somebody else to clean the table. Poor customer service skills and hygiene. Waitress came out promptly and asked for our drinks for which we weren't ready at the time. To their merit, they have an ample drink selection, however, to her demerit the waitress could have suggested a few drinks or guide our selection. She offered to give us a couple more minutes...on this she EXCELLED!! She gave us several orders of a "couple of minutes"...she never came back. We were patient and I think I'm being kind here but it was easily 20 minutes that we hadn't seen anybody come out. We just stood up and left. Even when we were leaving, there was no effort to get us to stay or did we see anybody come out to the patio.

Glass half full...One thing that I'm thankful for this bad experience is that we decided better to go somewhere else where one can truly get a taste of Chicago, a mainstay of the area: the Deep Dish style pizza. I won't mention names, just do a search you'll get which place(s) I'm talking about. Not only was their food unique but the service was something that these guys here will just dream of...

May 16, 2024 update

My family has been coming to Anyways for YEEEEARS, I'm 35 and think I've been coming here my whole life, they are awesome 👌

I will say this though... Like most restaurant bars, overpriced appetizers, garlic bread is silly small for the price, I'd check how your meat is cooked (my family likes more well done, we order medium well and its often rare, I'd call it raw lol), and while the kids chicken & mac is DELICIOUS the price has recently gone up and is super overpriced IMO.

But again, awesome atmosphere, fun for the whole family, open late, and I literally see kids sports teams all the way to retirees in here... Everyone loves Anyways 💯

The Anyways burger is awesome, if they cook it all the way, lol

May 13th, 24 Hubby wanted a good burger, so here we are again lol. We all order medium well, 2 were awesome, like AMAZINGLY GOOD!!! BUUUUT, 1 was pink and I'd say raw lol, but "rare" I guess??? We don't eat red meat often, but I KNOW this isn't medium well because the others were great. To me, this is not safe to eat, I mean, I'm sure its "ok" but, eh, I don't know, our bodies aren't used to it 🤷‍♀️

I hate that Anyways is so good, but that this happens so often ☹ I feel like a "Karen" complaining, but I think cooking a burger, for example, is like, a bare minimum expectation 😭😭😭

I am just now seeing that the owner responded, and am going to send an email... It shows a lot of integrity addressing unhappy customers with kindness and respect, its very much...