Lily's — Restaurant in Round Lake

This past April literally marked the first time in over 30 years that I've eaten here. I lived in RL from May '89- Nov '02 but the whole time I lived here, only came here like maybe 3 times.

Sadly I didn't start driving to school till my senior year but the whole time during my sophomore and junior years in high school, I walked by the local favorite 5 days/wk to school but only stopped in 2x that whole time. The very 1st time was shortly after we moved in during the summer of '89 with my dad.

I guess once I started driving, my friends and I typically liked leaving town and exploring everywhere else. I guess in my much older age now, took me this long to realize what a gem Lily's really is.

When I first walked in this past spring, I immediately recognized the guy in glasses behind the counter. Once I was ready to order after stepping up to the counter, when the guy (owner) walked up and greeted me I was like "are you the same guy I saw roughly 35 years that took my dad & I's order?" He smiled and said that probably was him and that he recognized me.

The RL area has a few local favorite spots and Lily's is truly a shining example. The owner/staff are friendly here, the dining area is relatively small but kept clean and the prices towards the wonderful Chicago style grub are still reasonable despite the craziness that started in the spring of 2020 and got worse.

The cash-only venue boasts some really good food and the gyros mountain was some of the most delicious I've had in a while. Before we left, I spoke with the owner and promised that I wouldn't take nearly as long to stop in again and he smiled and said "ok, I'll be waitin' for ya!"

Although I was never popular in school, wasn't a jock or anything and may not have had the most fond memories growing up in the area; Lily's will definitely always have a place in my heart and goes down as one of the very best Chicago grills in the county. I always try my best to support local and hope for continued success & prosperity...

Ah yes, Lily's. I personally go way back with this place, it's one of those classic hidden gem little local Vienna Beef restaurants that you occasionally come across. I could go on for quite a while about this place, I used to go here all the time to grab lunch with my buddies growing up. Even today, the place is still open and it's still almost exactly the same way it has been for over a decade. It is a family business that was passed down to the current owner long ago, and the owner still is there almost all the time. He's always very polite, very kind, and generally just very laid back. So much so that he & I share somewhat of a bond together, given the fact that I have been going there my whole life and he's been there longer. The food is always literally amazing, never ever once had any complaints about the food there. The aesthetic of the place is still the same way it was the first time I went there years ago, just a bit updated with a fresh coat of paint and tons of new art pieces on the walls that are quite interesting. The prices are quite literally unbeatable, they are very cheap for the quality and quantity of the food you get and have been the same since as long as I can remember. This place is the embodiment of the saying "If it ain't broken, don't fix it" in one restaurant. If you live in the area and haven't tried Lily's food or supported the owner Sam yet, I encourage you to pay the place a visit! I guarantee you...

Very clean on the inside, tables cleared and no visible garbage.

Still not a fan of thin fries, there just are better fry shapes and proportions. Cheese isn't so bad but could be better. Cheese fries were fine but depending on how you feel about fry thickness might make the $5 not worth it.

This is a $6 beef for preface, and as such mentally I try to compare it to others of a similar range. Nice beef presentation, good wrapping paper and an individual bag. Dissapointing beef, dry crumbly steak, very reminiscent of Subway brand Steak that they have in those paper baskets to put on sandwichs. Red and yellow peppers are an interesting choice for beef. The Roll had minimal taste, even when wet.

Always appreciate when a place will give you juice from the beef on the side.

Good Mt dew choices, only cans currently for all drinks, there are other drink choices but they were not as impressive as the Mt. Dew choices. $1 a can isn't horrible, better than $1.25 or $1.75 places where they only have basic flavors.

Good prices if you just want to stop somewhere or if you are hanging out at Brass City Games across the street!

I would be interested in trying the burger or something else off the menu another day. Certainly if you aren't a picky reviewer and wanna save a buck compared to some other places...