Walker’s Charhouse

First time. We went with 10 people and everyone got something different. 9 of the 10 entrees were exceptional. I’m pretty picky and will definitely go back!

Waitress was absent when we needed more coffee, ect. …less than enthusiastic service, then tried to gush it up later… sorry too late. Food was just ok for the price. Place was desserted… will not return.

This is one of those restaurants that has been there forever (well, at least since 1995) and yet I had never been there. I guess it might as well be new though, because the web site has «new owner!» splashed all over it. Anyway, my parents, grandmother and I went for a somewhat early dinner here last week.
I don’t know if the new guy changed anything other than the menu, because the place looks very dated and dark. There was only one other full table when we arrived but our waitress seemed harried and scattered. Our salads arrived quickly, along with some soda-​type bread, but then it was a loooooong wait to the entrees. While more people arrived in the meantime, the place wasn’t remotely full. (Please note, you WILL taste the creamy garlic dressing the next morning even after brushing your teeth multiple times. Just saying…)
Dad and I had ribs, and I will say these were generous portions, if not the greatest ribs I ever had (I didn’t love the supposedly «all new» bbq sauce… maybe they should have kept the old one?) Ribs came with very skinny fries, which got cold rather quickly.
Mom and Grandma both had crab cakes with a sweet champagne sauce and seemed to enjoy.
Regarding atmosphere: I was the youngest person in the place by 25 years, the next being my mother. This is the God’s waiting room set dining here apparently.
Overall, I’m not sure I’d come back. Despite a few intriguing things on the menu, the inexplicable wait was rather off-​putting, and the place needs a face-​lift to go with its new menu.

Very disappointed. I had the special prime rib. It was barely warm. Had to ask for horseradish sauce that was supposed to come with it. Waitress did not come to check if everything was ok. We felt really rushed. Dinner was served before my husband had finished his salad. Very bright lighting also. If you want to have a nice relaxing dinner skip this place. Reminding me of lunch at Walgreens. We like to support local small businesses, but we won’t be back to this one.

The food and service here is excellent. It’s nice to eat at a locally owned establishment instead of a chain. When it comes to food, I’m very picky. I would highly recommend the bacon wrapped pork medallions. Full of flavor and tender.

My wife and I went to Walkers Charhouse on a whim being that we have driven by may times and were curious. Had a wonderful meal with great service.
When we were seated the hostess recommended the blackened grilled shrimp appetizer, Fantastic!
I had the bone in rib eye most expensive cut on the menu and thought it was as good of a steak as I have ever had. My wife had the sirloin which was much less expensive but was every bit as wonderful.
I look forward to my return trip.
Great dining, great value.

The loudmouths at the bar ruin the whole experience. Brian, wise up, put in some new tv’s cater to a younger crowd and the bar will take care of itself. You need to sweep the foulmouthed customers away. They are hurting you in the long run. I notice that several reviewers feel the same.

I had never been to this resturant before. I felt extremely welcomed by the Owner he introduced himself to our table. Most resturants you have no idea who the owner is he was a friendy personable guy. Our food was excellent. The bacon wrapped tederloine was prepared perfectly. My dates filet was also up to par. Our server was very attentive and had a good attitude… I highly recommend you check this place out. Friendly atmosphere, fantastic food and awesome service.

Great food, great service, and wonderful experience! I had the pleasure of meeting the owner and I will definitely be back for more! Finally found a steak house worth going to!

Expect to pay Sullivan’s prices.
Plan to eat Sizzler steaks.
My 10 year old and I went for dinner last week. We’ve been debating going to this place for a while and ultimately the desire to support a local business won. Off we went.
The interior is really dated. When we stepped in the restaurant was completely empty but the bar had several patrons. Pretty loud folks, but not a problem because they were having fun and clearly knew each other. The only real negative to the bar patrons was a couple who’d step outside to smoke every 20 minutes. Smoke-​em-​if-​you-​got-​em! Again, they weren’t doing anything wrong but it’s not pleasant to have the smell of smoke follow them through the dinning room directly past our table. Hmm, ok.
The next red flag was ordering salads. I asked for french dressing and the, very nice waitress, said «you won’t like it here». Hmm, ok.
My ribeye was ordered and the waitress tells me «the chef recommends a temperature of…». Seems a bit officious but I’ll go along. When the steak arrived it was an extremely thin piece of meat sitting in a pool of juice. Not juice. A pool of juice. Hmm, ok.
My son had the beef wellington from the special menu. He loves beef wellington and was really excited. When it arrived it was a teeny-​tiny puff. It would surprise me if the steak inside were more than 3 or 4 ounces. The accompanying sauce was smeared on the plate and when I tasted it — A1 steak sauce mixed with some sort of fruit flavor (I think). Hmm, ok.
I told my son I wasn’t going to review Walker’s because I thought the people were SOOOO nice and his response was… «Dad, I bet the people who pay too much are nice too. You should tell them about our experience». Hmmmmm, ok.
For the $ 60 my son and I paid we could have done much better.

Our Waitress Kathy was Wonderful and Brian the Owner was engaging and informative. The Steaks were Amazing and overall the Food was excellent

New management has done wonders for this place. Hadn’t been in years but love the new menu. Service was great … solid neighborhood spot.

My experience at Walker’s Charhouse left me wondering when Gordon Ramsey was going to come barging out of the kitchen, cursing and yelling.
The service, while friendly, was just not good. I ordered an appetizer for my wife and I — Roasted Goat Cheese. It was okay. My wife liked it better than I did, but it wasn’t much more than crumbled goat cheese on top of a pool of ragu served with toasted bread.
My wife wasn’t very hungry, so she ordered a baked potato and a salad. I ordered the bone in ribeye, medium rare, with a salad and garlic mashed potatoes.
Wife’s baked potato was cold. My steak, while absolutely delicious, was still over cooked. Medium Rare should be a warm red center. I got hot pink. It was really so tasty that I debated sending it back, and my so my wife decided for me. She said, «it’s a $ 40 steak — you should get it how you ordered it.»
The waitress finally came by for a visit, and I told her the steak was over done. She looked at it and said, «oh, it looks a little over done».
Then she looked at me.
And waited.
And finally said, «did you want me to take it back?»
«Yes, please», I responded.
So she took the plate, and walked back in to the kitchen.
Two minutes later, she returned with another plate, which had me thinking that was awfully quick to straighten that out.
Not so fast… She put down the plate and on it was the same steak that I had sent back, cut into a bunch of pieces, and she said, «the chef took a look at it and said it was a little bit over medium rare, but still okay to eat».
Then she looked at me.
And waited.
When I said nothing, she asked if I wanted another one, to which I responded, «No. Take this one away.»
My wife took over, and told the waitress that I wanted a new steak, cooked properly.
I did end up with a steak that night, but it came out bleu. I ate it quietly.
The manager checked on us. I explained that there’s some range between bleu, and medium, and the chef needed to be able to find that if he wanted to cook steak. The manager made some excuses about how «we cook medium rare that way here», and how, yes, it was a little bit overdone, but it wasn’t THAT bad.
I understand not throwing your staff under the bus, but I couldn’t believe that a simple matter was handled so poorly. Later on we did hear a commotion in the back, and something about the chef not getting another steak sent back, so I’d say this was definitely a problem that night.
The food was very flavorful. Based on that alone, I expect we shall give it one more try, but it wasn’t a nice experience.

Based on my ribeye, this is an excellent value steakhouse. My rating reflects that value. Prices are comparable to some of the «casual upscale» restaurants in the area (e.g., Cooper’s Hawk) but the steak I had was much better. I would say that the only «better» value steak in the Chicago area that I have had was at Tango Sur on the North side of the city… but that is very far from me!
Ambiance is old-​person-​family-​restaurant kind of place. I.e., warm and comfortable. Wood paneling, red carpet, etc. Sometimes, that’s exactly what I need.
I will be coming back.

Amazing service, incredible food! Took the whole family and we all loved out meals. Our waitress was over the top great. The owner was very attentive. They have won us over. We will be back ASAP! Can’t believe we have lived around the corner for 3 years and have never been here.

I came here with a group of 3, greated by the owner Bryan for our 7pm reservation and was seated right away, our table ordered spinach dip and shrimp cocktails and they were awesome. Our server Kathy has to be one of the most attentive and pleasant server we have had in years. Drinks from the bar came quickly and perfectly mixed. Our tables entrées included the NY strip, Lamb Chops, and the Garlic Chicken Peane, all dinners were prepared beautifully and portions were plentiful and delicious. No room for dessert. We will be back

Great food and friendly service! This is my favorite restaurant in Naperville! The prices are good and the portions are better! They also have good specials throughout the week. It’s a great place for a date or a family dinner. Highly recommend!

Haven’t been for a couple of years, some things never change.
It is not as dark as it used to be, but on a Saturday night, old Naperville invades the place. They all have «standing» reservations.” So, good luck trying to get in. We arrived before the crowd and were able to snag a table.
We ordered cheeseburgers. The menu says they come with fries, and you have to specify exactly what you would like on your burger: i.e. lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup, onions, you get the picture. Other than the French fries, you only get a bun. Let me tell you, this bun was awful, seriously, we ate our cheeseburgers with a knife and fork. We also asked for cole slaw. Surprise, you only get one side, so they deleted the fries and gave us cole slaw instead. When we had finished and were told that by our server, she asked if we wanted fries. Too late. We got our bill and left.
They are now open for lunch. I have had delicious steaks here in the past, but may stick to lunch ~ no burgers.

I decided to start my review while waiting for our food to arrive, seeing as how I had all the time in the world. It’s 8:03, and we ordered our entrees 40 minutes ago. But let me start from the beginning.
My mother-​in-​law decided to start a tradition for 2015 for the three of us to go out to dinner once a month (her treat), trying new places that none of us had ever been to. Excited by the idea, we settled on Walker’s to kick off this tradition.
When we first arrived (6:30 p.m.), we were warmly greeted and were told it would be a 15 minute wait. We said that would be fine and were told we could wait at the bar. So we did, and ordered a round of drinks while we waited. I got my usual beer and the MIL and M both got Moscow Mules.
Walker’s, like someone else said, has that Wisconsin supper club feel to it and I definitely agree. The atmosphere was cozy though, and the dimmed lights gave off an intimate dining feeling. But the boisterous crowd at the bar made it anything but. The interior itself could use some updating but overall it wasn’t too bad.
When our table was ready, some guy escorted us to it (owner? manager?) Really nice guy; very personable and friendly.
It was all downhill after that. Our table was to the right of the bar near the hallway that lead to the bathrooms and such, so it was hard to enjoy the experience with slightly drunk patrons standing about and the waitstaff running back and forth in front of our table. Once seated our waitress didn’t appear for over five minutes. When she finally did, she didn’t introduce herself but was quick to name the soups of the day. Before she scurried off we placed our appetizer order (calamari and spinach artichoke dip).
The food arrived rather quickly and was delicious. The spin-​dip was piping hot (blistering the roof of my mouth) but was perfectly melted and flavorful. The calamari was pretty good, though some pieces were rubbery and almost naked from the breading falling off. When the waitress returned, we placed our orders: filets for my husband and his mom, Chicken Caprese for me. I wasn’t in the mood for steak, as I’ve been under the weather and had zero appetite. I thought chicken would be a safe bet, as I can tolerate reheated chicken better than steak if there were leftovers.
So we finished our apps and waited. And waited. And… waited. Glancing at my phone, I saw that thirty minutes had gone by. While the restaurant had a good number of people dining in, I don’t think it was at full capacity. How long do two steaks (medium) and a chicken entrée take? Our waitress was MIA at this point and I’m sure we looked pitiful with empty drink glasses, spent appetizer plates, half full water glasses scattered about our table and with looks of boredom/​confusion on our faces.
8:15 p.m.; our entrees still hadn’t arrived. Our waitress came by ten minutes prior, assuring us that she had checked on our order and «it should be out shortly.» She said she’d bring out a basket of bread for us while we were waiting. That basket of bread never came. At this point, we were frustrated and hungry.
Our food finally arrived at 8:20 p.m. M and his mother loved their steaks, however the Chicken Caprese wasn’t great. I wasn’t given a knife to cut the chicken with and it was too tough to separate with only a fork. Luckily, my unused bread knife came to the rescue and I was able to sample my entrée. The chicken was overcooked as I had predicted due to the long wait, and despite being smothered with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and balsamic, it was bland and forgettable. Disappointed, I ate my rice and vegetable sides but that was it.
The owner/​manager came over and apologized for the delay in our meals and offered me something else, but at this point I just wanted to get out of that place. When our bill came, we were disappointed to see that despite a lousy dining experience and my uneaten entrée, the total didn’t reflect any sort of comps or discount. Not that we expected anything huge but come on! Since I didn’t take the owner/manager’s offer for a different entrée, at least knock off a round of drinks or something. I spent over two hours here, eating nothing but rice pilaf and some veggies (and a bit of calamari and spin-​dip).
So we paid and left. It was 8:50 p.m. I am a patient person when it comes to dining out, but everyone reaches their breaking point. I feel that a dining experience almost two and a half hours long from start to finish would be acceptable at a higher-​end establishment, but not here. Yes, it was a Friday night but management should have anticipated that and made sure adequate waitstaff was available. I don’t know what the issue was last night, but as a first-​time diner, I was very disappointed.
Long story short– friendly employees, decent food, lousy service. M and his mother said they’d give it another go, but I have no desire to.

We were so pleased with everything from the moment we walked in! Great ambiance, friendly staff and amazing food!
Kathy was our server tonight and we can’t wait to come back and try more of their specials! My fiancé and I are both in sales so every now and then we like being sold on something as well… especially if it’s a great piece of steak!
We started out with an appetizer, in which our case was the fried cheese curds they came with a Sriracha ranch dipping sauce which had a nice kick to it.
For our entrées my fiancé did a porterhouse with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes and I did a NY strip with mixed veggies and garlic mashed potatoes. Needless to say it was a great meal with plenty of leftovers. We even took mini desserts home (chocolate & peanut butter mousse).
Overall definitely a 5 star rating from myself, and I most definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants a nice quiet sit down, great service, delicious food, and a hospitable staff! =)
P. S. I can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu!