Circa 57

This museum with a mediocre snack bar never belonged in the company of the genuinely excellent restaurants that populate downtown Arlington Heights. The cynical overpricing of fast food – including the $ 3.57 fountain drinks – spoke worlds about the real intentions of this establishment’s owners. This sort of kitschy pricey gee-​whiz dining really only works on tourists. Had this freak show been located on Navy Pier, it might have worked. Locals, however, are unlikely to pay $ 12 for an under-​sized burger more than once. Goodbye Circa 57, may something more earnest replace you.

Awesome breakfast! Between the four of us we got two skillets, a Farmhouse special and the Sunrise special. Food was all delicious. Our server Michael tried his absolute hardest to make sure we enjoyed our meal. He was serving, bussing, cooking and mixing drinks.
We’ll definitely come back for the food, but the others servers could learn to do a little less chatting with each other and help each other out when it’s so busy.

I have been looking for a 1950’s diner for some time now. After scouring Unilocal & different towns I finally found one.
This diner is located in downtown Arlington Heights. Right away walking in it is everything I hoped it would be in terms of décor. The place was decked out with 1950’s décor. Every table had a mini jukebox on it that you could play songs with for fifty cents.
We sat down & the booths were very comfortable. The booths even had the 1950’s sparkle effect to them. The waiter came around & we ordered two cups of chili for appetizers & for our entrée a cheese burger & a chicken pot pie.
I was actually disappointed with my chili & the burger was just ok. The chicken pot pie however was very good. Once dinner was over the manager came by to ask how everything was & was very friendly. I decided to order some dessert & get a hot fudge sundae & it might have been the best hot fudge sundae that I have ever had. One of the only negatives about this place was that the food was too expensive & might deter people from visiting more often. The restaurant was very clean as well.
Overall the décor was awesome & the food was ok. I would definitely come here again when I am in the mood for a 1950’s diner.

The décor and ambiance is upscale 50’s, and the service is as should be expected. But the food isn’t worth the price tag. I think they have to charge the price to cover the expenses of building out, but they should rethink the menu and prices. The food worth an average price, which is an odd compliment. It’s really not bad food, just not worth the prices they’re charging.

This place is all about the décor, which is fabulous. I’m not sure there were any diners in the 50s that were actually this nice, but it gets each individual element perfect, right down to the two-​tone glittery piping on the vinyl booths.
The menu is exactly what you’d expect from a place that serves 50s comfort food, with very little concession to modern nutrition. Everything we tried was good, and probably less greasy than its 50s inspirations.
Service was attentive and friendly. This is an excellent choice for before theater dinner.

Cheap mediocre food at higher prices.
E.g. Pot roast beef was, most likely, cooked separately from its potatoes and then mixed together, and potatoes were half-​raw.
Too expensive for that tasteless food too.
They take advantage of the downtown location, but people are not stupid — it was empty.
Will never go there again.

Had an early lunch there with my wife today. The service was great (few customers at 11:45a) and the food (salad for the wife, double cheeseburger and chili for me) was pretty good, especially the chili. However, from a value standpoint it was below average. For the prices, the quality and quantity of food weren’t there.
The décor and the menu items were very interesting and I’m sure the place is hopping at times. Some decidedly retro food items and beer choices looked promising, but it was a little early for them. For lunch, there are probably better options nearby that are better values.
One final point: there are several posters from the 50s/​60s with cigarette advertising displayed in the part of the restaurant in which we were seated. Whether vintage or not, they seemed quite inappropriate. My wife (a 30+ year oncology nurse) mentioned this to one of the owners and was answered with a (to paraphrase) ‘well, we’re going for kitsch here, and they’re kitschy, so…). Anyway, with that in mind we can find kitsch and overpriced burgers elsewhere.

Love the theme, the owners are so nice and the food was delicious!
Love the attention to detail!

Came here with my co-​workers to check out their menu and restaurant style. I was very pleased from beginning to end.
As we entered the restaurant, a nice man was already standing by the counter, smiling and welcomed us.
The interior design will immediately catch your attention. If you are looking for a retro dinner, this is the place to go! They have a 1957 Chevy Bel Air on the wall, juke boxes on the booths, 52’s memorabilia on the walls, retro furniture and a huge painting of Marilyn Monroe in their vintage bar.
Food is great. Chef Anthony did a great job with the menu! EVERYTHING IS HOMEMADE! The DAGWOOD DELI is a must try. It has ham, pastrami, provolone cheese on rye (and some other ingredients I don’t recall) but it is tasty! The Prime Rib Philly cheese steak is also delicious.
I love their malts too and cherry phosphate (there’s not a lot of places that offer phosphate beverages nowadays!)
This restaurant is a must try. Located at the heart of down town arlington heights, beside big shot piano lounge and across peggy kinnane’s!

I really want to like this place but the food and service make it impossible. This was our third and last try to make this a go to spot in the NW burbs. The décor is top notch but then it all goes downhill: no greeting at the door, silently shown to a table w/​o asking for preference, shabby looking menus, wait staff not happy to be there. There really was good, if not imaginative, food in the ’50’s; food was seasoned, cooked well, and served hot. Ordered a kids meal of chicken fingers and fries that were over cooked and served barely warm (placing the food on a cold metal tray didn’t help); adult selection was a burger which looked great– but was flavorless. Silly us we ordered dessert: ice cream was good but the pie was only so-​so and served cold in the middle and too hot on the sides– microwave must be on the fritz.
Our first visit was right after they opened; there was a good vibe, people were happy to work there but the food was only so-​so. Thinking this was just first month shakiness we went back after 6 months, still pretty upbeat but food not any better. Tonight was our final try. Sorry but I’ll not be back and judging by how empty it was at prime dinner hour many others must feel the same way.

I came here for a bday dinner and loved the theme and décor of the restaurant. The staff are also very nice.
As for the food, I ordered the chicken pot pie, which was okay. There was no pie crust on the bottom of the bowl, the pie crust was just on the top. Which I liked the flakey crust and wished there was more of it. The portion size is fairly large.
My boyfriend ordered the crab cake sandwich, which he seemed to enjoy.
Overall very cute place, but not crazy about the menu.

Neat joint. The 50’s props are nicely done. Had the California Cruiser which is a marinated chicken breast, applewood smoked bacon, white cheddar cheese and sliced avocado served on a fresh croissant with honey mustard sauce. The thing is salivatingly good. Had an Oreo shake to boot, which my son found cause to take an abundant amount of sips from. Pricing is on the high side but the food is worth it.
Cheers.

I’ve been here twice (once for dinner and once for breakfast) and today I literally said «I wish Restaurant Rescue had an 800 number.» This place is so terrible. The cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting was a lumpy cold hunk of bread with cream cheese slapped on top. The pancakes would have been better off if they were bisquick, they were flavorless except that the batter tasted old/​stale. The egg sandwich was OK and they cooked the egg exactly as I asked (which is admittedly high maintenance on my part) so they obviously care to please. When we came about two weeks ago the food was flavorless and limp — the spaghetti and meat balls were awful.
The only reason this place is getting a 2 and not 1 is because I want to like it. I really do! The concept is kitschy and cute and the employees seem earnest and kind but HOLY COW they have got to get someone in the kitchen who appreciates a solid meal. Please fire the kitchen staff and revamp the menu to something you feel confident in– stop churning out bad food.

So we finally made it back. It was worth it my steak was great and sons prime rib was good too
The corn was fresh and sweet and au gratin were hot and cheesy. Wife had meatloaf and liked it too
We will be back, sooner this time.

Wow, somebody went to a lot of trouble to rock out the décor in this place 50’s style! It’s retro-​gorgeous! And much bigger inside than I expected. They have a diner seating area with tables, booths, and completed with the counter & stools. They also have another dining area with a huge bar… there were other patrons seated there and I think it would make a great room for a party.
The menu has a lot of great options and I like the kitschy-​retro appetizers like Pigs in a Blanket & Pickle Surprise (something my Mom used to make for parties & I still do they are so good!). I tried the chicken & waffles — the syrup is a bourbon-​maple syrup which was mighty tasty on the waffles, also came with a blackberry compote which was delish as well, but the chicken tasted like maybe it wasn’t fresh, but previously frozen a bit too long… I’m not quite sure but the taste of the chicken was definitely off a tad. Not terrible, but not what you’d be looking for. My husband had the grilled cheese which was a step-​up from the plain-​Jane type you might have at home & he said it was very good. He also ordered a Chocolate Egg-​Cream Soda. Sadly, they forgot to make it & he didn’t get it until he was more than half-​done with his meal. It was very good, though.
The service (aside from the delay in the specialty soda) was very friendly by all the staff we encountered and the food came out far quicker than we anticipated. It did take quite a while for the check to be delivered & then for them to take the payment, but since the food came out so fast we were at least still ahead of schedule. We went to see a show at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center which is right next door & they are connected via a side entrance so it was very convenient. Add in the free parking garage next door and it made our night out a breeze.

I visited Circa 57 for the first time a few days ago. My first impression of the atmosphere was wonderful. I went with my gran, and she got very excited about all the colors and décor.
I had ordered coffee and chicken pot pie, and gran ordered some fish and chips. Our waiter was a bit off putting. He would stand there with a nervous grin. Gran speculated he was acting odd because he didn’t have much to do. He even tried to take my food away before I was done! When I ordered my coffee, he gave me just the coffee, without offering cream or sugar. I am a lady and I do not drink black coffee, I thought this was a bit careless on his part.
As for the food, Gran was underwhelmed as was I. My chicken pot pie, hardly had any chicken, and what it did have was unappetizing cubed chunks. The carrots were still hard, and the sauce was soupy, so I’m guessing it wasn’t cooked long enough. Any other restaurant I’ve ordered chicken pot pie, theres lots of chicken and it’s really chicken, not cubed chicken. That extra care will improve the quality of your food tenfold. Gran was not too pleased with her fish, though the fries were very good. I’m thinking it is a matter of freshness. Our dessert was good, and we want to come back to give it another chance, because we so liked the atmosphere, and we really want to like Circa 57. Maybe I will try the meat loaf next time.
Service I’d rank it ³⁄₅ (but just for that particular server, everyone else was sweet)
Food I’d rank it ³⁄₅ (there were good bits, but mostly underwhelming)
Atmosphere I’d rank it ⁵⁄₅ (loved it)
Overall it’d give it 3.5 stars

Ordered the prime rib philly cheese steak. It was pretty good but seemed they skimped on the meat. Too much bread to filling ratio. The fries were, well fries. Nothing memorable about them. I also ordered the baked Mac and Cheese. It was over-​priced and lacked flavor.
I’ll be back to try the breakfast and shakes in the future.

Looking for a step back in time? This place is hip! As you walk in you are taken back to the jukebox era. All of the employees have neat period correct shirts. The tables have a personal jukebox song selector. The interior is very cool and well done-​retro style.
Prompt, friendly service is a welcome offering of this establishment. I’ve always been taken care of here. They are super personable and seems like their servers enjoy taking care of their customers.
I’ve been here a few times for breakfast. The food is always fresh, hot, and tasty. I really enjoy coffee, and the one thing that I like about a diner (with decent brewed coffee) is the never ending cup. The coffee is really good for a diner.
The food is good, the atmosphere is awesome, and their staff is friendly. This is a great. I’ll be back to try something other than breakfast soon.

You know it’s a good night when you’re sitting next to a pink midcentury refrigerator while slurping a deliciously thick shake and «You Never Can Tell» begins playing. It only gets better when a friendly waitress in a vintagey uniform brings you a toasty sandwich. Then your child actually asks for more peas from the genuine Homer Laughlin Fiesta china Circa 57 uses, and you have to pinch yourself to make sure it’s all real.
While it’s a little confusing that the menu and hours have already changed after being open less than three months, and while prices for some items are (as other reviewers noted) priced a bit higher than you’d expect, so long as they keep delivering the consistent quality I’ve experienced so far, dining here is a pretty good value. I mean, where else can you get an egg cream and freshly-​grilled vegetable panini in the NW burbs? And surrounded by amusing vintage ads featuring Lucille Ball, no less? There are three different dining rooms, each with its own delightful retro theme, so there’s never a wait for a table.
This place earns bonus points for having so much historical accuracy. The closest thing to an anachronism I noticed was the psychedelic-​era Beatles in one of the table side jukeboxes. Alas, the authentic 1950’s bathroom is a museum piece and doesn’t function. The real bathrooms are a bit of a trek, through the back doors and into the Metropolis part of the building. I would also like to see more vegetarian options, especially on the child menu. Somehow, too, the fries are just OK. Come on! You can do better than that, Circa 57!
Don’t forget to check out the selection of local and craft beers on the menu! There’s also a full bar. You can easily catch a cab or walk to the Metra if you have one too many while contemplating the Dick Whitman/​Don Draper duality/​singularity.

We went last night to try Circa 57 again since the first time was shortly after they opened.
The «regular» menus were now printed and they added a few new items– I noticed that there is a «make your own TV dinner» now on the menu that is served in a heavy aluminum tray that looks somewhat like the classic 1950’s-1960’s TV dinner tray. Many children had them so I am assuming that it’s a gimmick for kids. The problem of course here is that kids now have no clue what a TV dinner is.
Perhaps I am missing something but why do so many parents bring their kids to a «50’s Nostalgia» diner? The kids I saw were not fascinated by the retro theme, they seemed largely bored. From my observation, this is a place for adults with adult-​oriented food and adult prices. People who are looking for a «dollar menu» such as found at McDonalds probably would be better served going to McDonalds in the first place and enjoy the predictable menu.
That having been said, our second experience was as solid as the first– the only downside is that we were seated in the «back» room, which was to be honest, not very «retro» as far as it’s decoration. If you can ask for a booth in the «front» it’s probably a better experience.
Go and try it. That is all.