Zak’s Place

An SUV jumped the curb Monday and crashed into the former Zak’s Place space at 112 S. Washington, the third such car-​on-​building crash in the 100 block of South Washington that has taken place in the last five weeks.
The crash took place at 11:37 a.m. Monday, after the 61-​year-​old Clarendon Hills woman driving the 2007 Mercedes ML500 hit the accelarator instead of the brake while pulling into a parking stall in front of the property, Deputy Chief Mark Wodka said.
«The driver was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision,» Wodka said. «She was unharmed.»
The pictures above were taken just before noon.

not casual… misleading in previous posts…
no burger on menu… misleading
great service great price $ 140 for 4
skirt steak was overcooked and my father was served crunchy risotto
i got an email yesterday that said they went out of business :(

This review is sort of a tribute, really, as I learned today that Zak’s place is closing its doors after tomorrow’s service. It’s a shame, because the burger here is (was) really great. I got off work early today, which gave me one last chance to have one.
It was pretty tasty, I must say. There was a nice char on both sides, and my burger was cooked medium to order. The thinly cut shoestring potatoes were good, but the burger was clearly the star here.
The guy working the bar was great, and I hope he and the rest of the crew land on their feet quickly.
It was great while it lasted. Hinsdale is a pretty tough place to make a restaurant profitable given the rents drawn by these properties.

Wouldn’t really go back for any reason… Food is average at best, service is pretty poor, inattentive, not friendly, etc. both times I went. The price seemed about normal, but since I didn’t really love anything about this place it’s not worth it. The salads at the other tables did look good, if I was going back that’s what I would try.

Was looking forward to try Zaks for lunch. It started out well with a watermelon salad but took a bad turn with an underwhelming steak sandwich.
It was a few thin slices of steak sitting inside a large French roll.
I had to eat the steak separately just to get a taste of it. For $ 13 they should do it right or take it off the menu.

I was pleasantly surprised with my meal here even if its a little over priced for the quality of food IMO. Although my hubby’s risotto was bland, my pasta dish was flavorful, not too rich or creamy and I left satisfied. We came here as a party of 10 for my daughters graduation. Her choice. It wasn’t as busy as I thought it was going to be, but that was good just because we had such a large party even though we did make reservations ahead of time. Everyone else at our table also seemed pleased with their entrée. Poor hubby was the only one not satisfied. I’d love to try the lobster mac and cheese as I hear its pretty good. Next time fo sho!

I’ve been in the Hinsdale area a lot recently for work and found Zak’s on Unilocal one night and decided to try it. I sat at the bar and had a burger that was great, along with top-​notch service from the bar tender that was just the right mix of friendliness without being overbearing.
It was good enough that I went back the next night with some colleagues and sat at the restaurant. We ordered the chicken which turned out to be some of the best I’ve ever had. One of the other guys in the group also ordered it and he confirmed my prognosis, so I don’t think it was a fluke.
The ambience is great with mahogany woodwork throughout. At the end of the night the owner came out to great us. He was genuinely interested in our experience, and added a bit of well-​timed humor as well as background to the restaurant. It turned out that he is originally from Seattle (so am I) and used to be a chef at one of my favorite restaurants there!
I’ll definitely be coming back to Zak’s place.

I started the night out disappointed because I had to cancel a reservation to another coveted restaurant due to unforeseen circumstances. Boy oh boy does this story have a happy ending…
On the recommendation of a friend we headed to Zak’s on a Friday night. We were seated right away… but then we ran into a big problem– EVERYTHING sounded so freaking good it was hard to decide what to order! Then things got trickier when we heard about the nights specials. After ordering a delicious concoction called a «Jack and Diane» (bourbon, peach liquor, lemon/​lime soda) some hardcore decisions were made– the sea scallop appetizer, fish of the day– Cobia, the mushroom risotto, and finished with the bread pudding. The Cobia was probably one of the best pieces of fish I’ve ever had and cooked to perfection. As for the other dishes– I don’t think the kitchen needed to wash the dishes because they were scraped clean so as not to miss a drop of goodness. Raisins can ruin my day and they showed up in the bread pudding, but it was more then worth eating around them. Gorgeous dinner.
Service was absolutely lovely. I’m trying to figure out when to go back and sit in the bar area so I can attack an order of pork belly hash and the foie gras. Or one of the salads… maybe the handmade pasta? I meant to say the Churrasco or lobster mac ‘n cheese…

Well hello Zak, you make the best lobster mac and cheese around!
So just a head’s up, depending on where you choose to sit, you will have a different menu. The back of the restaurant is a bit more upscale with a higher end menu, while the front of the restaurant/​bar area has more sandwiches/​burgers on the menu.
Whenever we’ve dined here we found the service to be great, the chef/​owner will usually come chat with you or greet you. Food is solid, once I thought my risotto was overcooked, but haven’t had a bad meal since.
Nice little neighborhood gem.

We LOVE this place. Yamandu is one of the most amazing chef/​owners we have ever met. Regardless or the crowd on any given day, he is never too busy to come out and greet his guests as if it were in his home rather than his restaurant. The vibe is both classic yet hip, unique yet familiar, gourmet yet backyard (bar burgers are extraordinary).
Oscar is an amazing server, but the whole wait staff works together as a cohesive unit. Patrons are never without someone attending to their needs.
My wife is an awesome cook, so our nights out are all about experience. The little extra touches in service Zak’s offer keep us not only coming back, but telling everyone we know about going there too.

I have heard of this place before and decided to take my daughter to lunch because we were starving and in the area. We dont do ‘fast food’ so… Zak’s it was, PLUS first on Unilocal’s list of places to go.
We started off with the edamame, which has a seasoning on it, togareshi, like the kind you get in the Mexican store (chile and limon), and salted. Large portion and definitely couldnt finish. We also ordered Zak’s potatoes, which isnt going to help your waistline but was tasty.
The burger was great, just not great enough to pay ($ 10) again, even for Angus but would easily pay for grass fed beef, also ordered a side of roasted corn, yummy. The watermelon/​apple salad was different with a variety of flavors together (cheese, mint/​citrus dressing, apples and watermelon) over some greens. The watermelon could have been fresher but was okay to eat and it was definitely not feta cheese, it looked/​tasted more like Parmesan. It is a refreshing salad, you could say, for a nice summer day.
The service was friendly and the atomosphere, though it can be intimidating with all its ‘fanciness’, is more on the casual side, at least during lunch. The 2 ($$) is probably for the bar menu, which seemed reasonably priced and without drinks. The dinner menu is pricier ($ 29 for a 16 oz Ribeye) and probably less casual?
We also had the bread pudding dessert, too much to finish, it was not bad though we were really wanting the chocolate and fudge.
I did notice some items that I might come back to try. Maybe even with some wine.

Very good. The Mahi Mahi with couscous was excellent.
Worth my time and pallet.

I had been to this location when it was a different establishment, and somehow hadn’t been back to try out Zak’s place — well, I am glad that I did the other day!
It was a dreary day in Hinsdale, but our lunch at Zak’s made the day so much better! I had just finished up with work, and my best friend had just come in on the train from Chicago. I had done some research, and this was one of the few restaurants open for lunch.
The décor is great — I love the dark wood everywhere. Our server was very nice, and we were the only patrons in the restaurant so we got her undivided attention.
We started off by splitting a GIANT bowl of edemame. there was a little lime juice on there, it was lightly salted, and there was an amazing seasoning on them — kind of reminded us of a cajun seasoning. Very different, and VERY good!
I got the wedge salad, which included a nice size iceberg wedge, bacon pieces, bleu cheese crumbles, and a creamy avocado dressing. apparently, the salad also comes with ham, but I asked for it without. It had great flavor, and I really liked the dressing — it was something different and VERY delicious. I could have used a little more, but that’s just the fat kid in me.
My BFF had the spinach salad, which she liked a lot. There were these yummy and adorable goat cheese croquettes on top, which was great. I wasn’t paying too much attention though, I was too involved with my avocado dressing.
I will for sure be back for dinner — can’t wait to try the rest of the menu!

My wife and I really enjoyed this restaurant when it first opened, had eaten here many times, and attended a few of their wine tasting dinners. A few years ago, though, we started to notice a deterioration in food quality and service and, after a particularly bad experience, we decided not to come back. It just seemed like they had given up.
I stayed on their e-​mail list though, and recently received an invitation to join them for a free, no obligation, wine tasting. My wife and I decided to give it another shot and man I am so glad we did!
We really enjoyed the free wine, so much so, that we ended up purchasing a case for over $ 500. We also stayed for an entrée and some appetizers. My wife’s Corvina Sea Bass was absolutely perfectly cooked being absolutely moist and tender with a nice seared crust on the outside. Her roasted potatoes were also wonderful. Our apps were the Fois Gras with a chocolate sauce, the escargots, and the lobster mac and cheese. They were all perfectly seasoned and delicious!
Zak’s, welcome back!

My first ever review. Let me start off by saying I’m a burger snob. I’ve been to most of the award winning spots in the Western Burbs and downtown. When it comes to judging I always look at the cost of the burger in order to give it a fair shake. This way a 5 dollar burger can be compared with a 15 dollar burger.
I went to Zak’s on a strong recommendation when I told someone I was on a quest for the perfect burger. I ordered the 10 dollar burger with 2 dollar bacon and cheddar cheese. I was excited.
For 12 dollars plus I expect made fresh and not frozen. I expect good seasoning and toppings. None were present. The burger is more than likely a frozen patty and there was just no taste to it. For 6 bucks I’m okay with that but for the price there was nothing memorable about this guy.
Sounds like other reviews speak highly of other dishes but I just won’t go back. Other places are better. Have to say downtown Hinsdale is surprisingly lacking in great food.
Now let’s talk service. Ours stunk. Unfriendly, bad attitude and just did not make us feel welcome. And a shame cause the ambiance of the actual restaurant is quite nice. Too bad.

I went there this week for lunch to try the burger as featured by Chicago Magazine as one of the best, and it was!
Forewarned by other Unilocalers, we sat in the bar and had no problems ordering a really outstanding burger! Unlike some other places, I also got it cooked exactly as ordered. That seems to be harder to find these days and I don’t know why!
Also, the owner could not have been nicer. Greeted us at the door as we came and left, thanking us for coming. So, my experience was different from others as to service.

Here for the hamburger. Period.
Pleasantly surprised to find the place mostly empty at 530pm. Got a great seat at the window in the bar. Had the burger with cheddar, got an order of the truffle potatoes, too.
The burger was excellent! Cooked perfectly, had that good backyard grill crust (my brother and I call ‘em «dirty grill burgers») and the cheese was just right. The onion roll was good, although the onion strips ON the roll were pretty much burnt to ash — probably should have gone with thicker yellow onion slivers instead of the red onion — I’m guessing. The fries were skinny, fresh cut and a little greasy. It would have worked better with slightly larger cuts (see Gene & Jude’s review)…
All in all, a top notch burger with outstanding service in a beautiful space — with good company to boot! And the best part — the burgers start at just $ 10! Recommended!
TIP: They only serve the burger in the bar, so that means you’ll need to eat a burger and beer appetizer up front if the rest of your gang wants to enjoy the REAL dining room!

I have been back to Zak’s several times since my first review and I have to say it rivals any of my favorite bistro’s in the city.
Friendly and welcoming, great wine list, and the menu is top notch. The menu has evolved since my last review, too. Zak’s potato wedges with truffle oil, mac and cheese with lobster, lamb ribeye– all delicious!
I even had a chance to meet the owner/​chef Yamandu Perez who was as personable as his restaurant.
Want a great place to relax and enjoy dinner the way it was meant to be? Check out Zak’s.

Nice, comfortable setting in the quaint Hinsdale downtown area. I think it was Zak who was walking around the dining room, and he asked us what we were in the mood for as far as wine, and with some general guidance picked a couple winners for us. The food was very good. We enjoyed the foie gras, which is a definite plus that they offer it as there are not many areas in the western burbs that do. the presentation could use some work (everything was kind of beige, and no toast points or other source of texture variation). The escargot was good, had a heavier than usual lemon or vinegar taste, could have used more herbs. One of our entrees was a jerk chicken which was very good, but had a dry rub as opposed to a paste. Had a fabulous crunchy skin with plenty of flavor. also ordered the lamb, which was a high quality meat cooked to perfection.
overall, excellent place for dinner. however, not much in terms of circus.

Being new in town, I was happy to find a nice place to eat and drink that was in walking distance of our house. After reading some of the negative reviews on here I was a bit skeptical, but now I’m glad I went!
The service was very nice and attentive. The owner greeted us as we walked through the door. We had the choice of sitting in a more upscale dining room or in the still nice looking bar area. We choose the bar to take advantage of the lighter fare menu and the martini special that was going on.
I got the hummus plate and it was delicious! My fiancé raved about his crab stuffed mushrooms. We are looking forward to coming back!