Casual Restaurant With 'Innovative Twists' Coming To Northbrook

NORTHBROOK, IL — If you're looking to escape to the Rocky Mountains, but don't want to travel all the way to Wyoming, the founder of a national restaurant chain is planning to bring the experience to the North Shore next year. Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, a casual dining restaurant known for "innovative twists" on American dishes, will open its fourth Chicago metro location next summer in Northbrook.

The new restaurant will be located at 992 Willow Road and is among the latest of more than 40 Lazy Dog restaurants across eight states: California, Florida, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia and Virginia. The location will be at the former Granite City Food & Brewery, which closed in October 2019.

"The local communities where we have locations (Naperville, Oak Brook and Vernon Hills) have been so welcoming to us and we're excited to expand further into Chicago," founder and CEO Chris Simms told Patch via email. "We can't wait to bring our style of hospitality and delicious food to the Northbrook neighborhood."

The restaurants are designed with a "warm interior" and lodge-inspired furnishings like fireplaces, ledge stone, chandeliers crafted from Aspen logs and artwork "reminiscent of the Cowboy State," according to Simms. A large outdoor patio will be built around a cozy firepit for gatherings with friends and family.

"We have a long-standing tradition of hospitality in my family and have gathered the knowledge and traditions of three generations to create something we hope will be a special place for families and friends," Simms said. "We serve handcrafted American food and drink with seasonally inspired high-quality ingredients and make every meal by hand each day, including all of our sauces, marinades and dressings."

Lazy Dog’s menu, which focuses on comfort food, changes throughout the year to highlight seasonal ingredients. Handcrafted cocktails and a wide selection of craft beers are also popular. The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner and brunch on the weekend.

For additional information about Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, visit www.lazydogrestaurants.com.