This wasn’t a new spot for us, it’s actually one I don’t think I’ve ever written about, which is honestly an oversight at this point. I’ve been coming to The Landmark Inn in Northbrook since it was still called the Cypress Inn, back when a friend’s dad tended bar there in the 90s. We landed on a perfect Friday night in September, patio weather with summer clearly winding down, and met up with my parents and my aunt for burgers.
The Landmark Inn at a Glance
- Where: 1352 Shermer Rd, Northbrook, IL 60062
- Price: $$ (apps $9-14, burgers and sandwiches $14-18)
- Vibe: The neighborhood bar downtown Northbrook has had for decades, plus a packed patio when the weather cooperates
- Order: Brunch Burger, Landmark Burger, Mozzarella Sticks
- Skip: Nothing, just know it’s bar food and not trying to be more
- Good for: Family dinners, running into people you haven’t seen since high school, sports on TV, kids in tow
The Restaurant
It had been a while since I’d actually eaten inside the Landmark, only because we default to the patio the second the weather turns nice. It’s not a huge patio, but it holds a real crowd, and it was packed on Friday night since summer was on its way out and everyone knew it.
The inside is full-feeling too, honestly no bigger than the patio. A full-length bar runs one side of the building, with a handful of hightops in the bar area separated by a half wall from the dining room and its rows of tables. The place has been a Northbrook institution for as long as I can remember, and changed hands maybe 20 years ago, don’t quote me on the exact year. It was the Cypress Inn before the current owners took over and rehabbed it into the Landmark Inn.
If you’re from Northbrook, or grew up there, you already know this place. For years it was the only real bar in downtown Northbrook. The Eataco folks have since opened a lounge next door, but outside of that I can’t think of another restaurant in town that feels like the neighborhood bar the way the Landmark does. Go in over the holidays and it’s basically a high school reunion. They’ve also opened a second location up on Willow Hill by the golf course. I haven’t made it there yet, but I’ve heard the menu skews a little different and the portions, at least on the burgers, run a bit smaller.
The Food
This isn’t the kind of place chasing weird or ambitious, which is usually more my speed when I’m picking where to write about. It’s bar food, straight up: burgers, wraps, sandwiches, salads, wings. Exactly what you’d expect from the neighborhood bar, and exactly what most people walking in are there for.
We started with the Mozzarella Sticks ($11), served with a side of marinara, though I didn’t manage to get a picture before they disappeared. They’re exactly what you expect, I don’t think they’re made in-house, but they’ve got a distinct enough taste compared to the generic frozen mozz sticks a lot of bars serve, and the marinara actually compliments them instead of just being there to dip in. It’s hard to mess up a mozzarella stick, and the Landmark doesn’t.
Kids aside, everyone at the table got a burger or a sandwich. As I always do here, I got the Brunch Burger ($17), a half-pound burger topped with a fried egg, bacon and American cheese. Cheese, egg and bacon is about as close to a perfect burger combination as it gets in my book, and it delivered again, even though it came out a little more medium-well than the medium I asked for. Didn’t stop me from finishing it. If you’re the type who tracks down the best burger in a given town, this one belongs on your radar, and if you want a second opinion on what actually qualifies as a great smashburger or bar burger around Chicago, SmashAtlas is worth a look.
My dad went with the Landmark Burger ($15), the traditional half-pound burger, topped with grilled onions and cooked rare. I forgot to ask him how the cook came out, but the plate was empty by the end, so I’m assuming it was fine. My aunt ordered a cheeseburger off the same base, minus the mayo the kitchen forgot to add, which is a minor miss and not one worth deducting points over.
My mom got the Turkey Reuben ($15), thinly sliced turkey breast piled with sauerkraut, 1000 island and Swiss on grilled bread. This is a regular order for her at the Landmark, and I’m going to go ahead and assume everyone at the table ordered what they always order because they’ve all had it before and know it’s good. The kids got chicken fingers and pasta with marinara off the retro kids menu ($10 range) and cleaned both plates without complaint, so if you’re bringing kids here, you won’t have any trouble finding something they’ll actually eat.
The one real hiccup of the night: four of our plates showed up with fries instead of the coleslaw we’d ordered. Apparently my parents take their coleslaw seriously, because this counted as a minor crisis at our table. We flagged it for the server, she apologized, and four coleslaws showed up a few minutes later. So we ended up with the coleslaw we wanted and a bonus round of fries nobody sent back. Genuinely no harm done, we came out ahead if anything.
The Verdict
The Landmark Inn in Northbrook is exactly what you want out of a local downtown restaurant and bar. You’ll find regulars parked at the bar, old friends from high school you haven’t seen in years, a solid crowd for whatever game is on, and food that does its job every single time. It’s not trying to be a destination burger bar or a fine-dining night out, and it doesn’t need to be. If you want that upscale North Shore bar experience instead, Fred’s Garage in Winnetka is the closer comparison, and the price tag reflects it. The Landmark just wants to feed you well and keep the patio full, and it does both. We’ll absolutely be back, patio weather or not.
AntiFoodie Rating: 8.5/10
The Landmark Inn FAQ
Is The Landmark Inn kid friendly?
Yes. There’s a retro kids menu with chicken fingers and pasta, and both went over well with the kids at our table.
Does The Landmark Inn have outdoor seating?
It does, a patio that isn’t huge but holds a solid crowd. It fills up fast on any nice Friday or Saturday night, especially late summer.
Do you need a reservation at The Landmark Inn?
Not typically, it’s a neighborhood bar and grille rather than a reservation-only spot, but expect a wait for patio seating on a busy weekend night.
What’s the one thing to order at The Landmark Inn?
The Brunch Burger. Egg, bacon and cheese on a half-pound burger is hard to beat, and it’s what I order every single time.
Is there a second Landmark Inn location?
Yes, a newer location sits atop Willow Hill by the golf course. The menu leans a bit different there and the burger portions run slightly smaller, at least from what we’ve heard.
