Yanni's Restaurant LLC, Arlington Heights

Every city has its gems; places where you do have to always wait and the service is questionable but the anomalies are swiftly forgotten by the time the first bite is taken. Yanni's is one of those places. It is Greek food made by real, live, authentic Greek people. I think they get their meat from magical animals. I don't know how you make chicken that flavorful and spicy and tender, so my only guess is that they have their own special breed of chickens. Also, they have a rotating meat log that they shave-to-order. Not every place can boast gyrating meat (as part of the menu)! If you're not a fan of garlic, you shouldn't be here. The hummus is excellent, but so garlic-heavy it needs to be shared so that one person doesn't complain about having to smell the other all day. The Chicken Lemon Soup is VERY tasty and I like it better than any other Chicken Noodle variant I've ever had. They even have a small selection of authentic Greek beers. Desserts are amazing. You may have to wait at Yanni's --if you go during a popular meal time, but it is very much worth it.

Dinner last night, New Year's Eve was very disappointing to say the least. It was a fixed menu for 39.00 per person. The only notable items were the octopus appetizer and the egg/lemon soup. My Grouper was over done and my friends lamb was dry and tough. The waiter forgot my wine and I had to ask for it. The desserts were run of the mill....walnut cake, baklava and some bland custard. (When we walked into the restaurant there was a table with all sorts of beautiful sweet treats, none of which we were served)....I guess they were reserved for ???. All in all we will not be returning to Yanni's anytime soon! Don't believe what some reviews say when they refer to Yanni's as the best greek restaurant in Chicago....it is far from it!!!!

Wish I could recommend, but those days seem to be over. Have been a fan of this restaurant in the past, but my recent 11/17/09 experience there was anything but recommendable. The main course was still well prepared (3 diners, 3 different orders) and all agreed on that point, but the vegetables were some type of overcooked mush and the rice was akin to Rice a Roni with a watered down dollup of seafood sauce on it. But even the salad was over oiled and cheesed, overpowering would be kind to say. At least the soup was up to it's old standards and was enjoyable. It's not as if we were there at an odd time, between 6 and 7 are normal dinner hours. I am told the restaurant is under new management, I'm assuming the staff has been altered as well as the quality of the food as the sides are not even close to what was served 6-8 months ago. The atmosphere is still awesome, giving another star to the rating, but all in all I would give this restaurant a pass and look further down the road.

Excellent service and excellent meal. We were out of towners looking for a place to eat near our hotel and found this place. Our server was very friendly and helpful with the menu. Definitely suggest the chargrilled octopus for appetizer, it was amazing!!!!! Would go back 100% if ever in town again.

On a thursday January 22nd 09 I took my girlfreind to this restaurant for a romantic special occasion. I found the restaurant to be beautifully decorated with light wood, iron fences, and a magnificent fireplace. We sat in a 3 table alcove that had windows on 2 sides and a very nice little fountain outside that was still flowing in spite of the snow and ice. I have never had greek food before other than perhaps a giro. I found that the taste of the food was immensely pleasureable and contained flavors that aroused taste buds that had never been used in the upper portions of my cheeks. The service was perfect and they made this romantic special occasion as perfect as I had hoped it would be. For an appetizer we had the Hot Combo Platter for two, and for my entre I had Yannis Combination plate. The leg of lamb was particularly good so when I go there again I will have the Arni Psito. The general manager took extra attention to my special request, and when they gave the presentation that I asked for -- the tears of joy in my ladies eyes verified again that I had made the right choice in a fine dining experience. The service was excellent and my proposal was a great success.

Good Greek food. Love the salmon stuffed with spinach and the cold grilled calamari. Excellent atmosphere with an ok wait staff.

Spectacular Atmosphere, Superb Food, Excellent Wait Staff...by far our favorite especially for the saganaki...OPA!!!

Absolutely the best Greek restaurant in Chicagoland. Always crowded, always good food, always good service, always a pleasure to go there! Highly recommended. Try the salmon spannakopita! Their roasted side vegetables are delicious!