Wildfire in Oak Brook: Its Popularity is Exceeded Only by its Quality (Chicago-Area Restaurant Review 11)

Most restaurants that have a high tourist volume are mediocre at best when it comes to the food. Wildfire is definitely an exception. In fact, we believe, because of its popularity, it is often overlooked on lists of Chicago's best steak restaurants but, for our money, it's at or near the very top of the list.

On our most recent visit to the Oak Brook location, we were seated promptly, though we arrived a few minutes before our reservation time (even though, at 6:30 on a Sunday, the place was overflowing, as it always is). While decor is not our main interest, we really enjoyed the Rascal Room, where we were seated. We had a corner booth by the window, and the wooden booths and paneling and the table arrangement made the whole room feel welcoming and cozy, despite being in a large restaurant.

We started with the baked goat cheese and tomato sauce appetizer. While this appetizer has been done to death, the one here is always outstanding, almost worth a special trip. (The shrimp cocktail is excellent as well, but we weren't hungry enough to get both this visit.) Next, we split the tomato and red onion salad. A small is more than enough for two (or an army). We're usually not salad people, and Lisa usually doesn't eat onions, but the combination of fresh tomatos, blue cheese, and chopped onions is wonderful.

Because it's so good, and because many restaurants don't carry it, we nearly always each order the bone-in filet at Wildfire. In our view, this is the very best cut of steak to get, and is as good or better here as it is at any of the steak houses more often touted as Chicago's best. As usual, these were cooked a perfect medium rare, with outstanding flavor and good charcoal, which Steve always likes, but usually can't get elsewhere, and which Lisa usually doesn't like, except at Wildfire.

Desserts are also great at Wildfire. Steve almost always has the apple pie with vanilla ice cream and caramal sauce. He absolutely loves it. Lisa had the triple layer chocolate fudge cake, which came with dark chocolate sauce and was very good. (She still pines for the molten chocolate cake, however, that Wildfire used to serve and is lobbying for its return.)

We accompanied dinner with a bottle of excellent mid-price Shiraz (Groom), which went perfectly with the steak and the chocolate. Service was earnest and friendly, if a bit slow, but that's to be expected when there is a full house every minute of every evening. (And, often, Wildfire's service is great despite that fact.)

The total bill at Wildfire was about $210, and would have been about $160 with wine by the glass.

Continuing a trend, Steve actually liked the Men's Room better than Lisa liked the Women's Room. Steve particularly liked the hands free faucet with warm water, the abundance of towels and overall cleanliness of the room. Plus, the towels were near the door, with a wastebasket, so a towel could be used to open the door on exiting, which a sign invited patrons to do. The Women's bathroom also was clean and had a hands free faucet, but the towels were not near the door, and it could have been a bit more polished.

Our rating for Wildfire in Oak Brook Center, Oak Brook, Illinois:

10 of 10 Steak Knives (our highest rating yet) and 2.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes (2.25 for Women's and 3 for Men's -- Steve's first 3 rating!)

Note: This rating is for the Oak Brook Wildfire. We have been to all the others in the area, including in downtown Chicago, and while they are quite good, the Oak Brook location, in our view, is the best.