Cheers to 30 Years of Wildfire
The timeless classic sets the table for a milestone anniversary
Wildfire, Lettuce Entertain You’s beloved spot for steaks, chops, seafood, wine and cocktails, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! Join us to honor Wildfire’s culinary legacy with a limited-edition Old Fashioned cocktail, menu specials, anniversary wine dinners and more. Check out highlights from Wildfire then and now, and make plans to toast this milestone at the location nearest you.
Make a reservation at the Wildfire location nearest you | Order carryout and delivery from the Wildfire location nearest you
‘Timeless, Not Trendy’
Conceived as a 1940’s-style supper club, Wildfire offers a “mouthwatering selection of steaks, chops and seafood, along with a variety of fresh salads and sandwiches,” not to mention a special brand of warmth and hospitality that keeps guests coming back year after year. Today, with five locations in Chicagoland—River North, Glenview, Lincolnshire, Oak Brook, Schaumburg—plus Eden Prairie, MN, and McLean, VA, Executive Partner Howard Katz says Wildfire’s commitment to being “timeless, not trendy,” is what has made the restaurant a success for three decades.
A Pioneer in Live-Fire Cooking
Wildfire Executive Chef Partner Joe Decker was part of the founding chef team for the brand’s flagship location at 159 W. Erie Street in Chicago’s River North, which opened in 1995 with a small menu of spit- and oven-roasted entrees, hardwood-grilled signatures and prime rib of beef. Decker says that high-quality food prepared in a simple fashion has always been a cornerstone of the Wildfire menu. He and his team have spent the last three decades perfecting now iconic dishes such as the Cedar-Planked Salmon, Horseradish-Crusted Filet, Char Crust Bone-In Rib-Eye and Simply Grilled Whole Branzino. And the Prime Rib Au Jus remains the best in the biz to this day!
Salad Days
While Wildfire is widely known for its expertise in meat and seafood, one of the most-ordered dishes on the menu is the Wildfire Chopped Salad. The universal favorite comes tossed with house-made Citrus-Lime Vinaigrette that’s so delicious it’s now sold by the bottle in more than 100 grocery stores in Illinois and Minnesota and at all Wildfire locations. Red Wine Vinaigrette, Lemon-Parmesan Vinaigrette and Balsamic Vinaigrette are also available, as well as Wildfire’s signature Backyard Marinade, perfect for preparing steak. Explore more Wildfire and Lettuce specialties available for nationwide shipping.
Cheers to 30 Years
Raise a glass to three decades of classic cocktails at Wildfire with the 30th Anniversary Old Fashioned, now available at all locations. Made with Amador Whiskey Co. Double Barrel Kentucky bourbon whiskey aged in cabernet sauvignon barrels, this limited-edition cocktail is served with a specialty ice cube embossed with Wildfire’s 30th anniversary logo. Cheers!
Wine Time
Wildfire aficionados often come for the steak, and stay for the wine! Wine & Spirits Director Brad Wermager has curated a robust list of approachable West Coast wines, including red, white, rosé and sparkling, plus several European labels and Cellar Selections. Those in the know also routinely enjoy Half-Off Wines every Monday evening and attend special educational wine, beer, bourbon and cocktail dinners hosted by Wermager and other industry experts across all Wildfire locations. Along with earning Lettuce Frequent Diner points for every visit, guests who earn five stamps in their Wildfire Wine & Spirits Event Passport get rewarded with a $50 Wildfire gift certificate. It’s a wine-win, er…win-win!
Nightly Specials
Wildfire guests have come to rely on the restaurant’s rotating menu of Nightly Specials, offering flavorful and satisfying preparations of steaks, chops and seafood available for dine-in and carryout and delivery every night of the week. Offerings such as Southern Fried Chicken Dinner, Filet Mignon Wellington, Fire-Grilled Greek Chicken and Spit-Roasted Turkey Dinner are an convenient and delicious solution to “What’s for dinner?”!
Milestone Moments
Because every Wildfire team treats guests like family, the restaurant has been a part of countless birthdays, anniversaries and other celebrations for three decades, with many employees who have been with the restaurant since its inception welcoming multi-generational customers for their own milestone moments. Every location has distinctive private dining spaces that can accommodate a range of event needs, from intimate gatherings to full-scale reception-style fetes. Wildfire Catering, available to order per person or by the platter, along with whole seasonal pies and cakes to-go make entertaining at home for holidays and every other occasion as easy as a slice of its signature Door County Cherry Pie.
As we toast to 30 years of Wildfire, revisit your nearest location for a trip down memory lane:
1995: Wildfire opens its flagship location at 159 W. Erie in Chicago’s River North. Make a reservation at Wildfire – Chicago.
1998: Wildfire opens its second location at Oakbrook Center, becoming an overnight success, which it remains to this day. Make a reservation at Wildfire – Oak Brook.
1999: The new Lincolnshire location is such a hit that it prompts suburban guests to rediscover the River North original. Make a reservation at Wildfire – Lincolnshire.
2001: Wildfire opens its first location outside Chicago, welcoming guests to Wildfire – Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Make a reservation at Wildfire – Eden Prairie.
2003: Wildfire – Schaumburg opens its doors on East Higgins Road. Make a reservation at Wildfire – Schaumburg.
2004: Now among the busiest in the Wildfire portfolio, the Glenview location opens its doors in Chicago’s North Shore. Make a reservation at Wildfire – Glenview.
2007: Wildfire – Tysons brings Chicago-style hospitality to the Metro Washington, D.C. area, opening at Tysons Galleria in McLean, VA. Make a reservation at Wildfire – Tysons.
Sweet Celebration
As Wildfire embarks on its 30th anniversary year, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to guests like you for your support and loyalty over the last three decades, and we invite you to join us in the celebration, whether by indulging in a signature dish, attending a wine dinner, or simply raising a glass to three decades of hospitality. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Make a reservation at the Wildfire location nearest you | Order carryout and delivery from the Wildfire location nearest you
