Better known as the restaurant on the side of 176 that looks like a house, Rita’s is a little known spot just outside of Lake Bluff, located in Knollwood. Rita’s has been a mystery to many Lake Bluff and Knollwood residents for years, and we felt like we had to try it. On the inside, it has a very homey vibe as it looks like it was once a house at some point with wallpaper walls and carpeted floors. You don’t just get great food at Rita’s, you also get a great experience with a great atmosphere.  

Atmosphere: 8/10

What you see from the outside of Rita’s is exactly what you get on the inside of Rita’s. With it looking just like a house on the outside, it looks just like a house on the inside. It felt just like we were eating dinner in our dining room or family room. In addition to the homey vibe Rita’s has, there were a couple tv’s showing sporting events as well as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Although it is illegal for us to take part in, there was a section reserved for slots and other gambling games that could have some appeal for some people. Overall Rita’s atmosphere made us feel right at home and that helped earn it a 8 out of 10 for the atmosphere. 

Service: 10/10

The service at Rita’s was almost unmatched to any restaurant we have been to. We immediately were greeted by our waitress, who we later learned was named Debbie, and was actually Rita’s daughter. She continuously checked up on us, but not just to ask how our food was or to take our order. She talked to us about Ferris Bueller which was on one of the tv’s, and she was just very personable. Our food also came out very quickly, as we only waited for about 10 minutes before everything came out. This could have been because we were some of the only people there, but the quick wait and the way Debbie talked to us and was personable earned them a perfect 10 for service. 

Food Quality: 6/10

The quality of the food at Rita’s wasn’t bad by any means, but we have definitely had better food at some of our past restaurants. We had a bacon cheeseburger with fries, a chopped sirloin steak, and an order of mozzarella sticks. The mozzarella sticks were just your normal mozzarella sticks. The cheeseburger was cooked well and was juicy, and the lettuce, pickle and ketchup complimented each other well on the burger. The chopped sirloin steak was very juicy and full of flavor, the only problem was that it was very similar to a burger and it wasn’t quite what we were expecting. Because we have had better food and worse food, the food quality Rita’s earned was a 6 out of 10. 

Affordability: 8/10

For an order of mozzarella sticks, a burger, fries, and a chopped sirloin steak the total came out to around 35$. 35$ is very respectable for an appetizer and two entrees for two highschool students. The food filled both of us up as well, which is always a plus because no one wants to pay a lot for food that doesn’t fill them up. We did think that 12$ was a little much for a just a burger and fries, but with all things considered, the pricing was still very manageable and that earned it an 8 for the affordability.