Name: Merichka's Restaurant
Address: 604 Theodore St, Crest Hill, IL, 60403
Telephone: (815) 723-9371

Merichka's Restaurant

Super GemCrest Hill (suburb) · American/Sandwiches Community-sourced, unverified

📍 604 Theodore St, Crest Hill, IL 60403

Mary "Merichka" Zdralevich and her son Joe started Merichka's Restaurant on April 18, 1933 — the day Prohibition was repealed — selling sandwiches off the porch of this same address to workers building Theodore Street.

★★★★☆ 4.5 (3,000 reviews) via Google

Super GemBudget GemChicago Exclusive Gem$

The poor boy steak sandwich, dripping in buttery garlic, has been the reason people drive to Crest Hill since 1933 — and it still is.

📈 Scores in the top 8% of Budget Gems on ChicagoSpecials.com

It's now run by the fourth generation of the family and is regularly cited as one of Illinois' longest continuously running independent restaurants, red-and-white-checked tablecloths included.

Holds a 4.5 Google rating across 3,000+ reviews (4.1 on Tripadvisor); recent reviews flag inconsistency compared to years past, and the restaurant has weathered several real 2026 storm-related closures along the way -- resilience that's part of the story at this point, not just an inconvenience.

What to Know Before You Go

⚠️ Heads Up

4.5 stars, 3,000+ reviews — family-run since 1933, one of Illinois' longest continuously running independent restaurants. Heads up: recent reviews flag inconsistency compared to years past.

Hours

Mon-Thu,Sun11AM-8PM

Fri-Sat 11AM-9PM

📅 Reservations not available 🥡 Takeout unconfirmed 📞 (815) 723-9371

Amenities & accessibility

🚶Walk-in only

🥡Takeout available

♿Wheelchair accessible

Location

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Merichka's Restaurant

Mary "Merichka" Zdralevich and her son Joe started Merichka's Restaurant on April 18, 1933 — the day Prohibition was repealed — selling sandwiches off the porch of this same address to workers building Theodore Street.

Specials at Merichka's Restaurant

Merichka's Restaurant

Merichka's Restaurant