Dining out: Suburban restaurants honor veterans with free meals

Free Veterans Day meal at Tuscany

Tuscany in Oak Brook and Wheeling would like to thank veterans for their service by offering them a free lunch or dinner entree (up to a $40 value) on Saturday, Nov. 11. The offer is available for dine-in only to active military and veterans with proof of I.D. Reservations are recommended. Tuscany is located at 1415 W. 22nd St., Oak Brook, (630) 990-1993, and 550 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, (847) 465-9988. tuscanychicago.com/.

Olive Garden's Veterans Day special

On Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11, Olive Garden restaurants will offer a free entree from a special menu to active-duty military and military veterans. The special menu features six of Olive Garden's most popular items. Entrees are served with unlimited homemade soup or house salad and breadsticks. Proof of military service required. Olive Garden has locations across the suburbs. olivegarden.com/home.

Veterans eat for free at O'Toole's

Timothy O'Toole's Pub will offer a free lunch or dinner for veterans of the U.S. military on Saturday, Nov. 11, at its three locations in Gurnee, Libertyville and Chicago. The pub's fare includes sandwiches, salads, baskets (chicken fingers, baby back ribs), entrees and more. Proof of military service required. Timothy O'Toole's is at 5572 Grand Ave., Gurnee, (847) 249-0800; 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, (847) 984-2599; and 622 N. Fairbanks Court, Chicago, (312) 642-0700. timothyotooles.com/.

Tap House Grill opens in Hanover Park

The newest location of Tap House Grill opened recently in Hanover Park. Daily specials include 10 wings and fries for $5.99 Mondays; $5.99 burgers after 5 p.m. Tuesdays; $5 signature margaritas and half-price specialty tacos Wednesdays; $6 featured martinis, $5 glasses of wine and $4 desserts Thursdays; $5.50 Tito's cocktails and $5.99 apps from 9 p.m. to close Fridays and Saturdays; and kids eat free from 4 to 9 p.m., $3 Miller Lite and Coors Lite drafts, $6 Bloody Marys, and $5.99 boneless wings and fries on Sundays. On Veterans Day Saturday, all active and retired military personnel can receive a complimentary meal (dine-in only) with proof of service. For the Bears/Packers game at noon Sunday, Tap House will be hosting special giveaways and raffles, extra drink specials and bags on the patio. Tap House Grill is at 7600 S. Barrington Road, Hanover Park, (630) 922-9901 or taphousegrills.com/locations/#hanover.

Main Event salutes vets

From open to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, veterans and active duty military members can dine and get a $10 FUNcard for free at the Schaumburg and Warrenville Main Event locations. Entrees included in the offer are grilled top sirloin and fries, wings and fries, bacon cheddar burger and fries, southwest chicken, chicken tenders and fries, teriyaki salmon and Cobb salad. Proof of military service required. Main Event is at 2575 Pratum Ave., Hoffman Estates, (847) 645-1111, and 28248 Diehl Road, Warrenville, (630) 393-9400. mainevent.com/.

Perry's honors veterans with free meal

To mark Veterans Day, Perry's Steakhouse & Grille in Oak Brook is honoring U.S. active and former military members with a complimentary three-course pork chop dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. The dinner features a choice of salad, the slow-roasted, caramelized pork chop and the dessert trio. Reservations and military I.D. are required. All active or former military members must be accompanied by at least one paying guest who orders a dinner entree or the three-course pork chop Sunday Special. The offer does not include tax and gratuity. Perry's Steakhouse & Grille is at 5 Oak Brook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 571-1808 or perryssteakhouse.com/.

Winter Brews Beer Dinner

With the weather turning colder, a Winter Brews Beer Dinner is in order. Wildfire Oak Brook will host a four-course menu while highlighting seasonal brews from Great Lakes Brewing Company, Two Brothers Artisan Brewing, Left Hand Brewing and Stone Brewing Co. from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13. First course includes roasted chicken mole taco paired with Stone Brewing Xocoveza followed by a second course of smoked beer-braised short ribs paired with Two Brothers Artisan brewing Cane and Ebel, plus two more courses. Dinner costs $55, plus tax and gratuity. Wildfire is at 232 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 586-9000 or wildfirerestaurant.com/oak-brook/.

Kentucky bourbon dinner

Texas de Brazil Churrascaria gets into the spirit with a Kentucky bourbon dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14. The four-bourbon, three-course dinner pairs Jim Beam and other whiskeys with the restaurant's menu. Diners will receive a Maker's Mark mango mint julep before perusing the salad area, which includes more than 50 salads, soups and side dishes that will be paired with Basil Hayden served neat. The main course includes rodizio-style service of meats carved tableside by gauchos and paired with Knob Creek served neat. For dessert, Jim Beam Vanilla will be paired with a slice of pecan pie a la mode. The cost is $95, inclusive. Tickets may be purchased at bit.ly/Bourbon2017. Texas de Brazil Churrascaria is at 5 Woodfield Mall Suite D312, Schaumburg, (847) 413-1600 or texasdebrazil.com/locations/illinois/schaumburg/.

West Coast vs. East Coast beer dinner at Countyline

It's a beer smackdown. OK, maybe it's not that extreme. But Countyline Tavern is hosting a five-course West Coast versus East Coast beer dinner that will pit Firestone Walker Brewing Company against Allagash Brewing Company at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15. Countyline's general manager and certified cicerone Matthew Hunter will lead the dinner. Executive chef Ahmed Mora will create dishes such as mascarpone apple tatin with fig gastrique, roasted beet salad with goat cheese fritter and candied walnuts, pan-seared red snapper with ale pecan sauce, house-made spicy beer sausage with spinach spaetzle, ale veloute and pumpkin cheesecake with cranberry compote, each paired with different beers. The dinner costs $49, plus tax and gratuity. Make reservations at countylinetavern.com/reservations/ or (847) 520-7447. Countyline Tavern is at 800 W. Lake-Cook Road, Buffalo Grove, countylinetavern.com/.

Refresh at Vernon Hills' Beerhead Bar

Formerly known as The Beer Market, the newly renamed Beerhead Bar & Eatery in Vernon Hills has recently undergone changes such as interior decor and seating, a new logo and the addition of a kitchen. Beerhead offers nearly 500 brands of beer, including local brands such as Tighthead, Lake Bluff or Ten Ninety Brewery. Using locally sourced ingredients, Beerhead will serve lunch and dinner specials including MYO Avocado Toast, specialty pizzas, the brand's signature Barbarian Pretzel and desserts. Saturday and Sunday brunch will offer dishes such as chicken and waffles, breakfast pizza and drink specials. Hours are 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday. Beerhead Bar & Eatery is at 1270 S. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills, (847) 955-1900 or beerheadbar.com/locations/vernon-hills-illinois/.