With three older brothers and a father who run two restaurants in Antioch and Waukegan, “We are a family business,” said Gina Giannakakis, the sister and daughter who helps run the Antioch post of Anastasia’s Restaurant & Sports Lounge.
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And they’re a Greek family, but while there are traditional Greek dishes on the menu like saganaki, gyros, Grecian-style chicken, feta and tzatziki, Anastasia’s is not a Greek restaurant. “Greek-owned with American and Italian cuisine,” Giannakakis said.
Both locations are, in fact, named after the late matriarch of the Giannakakis family.
“In both places, when you walk in it feels like you’re at home,” said Giannakakis, of Gurnee.
“The most gratifying feeling is when a customer walks in for the first time and they’re amazed,” she said of the restaurant that boasts more than 100 TVs, a banquet hall, outdoor beer garden, four-season room, whiskey room and patio.
Her father, Manny, owned restaurants for years with his brothers before buying the Waukegan location in 1992. “We’ve always been in the restaurant business. It’s in all of our blood. I was 7 years old, running the cash register in a booster chair,” Giannakakis said.
With an extensive menu, “We pretty much have a taste that suits everyone and we always all agree on everything we put on the menu,” she said of her family. Brother Bill runs the Antioch location with her, and brothers Nick and Pete run the Waukegan location. Their father is always at both spots.
Giannakakis recalled a customer telling her that a business is successful because there’s always an owner onsite. “We’re here every day,” she said. “I just love the people and love making people happy.”
Even with pages and pages of dining options filling Anastasia’s menu, Giannakakis said they’re known mostly for their pizza. What makes it so special? “It’s made from the heart,” she said, describing herself as a pizza connoisseur. “It’s a family recipe and hands-down, it’s the best. Thin, stuffed, pan or double decker. I frequently try pizza restaurants and ours is the best.”
Pricing: Daily specials from $5.99 for two slices of pizza and soda to $31.99 for filet mignon. Appetizers from $4.99 for garlic bread to $19.99 for 24-piece boneless wings. Soup from $3.99 for homemade soup of the day to $6.99 for cup of soup and sandwich special. Salads from $6.99 for garden salad to $12.99 for steak salad. Sandwich and melts from $5.99 for grilled cheese to $14.99 for Philly cheesesteak. Dinners from $8.99 for beef baby liver to $32.99 for filet mignon. Pasta from $10.99 for mostaccioli to $16.99 for shrimp fettucini alfredo. Pizza from $9.99 for cheese personal thin crust to $19.49 for cheese double decker pizza. Senior menu from $5.49; kids’ from $4.99. Wine, spirits, beer.
Hours: Antioch: 11-1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. Waukegan: 6-1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday, 6-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday.
Anastasia’s Restaurant & Sports Lounge is at 950 Hillside Ave., Antioch, and 3880 North Point Blvd., Waukegan. Call 847-395-3939 for Antioch and 847-688-1317 for Waukegan or go to www.eatatanastasias.com
Shonda Talerico Dudlicek is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.