Familiar favorites plus dishes requested by customers are available at Redwood Luxe Bar and Grille in Olympia Fields.
Owners Damion Gibson, of Olympia Fields, and Adam Shorter, of Matteson, took ownership of John’s American Bar & Grill in December after owner John Bizios retired. They renamed the restaurant in May.
“The food is similar to John’s. We kept the same cooks. We kept the same menu but we added to the menu,” Gibson said.
“There’s a lot of favorites they enjoy such as wings, salmon, fresh-made burgers and the steaks. All of those things are still on the menu. We added things like handmade crab bites and handmade turkey burgers and pasta dishes, which is what we had quite a few customers asking for.”
Here is the dish on this Olympia Square Shopping Center eatery, which features karaoke every other Friday, house band Kinetic Theory on Saturdays and live blues from Chainsaw Dupont on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month:
On the menu: Head cook and chef Ignacio “Nacho” Gonzales, of Chicago Heights, stayed on from John’s American Bar and Grill. “We have our ribs with wings, where they’re actually char-grilled wings different than the typical,” Gibson said.
About the owners: Gibson and Shorter both got their Master of Business Administration with a specialization in marketing from Governors State University in University Park. Shorter also owns Island Bar & Grill in Blue Island and Red Star Cocktail Lounge in Richton Park.
A mission statement: “We want to provide excellent food and service and bring a downtown city environment to the south suburbs,” said Gibson about Redwood, where Millicent Walter, of Olympia Fields, is general manager and Kristy Pelton, of Steger, is manager. “We want to provide an environment where everyone feels comfortable coming to our restaurant at any time of the day or night. We don’t want you to feel that you have to come with someone in order to enjoy yourself or have a good time.”
Decor: “It’s not your typical suburban restaurant. It’s a very nice environment with chandeliers. People come in that have never been here and are often shocked at what it is,” Gibson said. “There are hand-painted murals, a custom bar top and bar tables, and artwork. The kitchen is an open kitchen. We have a beautiful patio. You can dine outside or inside.”
Specialties: “People love the burgers, the wings and the salmon. People rave about the jambalaya,” Gibson said.
We’re different because: Brunch is offered from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays. Brunch After Dark from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays includes mimosas and lamb chops and eggs. “We are one of the only places that does late-night brunch on Friday and Saturday night. You can actually get Godiva white chocolate waffles and chicken and the same things you can find on the brunch menu,” said Gibson, adding that there are $5 martinis offered on Thursdays. “We have a pretty extensive and pretty nice martini selection.”
Prices: Start at $3 for shareable plates, $4 for soups of the day, $5 for salads, $8 for paninis, $9 for burgers or chicken dishes, $10 for sandwiches, $12 for pasta and rice dishes, $15 for seafood and $20 for steaks, chops and ribs. Sunrise options, which are available until 2 p.m., start at $10. A 15 percent discount is available for first responders and teachers.
Logistics: Redwood Luxe Bar and Grille is at 3462 Vollmer Road, Olympia Fields. Hours are 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Tuesdays and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays. Call 708-506-3153 or go to www.redwoodluxe.com
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. Delivery is available through UberEats.Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.