An important part of Glenview history has become the site of the village’s newest restaurant.
Foxtail at Glen View House, which opened Aug. 20, is the culmination of more than a year’s worth of work to renovate the 148-year-old former Glen View House building, the likely place where local leaders voted to formally incorporate the village of Glenview in 1899.
While the inside of the building, built circa 1878, has been modernized, the front exterior’s brick facade and front porch have been largely preserved.
The “Glen View House” lettering across the top floor of the building, at 1843 Glenview Road, was recreated to look as it did in the 1890s when Glenview was known as Glen View.
“Everybody has their feelings about this building, so we wanted to pay respect to that while providing the kind of space to do this kind of restaurant,” said David Villegas, one of the principal owners of Foxtail.
“It was definitely a balancing act for us, but we feel we nailed it. I hope the community thinks the same.”
Under Chef and Culinary Director Maya Nahouli and Executive Chef Evan Fullerton, visitors to Foxtail will find a menu that is a mix of Mediterranean fare and varieties of fresh seafood.
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The decorative Seafood Tower, for example, consists of lobster, oysters, king crab legs, crab claws and shrimp.
“We have a little something for everybody,” Villegas said. “When you take a look at our menu, you’re going to notice a lot of variety in there.”
The menu is similar to Foxtail’s other two locations in Des Plaines and Downers Grove.
The restaurant also boasts three all-season patio areas and unique artwork from the collection of co-owner Tim Canning, as well as murals.
“We’re really going for a gallery and a restaurant in the same concept,” Villegas noted.
Plans call for live music nights and deejays on weekends, the pair said. Valet parking and street parking are available.
Foxtail at Glen View House is one of several new eateries that have opened in or are planned for downtown Glenview since village leaders in 2023 began incentivizing new restaurants to locate there and revitalize the area.
The village contributed $2.9 million toward the renovation of the Glen View House building in order for Foxtail to open its new concept there. The funds came from the village’s Permanent Fund, which has been supporting revitalization efforts in downtown for several years.
“[The village was] very supportive of our vision and our efforts,” Canning said. “They realized that to convert Glen View House into a space that would be a destination location, it was going to take a lot of work—and a lot of funding.”
The owners declined to share the total cost of the renovations.
The Glen View House has been a community gathering place throughout its long history.
Kimberly Schlarman, local history supervisor for the Glenview Public Library and a member of the Glenview History Center Board of Directors, said the Glen View House was a saloon by the 1890s, with lodgings on the second floor.
It was likely selected for the signing of Glenview’s charter, establishing the settlement as a village, because 19th century taverns were typically used for community meetings of this nature, Schlarman said.
When a third floor was constructed shortly after 1899, it housed a dance hall and the building even hosted the first Catholic Mass in Glenview, she said.
A fire destroyed the third floor in 1928 when the building operated as the John Dilg Hotel, the Daily Herald reported at the time.
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Even then, the building was called an “old land mark” in the area, according to the article.
Under various owners, Glen View House operated for decades as a tavern and restaurant before closing in March 2023.
The building does not hold formal historic designation, but is well known within the community. Schlarman said.
“It’s one of the oldest buildings downtown and it’s instantly recognizable to anyone who has spent time in Glenview,” she said of the structure’s importance locally.
“So many residents have shared memories with me of spending time on the front porch or in the bar throughout the decades. It was a place where people held celebrations or just hung out with friends on the weekends.”
The owners of Foxtail hope this tradition will continue.
“We really thought about every detail here to create an incredible experience for [the public],” Villegas said. “We’re really trying to find ways for everybody to join us—families, couples, date nights, late nights. Just a space for everyone.”