540 Peterson Road
Libertyville, Illinois
(847) 680-0680

How much difference can there be between one car wash and another? For most folks, a car wash is a car wash — a way to just get the most basic dust off your vehicle so it doesn’t look too dirty. I’ve always had another opinion of it though, as the outside of your car can have a big effect on how you yourself feel. A clean car on a sunny day can really put a smile on your face. The opposite is also true — when my car is grimy and dirty, it is a big stress just for me to look at.

For years and years I had a great yearly pass to one of the best car washes in Chicagoland: Edens Car Wash in Chicago. Unfortunately, they went out of business almost 8 years ago, and for a few years I drove from car wash to car wash, looking for the best place to go for a reasonable price. Lucky for me one of the better car wash companies happens to be just down the street in Libertyville, Illinois.

Libertyville Car Spa is just that — a spa instead of just a wash. They seem to employ two to three times as many car wash employees who have a great attention to detail. Most $6 gas station car washes don’t run enough water onto your car, which increases the chance of scratches. They also don’t flush the car well after soaping, which leaves a residue that makes it get dirty faster. The worst part about gas station car washes is the drying — streaks and spots and water marks. Just ugly.

Libertyville Car Spa’s most basic wash is under $10 (cheaper if you find a coupon!). It includes a basic interior vacuum, interior window cleaning, wiping of your dashboard and center console, and of course an exterior wash and hand dry. For a few dollars more, I find this most basic wash outlasts the gas station car wash almost 2-3 times longer, and the car looks nicer even through a light rain. The cars that I have kept washed at least twice a month have kept their paint jobs intact, and I believe fully that I received all my car wash expenses back in retained value when it came to sell them.

The setup at Libertyville Car Spa is well done — enough area for 30 or so cars to get in line, a great little “watch window” so you can see your car get pummelled by gallons and gallons of gas and cleansers, and a nice lobby with a good display of all the little car needs you might have (air fresheners, accessories, fuses, storage devices, etc). I prefer to go early in the day to get my car sparkling for the day. The morning is also the best time to go with the shortest lines (about a 5 minute wait to get your car into the wash). The afternoon on a warm day is the worst time to go, but the extra 10 minute wait is well worth it as they hire even more workers than usual during the rushes.

Libertyville Car Spa’s basic washes run between $10 and $20 depending on the services (you get a lot of services in the $20 package, including mats washed, fragrance, tire shine and paint protectants). The offer custom washes, too, starting at $35 and going all the way up to $155 which includes a buffing shine that makes your paint look and feel like glass. If you really want to keep the value of your car up, getting a major detail twice a year is a great way to keep the car looking great for years. The Zymol wax job made my car look better than new — and also reduced the need to wash it as often as I previously had to as the elements didn’t stick as bad.

Libertyville Car Spa comes close to my old and long gone favorite in Chicago, but their closeness to my home and their attention to detail make them one of the most popular car washes in Lake County. Their excellent service and years of knowing their customer allowed them to open two more car washes, one in Lake Forest and one in Kenosha, WI. I’ll review these in coming weeks to see if the spin-offs compare to the original.

3077 Sheridan Road,
Zion, Illinois 60099
(847) 731-0800

Hennessey’s Steakhouse in Zion is located at the location of the famous Rook’s Restarant which had financial troubles in the 90s. Hennessey’s is the first restaurant in years to cater to the finer cuisine chophouse style. Co-run by Jimmy Mantzoros who has been involved in Lake County restaurants for decades. Mantzoros has worked restaurants from every aspect, including being a well known bartender at Jimmy’s Charhouse in Libertyville, Illinois. His friendly demeanor and understanding of a customer’s needs will contribute well to the future success of Hennessey’s as it seeks to attract locals in the region. Zion has been historically troubled by a terribly intrusive local government that has made it difficult for any business to prosper, but Hennessey’s is off to the right foot.

While they are primarily a steakhouse, their menu offers a good selection of big salads and fresh seafood. My favorite non-steak dish at Hennessey’s is their large crabcakes, made with a creamy sauce and are primarily crabmeat instead of filler. The restaurant is designed around a multi-room layout, so they can cater to private parties as well as separating the smokers (in the bar’s lounge) from the non-smokers. I’ve sent non-smoking friends to Hennessey’s and they commented how they didn’t even notice smoking was allowed in the other area.

The bar lounge is nice because it has full service tables as well as bar stools, and a large plasma television always displaying some sporting event. The bartenders are friendly, but a bit over-worked as the restaurant can experience a wide variety of rushes and dry spells. If you come for the socializing and find it empty, give it a half hour and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The layout of the restaurant feels very fresh and new, so it still needs a few years to get its own atmosphere. The walls are nicely painted and the flooring is too new — I believe a steakhouse needs to feel like it has been there forever.

The menu is decently priced and is extremely competitive against the popular expensive steakhouses in southern Lake County, but the Zion market will be more difficult to tap into. Hennessey’s has no competition within a 20 minute drive, but this doesn’t leave them overly busy even on popular weekends. Only with time and care will they blossom into the restaurant I hope to see down the road.

If you live between Gurnee and Kenosha, don’t pass up on this great little steakhouse. Good food, great value, friendly service and a clean atmosphere makes it worth a monthly visit. Their steaks are so fresh that I have them cooked rare — a specialty of co-owner Jimmy Mantzoros, an avid steak eater.

I’m giving Hennessey’s 4-stars because they still to break in the feel of the restaurant and also need a more consistent crowd coming so they can hire an extra hand or two during the busiest hours. They are very close to being a 5-star favorite of mine, and I’ll be re-reviewing them in the coming months.