A church that now cooks. That is the instant hook with The Foxtail On The Lake in Des Plaines, where a historic sanctuary was reborn as a modern Mediterranean dining room with lake views and a lively bar. If you are scrolling for a restaurant in a church that actually delivers on food, mood, and story, this one earns the trip. The setting looks up to a soaring ceiling, the kitchen cooks with confidence, and the whole place feels like a conversation between past and present.
The building began life as Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on the edge of Lake Opeka. In 2024 it reopened as The Foxtail On The Lake, a full service restaurant that kept the architectural drama and added a kitchen, raw bar, and cocktails. Local coverage and city posts call it a transformation that honors the original bones, right down to the cathedral volume overhead and the stained glass glow at dusk.
Step inside and the story makes sense. The nave became a light-flooded hall, pew lines inspired banquettes, and big arched windows pull the lake into the room. Social posts describe it as a renovated church that still reads like a sacred space, only with the sound of forks and glasses instead of hymns. That blend sets expectations before you even open a menu.
The first reaction is always vertical. Your eyes go up. Then they land on the small things that make the space work for dinner instead of service. The seating is comfortable and social, the lighting warms the stone and wood, and the room hums at a volume that feels busy without being loud. Review threads mention that the vantage points change the meal, especially at sunset, when the windows turn the room into gold. If you want a restaurant in a church that feels immersive, this is the reference.
The lake helps. Tables near the glass get a postcard view of Opeka, which adds an easy celebratory beat to a weeknight dinner or a date. Even from the bar you feel connected to the water and the height of the ceiling, which is rare for a neighborhood spot. Reservations are handled through Resy, and the dining room reads as dressy casual, which works for families, birthdays, and nights when you just want to eat well.
The menu leans Mediterranean and modern American, with a through line of comfort and a few polished flourishes. House favorites include Atlantic salmon over asparagus with garlic mashed potatoes and a soy mustard glaze, a beef shawarma plate with tahini and fries, and a pair of diner-style burgers that wear their smash technique proudly. There is a mac and cheese with roasted bell pepper cream and toasted parmesan crumbs, and a crispy duck risotto that gets extra depth from mushrooms and freekeh. The combinations feel familiar, the plating is clean, and the portions make sense for sharing.
Cocktails get as much attention as the plates. Social feeds point to bright, balanced drinks that fit the room’s mood, plus a raw-bar sensibility that keeps things light when you want to graze. If you like to build a table of starters and a couple of mains, this is a kitchen that supports that style without turning dinner into a marathon.
Review comments cluster around two themes, the look of the room and solid execution on approachable dishes. Fig burrata, flatbreads, salmon, and desserts pop up often in the praise column, while service notes trend warm and attentive. For a renovated sacred space, the vibe is friendly, not formal.
There are other adaptive reuse projects in the region, but few that carry the feeling of worship into the meal so gracefully. Reviewers keep using the same words, unique, calming, photogenic, and they back that up with repeat visits and celebration dinners. Lists that round up unusual dining spaces in the suburbs now treat The Foxtail as a go-to example of how to turn history into hospitality without gimmicks. That mix is the reason it works as a restaurant in a church rather than a restaurant that happens to be in one.
Practical details help too. The location is easy to reach, a few minutes from O’Hare and near major arteries, and the address is straightforward to plug into any maps app. If you are meeting friends from different parts of Chicagoland, the lakefront setting and central access make coordination simple.
Start by booking on Resy, especially for weekend evenings and for tables near the windows. If you care about the view, ask for the lake side when you confirm. Arrive a bit before sunset and take a short walk along the water to set the tone. The room reads best in natural light, then shifts into a softer glow after dark, which is when the ceiling feels even taller.
Parking is manageable in the immediate area, and the address at 1177 Howard Avenue is easy to spot once you are in Lake Park. If you plan a bigger group, the dining room’s layout handles six to eight comfortably without losing that sense of height and air. This is the kind of restaurant in a church that encourages conversation, photos, and a longer meal, so build time in for a cocktail before or coffee after.
Menu strategy is simple. Share a flatbread and a salad, pick one of the burger builds or the shawarma for the table, then add a fish or the duck risotto to anchor the meal. Dessert is worth saving space for, since the room practically begs for a last plate and another look around. Prices land in the sweet spot for a night out that feels special without turning into a blowout, a balance that keeps locals coming back.
If it is your first time, do not overthink the dress code. The space invites a little polish, but the crowd ranges from families to dates to friends who grabbed a last minute booking. That looseness is part of the appeal. It is also why the restaurant in a church idea works here. The building brings the gravitas. The service brings the welcome.
If a restaurant in a church made you look twice, you will love the rest of our thematic picks. Chicagoland is full of spaces with stories, from vintage train cars to greenhouses and historic firehouses that now pour and plate. On our food blog we map out rooms that feel like field trips, plus the menus that reward your curiosity. Keep exploring with us, and keep a running list for the next time you want dinner to feel like discovery.