The restaurant is horrible!! Grace is the rudest waitress I've ever had. She rushed us and we got there at 6:38. The kitchen closes at 7. She would not get our drink order until she put in the food. We were resort guest and I find this unexceptable. They burnt my chicken twice and didn't take it off the bill or apologize. We will not be back! read more

This place is beautiful! There are multiple levels, decks, and indoor and outdoor seating. The views and menu are so elegant and make you feel so fancy. I had a flatbread with dates, candied pecans, and goat cheese. The wine is better than other places in the area. They typically have live music on the weekends and there is other things to do, more than just the restaurant and winery. A Grafton tradition every time we come out this way! read more

Aerie's Resort - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

I enjoyed the lunch and beautiful view I enjoyed at Aerie's! It's a nice drive up the bluff but definitely worth it! They also have a great shuttle that will take you up to the hill which is great! The food was good and reasonably priced, although the menu is limited, the food I enjoyed was good and the view was spectactular! Definitely go on a beautiful day so you can sit on the patio. And go early for prime seating on the deck. read more

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The Aerie Resort - Terrace room was disappointing for my BF Marty and I. The room was near $200 and did not have most basic hotel amenities, i.e. laundry bag, conditioner, towels were cheap basics, no information binder for local attractions/eateries, no on sight security and the entrance gate for guests only was located precariously in the middle of a steep gravel grade which is not very bike friendly where bikes frequent. There was also no veteran discount considering there is a large military population in all surrounding communities. No ice machine visible and no vending machines near rooms. A few pluses were the views, it was quiet and secluded and front desk receptionist was very friendly and checked us in shortly after closure, however, Upon checking out @ 0815 (15 minutes after scheduled opening) the front door was locked tight with none in sight. I would not recommend staying here. read more

Aerie's Resort - Taken from Sky Tour start area - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

Complete POS. I don't do heights and my partner has had heat stroke. Only option to get up is 100 plus degrees gondola or shaky chairlift. Spend your money elsewhere. read more

Got food poisoning from this place. . . Saddened I didn't read the reviews beforehand. . . The ride up and down from the winery was the best part! read more

One of the stops on a perfect "play Saturday" in Grafton. My girlfriend and I had started the day elsewhere in Grafton for lunch after a beautiful morning drive on the River Road. Afterwards we were looking to try out the wineries and saw the sign for Aerie's. I was a little leery that it could possibly have a better view than the one actually on the water. Boy was I wrong! What an incredible view from above. The picture was taken from our seats inside. The wine was ok and what I expected in Grafton. Nothing too fancy but, in their case lots to choose from. We shared the Brie with honey which was yummy with our wine. If you don't like wine, they've got beer available as well. If anything, stop in for the breathtaking views here. It's worth the drive up. read more

Oh, Aerie's...I cannot think of anything remotely wrong with this establishment aside from having to drive an hour to get here. They offer a great selection of wines by the glass or bottle. If you're unsure about what to order, their staff is incredibly informative. I've taken their suggestions a couple times and never been let down. During my most recent visit, I ordered a semi-sweet red wine, because my friend wasn't into dry reds. Their food. For the love of all that is holy, order the goat cheese and feta dip. The flavor is out of this world! I wish their portions were bigger, but that's probably in the best interest of my waistline. After appetizers, I go for their pizzas. They say they're personal size, but I've always shared. The wild mushroom is definitely my favorite. The VIEW! If you're accustomed to looking outside your window and seeing cornfields -- you must visit Aerie's. You'll feel like you're much father away than an hour. The view of the Mississippi is perfect from the very top of the hill. One warning: it's windy. If you have long hair, bring a hair tie and thank me later. read more

Aerie's Resort - Feta and goat cheese dip. - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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So my boyfriend and I took the day off today and decided to take a drive out to Grafton. Neither of us have been to Grafton in a long time and wanted to check a few places out. One of our stops was The Winery at Aerie's Resort. We were super excited to have a glass of wine at this place as we heard the view was beautiful. To get to this winery you have to take a gondola which is $10/person round trip. - I mean I guess it's okay if you don't have a huge family going up. Today it was closed due to lightening - so never mind that. So we drove up to the winery. When we arrived, they had orange cones all lined up blocking where it looked like a parking lot and it was difficult to figure out where to park, so we decided to drive around to the other side. Although it said "this is not an entrance" on a very small sign, we drove up anyway because all of it was confusing and we just wanted to find a place to park. We get to the top of the hill and the owner comes out and says "HEY! That's not the entrance!" And my boyfriend says, "yes, we are aware but you have it all blocked off at the entrance so we came up this way." Not sure where we even park? It's confusing." And owner says, "Hey, don't be a Jack Ass!" So we said, okay, not trying to be jack asses! We will just go somewhere else. We were just trying to figure this place out. And the owner goes back in. Unfortunately, he didn't care about us. He didn't care that we had never been to his winery. No one, I mean no one was there but us so we weren't causing any issues. And we get called jack asses - potential customers. (So professional). What he doesn't know, is we were there scouting the place out for a huge event. He lost out on it 100%! You don't treat people that way. We were completely stunned. Needless to say we went to another winery and love it. And had great service, and a great time! All I have to say about The Winery at Aerie's Resort! - Don't go. We talked to a few people after that incident who said nothing but negative things about the owner and how badly he treats people. I don't support places like that. Not sure how this place is still in business. Just wanted to let you all know... don't even waste your time! If you have already been there and love it, well... just know the owner is rude! read more

Came all the way from central Illinois after my mother's funeral to be here once again with my children. We were among their first customers, and have many happy memories here. There was some man sitting at the bar eating right in front and was very disrespectful in telling us we couldn't come in because we had children under age. So we sort of walked out to the deck anyway just to see it and saw other children. Then they tried to run us off because of my special needs son's service dog. Apparently they are very concerned about their insurance but not so concerned about ADA OR their loyal customers who got them started. I can't say I have ever been so disappointed in someone's rudeness. We brought our family here from Chesterfield, MO for years when no one else came here. We told hundreds of friends to come and even brought friends many times to help them build. Now I guess that doesn't matter. Sad testimony to loyalty. read more

Wouldn't even call this disgrace a Winery. I've had better service at a McDonalds. The owner sent one of their poor innocent waitresses to tell us we can't combine porch tables when there was 6 of us. Took over an hour just to get a soggy salad and never even got our dip. read more

I loved the wine and your view is magnificent. There was a cool breeze blowing when we were there and it was just perfect for sitting outside. read more

NOT PET FRIENDLY! Asked before purchasing our tickets if our dog is welcome and was told yes. Got all the way to the top and was rudely told by the manager, we aren't equipped for dogs. I asked what that meant and was told, if your dog bites someone. I told her, people usually don't bring aggressive dogs in public. Wish I had known this before wasting my money! SERVICE AND THERAPY DOG OWNERS, BEWARE! read more

I think the best thing about this place (the restaurant/winery, anyway) is the view. I came up here after riding in the Tour de Cure for a snack and a glass of wine. There are two porches facing the river and a patio more towards the back. Because we had our dog with us we were told we could only sit in the back on the patio. OK... I opened the wine list and thought it was odd that they only had one wine with their name on it (it is a "winery" after all). I also overheard someone ask for a glass of water and they were told they only sold bottles of water for a dollar. Huh? That's just not right. Is the water not drinkable? Do I want to eat here? I ordered a salad and drank my wine and moved on. The salad was very "meh" and the wine was maybe slightly better. My husband had some kind of burger, pork, I think. He said it was good. I guess if I was in the area and wanted to look at the view it's ok, but I'm not overly anxious to go back if I find myself in the area again. read more

Aerie's Resort - The view - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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Stopped by for a glass of wine and lunch and saw a locked gate at the entrance to the winery. I called and they said we would have to take the sky lift to the winery. There were four of us in the car and the cost for the lift is $10 per person. We would of had to pay $40 to get to the winery for a glass of wine and lunch so we decided to go to another winery nearby. As long as Aerie's makes customers pay to ride the sky lift to get to the winery we will go elsewhere when in Grafton. read more

The staff here are so sweet and patient. We came with a larger group and the were super patient. Good was excellent excellent quality amazing. read more

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So disappointed- we have always enjoyed the Winery at Aeries. However, apparently it is no longer possible to drive up to the winery in your vehicle- instead, you now have to pay to take their tram up to get there to go and sit at the winery, eat, drink, etc .... really?? read more

I'm the birthday boy here. My friend posted this and he worded it the best way. I've never left a bad review before, but my experience here combined with the other bad reviews has pushed me over the edge. Have always loved Aeries, so I took my friend here on his birthday. The view is always beautiful so when we found out the terrace was open we were excited. Sat down and waited to be served. Was not served for about half an hour. Had to ask a waitress to get us drinks. We then waited at least half an hour more for our food to arrive, only to find out that our food had been served to the table next to us. When the people who got our food told the waitress that the order was wrong the first time, she brushed them off and left. Had to tell her a second time. Food was good, but not worth the wait or the money. To add insult to injury, we even had to go up to ask for our bill after waiting at the table for an additional 15 minutes to try and give our waitress a chance, even after already waiting for an hour. Was not given any discount or consideration. The only highlight was the live music [by the Graham Band with Graham Pegano] which only just made the experience bearable. Waitress was nice, but if you make someone wait for an hour, please don't make them wait even longer for the bill. Will not be dining nor spending money at Aeries again unfortunately. What a shame. Please fix these issues @ management. read more

Flatbread was amazing, however the $15 burger my hubs got was burnt on one side. When we brought it their attention, we were told it was grill marks, No, we said it was burnt. A fee minutes later a rude gentleman came out and said it wasn't burnt, but he could take half off. We said ok, but it was BURNT! Taated BURNT, looked burnt. Didn't have our phones to take a photo, so because of the attitude, it will be quite some time before we go back. read more

We went here on a date one weekend. Once you enter the building you are greeted with menus and the option to sit anywhere. We decided to sit on the patio. The service was great and the food was delicious! My guy ordered the mushroom Swiss burger. He said it was dry and it did look over cooked. He ordered it medium and it was well done when it came out. We were able to enjoy both with an amazing view. We would come back again for sure the staff were very friendly. read more

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View rad, but 18 buckarus for a 2 min ride on a alpine coaster is monkey poo poo. Plusss u have to spend 10 dolareydoos on the lift that is a fast as my granny susans mobility chair. read more

Was not impressed with this venue AT ALL! I hated the sky tram which must be used to get to the winery. The workers were wonderful, understood my fear, but WHY is there no other way to get there! So I finally get to the winery, shaking all over, and ordered a bottle of wine. I didn't like it, and they would NOT replace it! I've always been asked, and if not pleased with the wine, have been offered a replacement option. Nope! The charcuterie board was meh. Simply nothing to write home about. Lots of hype for this not so impressive establishment. The only reason I came was to spend a gift card given to me. The only reason for 2 stars and not 1 is the wait staff was wonderful! They tried so hard to get a different bottle of wine. Not their fault management doesn't know how to please their patrons. Will never go back! Not even if EVERYTHING Is paid for! Oh....forgot to mention, the maze you have to go thru to find the parking lot for the tram is a joke! read more

Great place but I'm definitely not paying $10 to access via the chairlift because you can no longer drive all the way up, I don't think they thought this through fully ? read more

Please listen to me - look at this review - make sure you ate something - the food takes 2 hours and the outside "nachos" are literally Fritos - but the views are worth it !!! Put a sandwich in your purse , a flask in your pocket , and enjoy some romance !! But don't depend on them to feed to you- use the lower bar to get great service for drinks. read more

Aerie's Winery has a wonderful view, good wine, and live music. However, the service wasn't the best and the food prices were high and didn't match the quality of the food. My friend and I sat for a long time before our waitress came to get our drink orders. Our food also took a long time to arrive and we just ordered a burger and a chicken sandwich. The burger that I ordered was good but was small and wasn't worth the $9 price. The sandwiches all come with ruffles potato chips, nothing fancy. If you want to replace the side dish, the only option is pasta salad for $2 more! I thought that was a rip-off. I will say that the staff were all nice in spite of the slow service. Everyone was friendly. read more

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No one wearing masks on any workers in restaurant ! Table was not clean when we sat and old sugar packs in bowl with new ones. We were very uncomfortable eating due to unclean practices. Spoke with owner and was told she couldn't enforce employees to wear masks! Not retuning for a long while . Too bad, I loved this place last three years. read more

I've been going here for decades. The food has never been great, the service has never been great, but I still loved going and I would take people from all over there every time somebody comes to visit. I tell them what to expect , it has was always worth it. Now however unless it's raining, the only way you can get there is the sky lift. I'm terrified of heights. I went with 3 cars full of people and half of us didn't want to take the lift, so we went somewhere else. I tried to call a couple of times since it was mostly over cast and large chance of rain, they still wouldn't give us the code for the gate. But had we found out that it was $10 a person to ride the Lyft just to get there to pay for not great food and poor service, well I wish them well it's a shame that a great place has to turn out like that. We also noticed a shuttle across the street and never once did they offered to shuttle us up there, that would even be an answer. so they still have poor customer service just like they have always had it's probably due to greed. read more

We took ours granddaughters zip lining at Aeries and had a wonderful experience ! Highly recommend

Mt Aries Resort is like home and Grafton Illinois is the friendly small town where you wish you grew up. Owners Sandy and Jeff always greet you with a welcoming smile that makes you feel like an old missed friend. We're from the Twin Cities and visit Grafton a few times every year. We love the great view, drinks and hospitality. A perfect 3-5 day holiday would be a stay at the resort, riding the zip line and shopping, dining in Grafton. https://www.aeriesview.com/ read more

We stayed during the week when it is very quiet. This is a weekend or special event place. We stayed in the hotel portion called the terrace. These rooms are on a hillside and under the large party room. This building is only 2 years old. Nice large rooms, with microwave and small refrigerator. Jetted tub and large thick towels. The one key point to remember is to check in between 4-6. If not, make sure you call so your key will be in the drop box. Food was delicious and reasonably priced. Good wine list and fair pricing. They have a zip line that is a must do. Great ride through the trees. Very nice tour guides. Would go back to ride again and again. Last warning is that during the week they shut down early. If you want to eat or drink after 7 bring your own. No breakfast on site. read more

Aerie's Resort - Zip line - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

Atmosphere and wine was amazing. Food was wonderful, when it finally came. They were admittedly busy when we first got there around 2pm so I understood why the service was slow. We had additional people meet us around 5ish and the restaurant traffic had drastically slowed down. It took well over 45 min for the new people in our party's food to arrive and when they asked for another glass of water or extra dressing, it was at least a 10 min wait. Our waiter was super nice but also super slow. I would recommend, but they definitely need to work on kitchen speed and service. read more

Beautiful view! The view alone is worth the trip. We didn't eat on this trip and only dipped beer and wine. Service seemed to be on point and friendly staff. I hope to return to try different foods, wines, and maybe even stay in one of the cabins for a girls weekend. read more

We had a great experience there today! Were there a few weeks ago also. 2 different girls waited on us then, they were both so sweet.We just each had a beer that day because of the rain Today our server was a male. He was extremely attentive and cool. Could not have done anything better. I'm a fine dining restaurant manager and an extremely mindful ‍ We had a couple of beers and a glass of wine and 2 dishes. The Margarette flatbread and chicken sandwich. The asparagus was perfect! And the entire place was spotless Doing great things there! Keep up the good work!! read more

So my wife and I were looking forward to enjoying the day at this winery for several reasons. The view,the wine, and the food, plus the added attraction of riding up in the gondolas. The first disappointment for my wife was that we were not able to use the enclosed gondola (thank you COVID) only the ski lift style. But she mustered up the courage for me and rode anyway. ( Wife of the year) The view was superb and the setting very nice, had all the makings of a great visit. Then things went down hill. We were seated immediately on the open deck. Ordered a glass of wine ,appetizers and food. Wine came quick, one hour later still waiting on appetizers and food came 20 minutes after that. ( after a talk with the waiter) His excuse was first that they lost our order and then he try'ed to make me feel bad by saying " you know we have over four hundred people up here to serve" , bull**** , even if so not my problem. It's not like we were hidden out of view from our waiter every time he went in and out to the kitchen he passed by our table. We were not the only disappointed customers,two tables over the couple had words with their waiter over lack of food delivery and left with out eating. The final straw came when we inquired about alternative means of going back down the hill besides the gondolas and in a very rude way he made it clear that it would not happen. My wife was not going back on them! So we walked together over a mile down the rock road to our car. Yikes I'm sure by now you figured out that we are not recommending this attraction/ winery. Thanks for listening to me rant/review read more

This was my first time visiting St. Louis, and as such was told by everyone to visit the wineries in Illinois, which promptly did. The drive to this winery is rather long from Missouri, but it is totally worth it for the views alone. Having lived in Florida for the past 4 years, to see so many hills made me feel back at home again in Scotland. The $8 dollar ferry isn't that bad, but be aware that there is a price for it. Arriving at the resort, the views were instantly beautiful, with the sun just beginning to set over the river. We walked in and took a seat at the tasting bar and tried the dornfelder and D'asti, both which we ordered promptly upon sitting down at the table. We showed up without notice on a Tuesday afternoon and did not have an issue getting a table. This unfortunately the end to the positives to my visit. While our waitress was very knowledgeable, especially when we asked for the info on the resort, she knew off the top of her head the pricing and certain deals they had at different times of the year, she unfortunately did not make an appearance very often, meaning the waters that we ordered were quickly empty and not refilled. We ordered the cheese board, as that is something that was always done in media and decided I should try it also. The prosciutto and one type of cracker were delicious, the cheeses provided looked and tasted like cheap pre packed grocery cheese. With that being said, I can't comment on the entrees that they offer, but for me the the views and delicious wines still made it a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and if I were back in the area will happily give the resort another shot, perhaps trying more that they have to offer. read more

I have no idea who the person was that said you need to take the Skyway for $25 per couple as this is what was quoted on the phone this past weekend (July 24 Saturday) all this because the need $2 million dollars to pay back for the loan they got to build this. Being a diabetic with severe diabetic neuropathy i can no longer ride these ski lifts because by the time i get up there i would have no feeling in my legs and most likely fall, the gondolas are too small and very claustrophobic. They do not cater to anyone with a disability or anxiety, in fact Mr. Jeffrey D, Lorton owner of Aeries ((618) 610-1628 cell phone) you are most likely in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, It states 'The ADA requires businesses and facilities to provide reasonable access and accommodation for all disabled customers, clients, and members of the public. The ADA applies to all businesses that are open to the public, regardless of size" I see there actually might be a lawsuit in your future due to not providing reasonable access to people with disabilities. I believe most people will be disgusted with this type of business practice and people should be ashamed of themselves for paying for the ski lift when this business does not accommodate people with any and all disabilities regardless of its severity. It is really a shame since we used to go here almost monthly and being in this post COVID era you would think the more customers the better! According to DNB your revenue is approx. $350K https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.aeries_management_inc.8f2cba155b50e920220f0a7cbaee9179.html Would you not like to have more revenue? Wonder what pre COVID numbers were like? Please do not visit a business with the practices stated above and do not expect a comment as the owners do not read Trip Advisor, all you have to do is see all the reviews with zero comments from the owners, just tells me they really don't care. This is why the Loading Dock is so much more popular and service is always perfect, please do not waste your time or money on this place until they tear down that stupid gate on weekends. and why would anybody want to visit a business that is very unfriendly to people with a disability? read more

Ok.... Came to Grafton to drive up to Aeries .... Haven't been here since Covid . Well , you can't just drive up to Aeries on a Thursday ... only Monday thru Wednesday . They require you to spend 10 dollars a person going up a Gondala which I can't imagine most people don't want to do . Optional opportunity would be nice . read more

I booked the zip line ride for my family of 4. Per the website, we also had to purchase the Sky lift ride tickets too, which was fine. Upon booking the zip line ride, it was acknowledged that we needed to arrive 30 minutes early, which we did, and that the Sky ride takes aprox. 14 minutes. We drove an hour to this destination. Due to long lines, slow ride up the sky lift, we arrived 5 minutes late to check in for our Zip line ride. We were then told that our reservation went on without us and they were booked and could no longer accommodate our reservation, nor would they allow us a refund. I called and spoke with management, and they also said they could not refund this, and cited that it was indicated on their website that we should allow additional time for the Sky lift. This is NOT how the website communicates this information, and it should instead clearly state that parties should arrive 45 minutes early. Incredibly poor communication and service, and I will never recommend this to anyone else. Such a shame, as our family was very much looking forward to this experience. Now, I have to spend more time demanding this be refunded, as we will not return here. read more

What a beautiful day in January! To be able to sit outside & enjoy some warmth & see such fantastic views! I had a the Brie & honey truffle plate along with a glass (or 2) of Moscato. Excellent service! I would love to come back here & stay on site. read more

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The place was amazing, was there Saturday may 1, for dinner. However, our young blond waitress was horrible. Worst service ever. Felt rushed and ignored. Will never go back after being treated so poorly. read more