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    Anchor Bar & Grill

    2.6 (160 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Anchor Bar & Grill Photos

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    ANCHOR BAR & GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Rose R.

    Stopped in during our travel to IL and we had gift cards so thought we would check it! Decent amount of parking and the restaurant is very welcoming - tall ceiling and a view next to water is always nice! We sat at the bar and the seats are very wide and comfortable! Beer list on the wall via tv screen not ideal so took a pic of it and zoomed in Food selection was diverse it was a Friday so the fish fry options looked good I choose an appetizer and side salad which was delicious the hubby had the grinder sandwich and fries which had lots of flavor Bartender seemed busy and distracted so not very attentive but likely just having a off night Live music from 6-9 on Friday so that was nice too! All in all a nice place stop in!

    BLT
    Anne L.

    Stopped in at the Anchor for a Monday night dinner (wish they had live music on the weekdays). Servers were attentive even though they were very understaffed. Food was great. Cheese curds are some of the best on the Rock River! A must get. The pickle fries are okay, would recommend trying something else. There is a nice play place for kids and lots of seating options.

    Numerous televisions
    Bill N.

    Anchor Bar and Grill, located on the river with plenty of places to dock your boat. My bride ordered the Bourbon Black and Blue Burger.... applewood smoked bacon, blue cheese with Bourbon BBQ sauce. I had the Shipwreck, Applewood smoked bacon, pulled pork & French fried onions w/smokehouse bbq sauce. Both burgers were excellent! This place is huge!! Outside two stages, fire pit, playground and an abundance of seating inside and out. Our server Allison is excellent! Prompt friendly and attentive! (She gave 5 Star worthy service) Jarryd the bartender unfortunately does not live up to the exceptional service level of Allison. When first seated I asked Jarryd if he would put the IndyCar race on one of the many televisions. He seemed put out by my request and said he needed to complete his drink orders first. That was fair enough..... however when the orders were completed , he had time to socialize, play on his phone and do many things not related to customers (paying attention to an outside female bartender) or simply put the race on one of the televisions. Luckily I have Peacock TV and watched the end of the race on my cell phone. It truly wouldn't have bothered me if he was too busy working, however being a rabid IndyCar fan, this dinged the establishment one star.

    Nachos
    Rebecca S.

    This spot is beautiful right on the river/lake and has good outside music. The service is good and the atmosphere is fun. Three stars because the food was not good. The cheese curds were very good, however the nachos were so disappointing, they come without salsa and sour cream and the chips looked like the cheese was melted on them in the microwave. It is nice to come here for drinks but don't have high expectations for the food.

    Right on a lake!
    Creed W.

    Our experience for lunch was different than other patrons. Pulled in looking for a mom & pop place (not a chain) on our way from Chicago to central WI. This place has a huge parking lot and an Ada ramp at the entrance. Sign said seat yourself and Julie, our server, met us at the table b4 we sat down. She took our drink orders and gave us a few to look at the menu. Drinks came right away. We got the pulled chicken from the pit and the fish fry (cod). Another guy brought the food out in good time - chicken was warm and the fish was hot. Chicken was moist & flavorful. Served with creamy Cole slaw and roasted corn with a nice smoking spicy flavor. 6 sauces table side to choose from. Fish fry was beer battered, and the batter was flavorful, if I bit salty. No vinegar, but lots of lemons (I don't like tarter sauce, but it came with it). Served with Cole slaw and beer battered fries. There was a band setting up while we were there (this seems to be a big place for live music) We didn't know it was on the water, but they are and they have a huge outdoor patio with separate bar. There are tie-up for boats along the docks. This place should be hopping in the warm weather. Side note: the ladies room (3 stalls) was the CLEANEST smelling bathroom in a bar I have been in a long time.

    The shipwreck
    Tristin R.

    So service was great. Perfect day on a holiday weekend. Sat outside view was great. Live music really added to the experience. Our waitress was fantastic even though it was busy. Drinks were fantastic. Food was ok. Overpriced for what we got. I tried the gumbo and wasn't impressed. The moby dick was decent I myself didn't like the cheese on it. My husband had the prime rib sandwich sandwich and he said fries were best part.. so we definitely will be back. But probably just to drink!!

    Mango chicken salad
    Jessica G.

    I wanted to love this place, the concept is great. They have so much outdoor seating, grass and deck areas, on the river. They have live music at night. When we drove past on a trip up north, I was excited to see it on the side of the road for a lunch break. The menu is big - maybe too big. Lots of apps, tacos, sandwiches, fish, salads, wings, etc. after asking for the server's input I went with the mango chicken salad. It sounded light. My parents got a ham & cheese panini style sandwich and a BLT, both with fries. The food was ok. The sandwiches weren't bad, the fries delicious and the sauces were fun to try. My salad was good - lots of chicken, sweet mango, crunchy chips. There wasn't much mango and they forgot the dressing but I wasn't worried since the honey mustard was on the table anyway (and delicious). It was all good until I found multiple hairs lower down, very much mixed into my salad. While they were very apologetic & made me a new salad to go (we wanted to hit the road again) they forgot the chicken and dressing on this. Overall service was a mess. They didn't seem to have anything organized and kept taking unnecessary trips back and forth which really slowed everything down. When I went to ask about the hair, our waitress was nowhere to be found since she was apparently also working in the kitchen? This spot has so much potential if they get it organized with server sections, make their menu smaller and really focus on the drinks and live music. I'm sure it's a great spot to hang at night but the whole experience was a little frustrating even with our waitress being very friendly while running around somewhat aimlessly.

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    3 years ago

    Over priced school cafeteria quality food! And that comes with a free side of bad attitude employees every time.

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    2 years ago

    Colleen was an absolute Angel and amazing server. I would recommend this place any day of the week. 10/10

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    Ask the Community - Anchor Bar & Grill

    Review Highlights - Anchor Bar & Grill

    Cheese curds are some of the best on the Rock River!

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Needed a place to eat lunch that was close to the marina where we were test driving a pontoon…read more This place had some great reviews and now we know why. I really want to come back on a nice summer day. They have some wonderful outdoor seating with a view of the lake. We ordered drinks. A Bloody Mary, and a hot Kahlua coffee were enjoyed while waiting for our food. My husband had the ahi tuna bowl which he said was amazing and I had the blackened grouper sandwich with fries, also worth trying. They have a lot of good looking dishes on the menu. Can't wait to come back and try more. Our waitress was very sweet. Food came out fast. The ambiance felt welcoming.

    Stopped into Pettit's Lakeview Bar and Grill for a quick Bloody Mary and had a great experience…read more The service was friendly and welcoming right away, which always makes a place feel comfortable when you're just popping in for a quick stop. The bar and seating areas were clean with plenty of seating, and the lake view is beautiful -- definitely a great spot to sit back and enjoy a drink. It has a relaxed, classic lake bar feel. We didn't order food from the menu this time, but they do offer food. There was also a local woman there selling homemade sourdough bread that was to die for. I took a cinnamon roll home with me and it was so fresh and delicious. Overall, a really nice stop for a drink, great service, and a great view. I'd definitely stop back again.

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    A pleasant drive from Chicagoland to Café Carpe and a very satisfied drive back after an excellent…read moreconcert from Paul Cebar, Peter Mulvey, Bill Campln and Carsie Blanton. We were first timers to this venue--tickets are purchased beforehand and with about 60 seats, they assign seats. There is no bad seat. The acoustics and atmosphere are great. Separate from the listening room is a very comfortable bar, dining area and the servers know the show routine, patiently explaining to each customer about the assigned seats. They have a limited menu for the concerts, but a full bar. The hamburger was okay, the ice-tea amazing--the whole place fantastic!

    The music was wonderful - but I knew it would be going in as that was the reason I was there…read more Garnet Rogers never disappoints. Drove up from IL because of the concert. The place is lovely, with a cool, quirky vibe. Got there early for eats. It was a Monday - they were open only because of the concert that evening, therefore the menu was very limited. The only reason I chose to eat there at all was because they referenced in their ticket confirmation email that food and drink was their bread and butter, so wanted to be kind and oblige them on that score. The pasta was very so so. I went as a single female. I'm pretty sure I was the only solo flier there. It did feel a bit like they weren't sure what to do with me. This is, to a large extent, a place where everybody knows everybody. I felt out of place. I've been to a number of concerts etc. on my own in the past and typically meet people that will chat and engage you. Not here. That was disappointing. The strangers I met at McDonald's and the gas station during the drive up and back were friendlier. Would not go there alone again. There is a screened porch that looks out over the river - this is where you are seated to eat. You can wander out there during intermission. The river. The river was very welcoming indeed.

    Tyranena Brewing Company - Front entrance

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    Bartender's were friendly and the bar had some games to play and an outside seating area as well…read more It was quite dark, but an easygoing vibe. There were SOO many options, so we tried a flight. The sour beer (Murdsaki) in particular was my favorite! It was refreshingly tart and fruity.

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    The show was better than any one could imagine. The pre show organizers treated everyone with…read moredignity and respect. You are ushered to your seat. The cookies at intermission were wonderful. The attention to detail is outstanding.

    Another one of those "should I share this?" locations we've found. This time, it's up in the Lake…read moreGeneva area. Everything about this place works together to make you want to return again and again. First of all, it's a live music spot. And that's the focus of everything. But what a spot! Great comfy seats, not a bad spot in the place! The music is never too loud, but it's not so soft you think you're watching TV at your grandpa's place. The bands are generally cover bands, but the owners go to great lengths to find only the most professional cover bands. We've seen impeccable renditions of the Eagles, Supertramp, Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones, Styx, and more! There have been no disappointments yet. Still to come this summer: Chicago and Journey. Yes, I'd rather see the originals, but let's face it - half the bands we love are so old now they'd rather be doing what we're doing: enjoying our retirement. So leave it to the next generation of talented musicians to grab these charts and start wowing us with their ability to rock! You WILL love this place. From the free bottle of water when you arrive to the freshly baked cookies at intermission to the Dove bars as you exit. The owners greet you at the door and their ticket guarantee is unmatched -- have to cancel your seats for the show? They will give you credit to another show, no questions asked!

    Anchor Bar & Grill - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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