*!WARNING!* Beware the $4 martini special on Saturday night. I had 1.5 of the raspberry martinis, and, by the end of the night I didn't know who I was, what my name was, or what planet I was on. I am by no means a lightweight, but, these things are potent. Come armed with cab fare and friends to hold you up, so as not to topple off of your bar stool. read more

After three consecutive nights of celebrations I was in slo-mo and needed a pick me up to get me back into swing. A buddy mentioned this spot, some rave news about a Chicago TV show which featured these guys as having one of the best sandwiches in the city. Okay. On a Sunday afternoon we were able to score a table pretty easily for early dinner service. Walking in I was immersed in views of plates with sandwiches piled high. No way could I dent a sandwich of that magnitude I thought. Looking over their decent beer menu I thought.. shall I? Allagash White was already on my mind. Instead of a sandwich I opted for a bowl of chili, which with the Allagash settled everything and sent me into bliss. It was a tasty bowl of chili, I would typically add hot sauce or Tabasco to my chili at most places, but I was pleasantly surprised to the flavor of Bat's version. My buddy got the pastrami which he devoured easily, yet suffered from food coma later on. Both satisfied with the meals we plundered, Bat 17 bookmarked for a redo in the future. The space isn't huge so it's wise to call ahead and ask what sort of seating is available and if. The bar area is obtuse and doesn't give the patron a good area to sit and dine, better for those on the run. Good service and grand dessert offering. IF it's your first time, you should get a sandwich, try to get dessert and check out the restrooms. Not sure about the ladies room, but the dude's room is a sight. One could never run out of toilet paper in there. That's all I'll say about that. I will add, that better ventilation in that restroom is needed! It's wise to take a gander at the menu online, there are a great many favorable options to fulfill your hunger. read more

I want to like this place. Each time I go I'm disappointed. What I end up getting is food made with what seems to be very high grade materials but with POOR EXECUTION. The cook basically goofs up some high quality materials that could have come out great.... simple things, like french fries. They bring the fries out in these fancy little mini fry baskets to showcase them, as if..... But alas that are SOGGY limp fries. 2 minutes more in the deep fryer could make them great. With the presentation, I must say that I'd be embarrassed because they're pathetic. The tilapia sliders are pretty good, but a bit under seasoned. But the fish is of very nice quality. I recommend taking the fish from the 4 sliders and putting it on to only 2 of the buns. It is much better that way. We ordered one burger "medium" but it came out WELL..... very WELL. But it was of good quality beef, so we ate it anyway and didn't send it back. It's a shame because the burger's only "OK" but could become great with just a little more attention to detail on the execution.... Again, the procurement of good quality product for the prep is not the issue. ... it's all about the execution. I had the Blutarski, which is a turkey ruben with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and grilled rye. All of the ingredient were great, but again the "execution" was lacking. The bread was warm and grilled but the meat was iced cold.... sauerkraut also ICE cold.... Swiss.... again COLD.... The grilled bread was the best part. Whoever had a Ruben with all the components ICE cold... except for the bread? I'm a LARGE man, not frail. Somehow I was feeling a bit chilled! Turn the heat up to at least 69. Take down all the "award" posters covering up the mural and get focused on delivering better quality food.... better in technical "execution", not materials. There's a lot of potential but someone in the kitchen is goofing things up. To top all of that off, the place is just way to expensive for food that is really nothing all that special, not even if it was executed well..... Even done well it doesn't justify the price point. The place is not fancy; in fact it is sort of cramped and uncomfortable and certainly not worthy of an up-charge. Sure... the students love it!!! (But they also like Domino's pizza too) But with all that said, from a "bar" perspective, not too bad for Evanston. They have a good beer selection. read more

This is an update or the service I received today. A group of co-workers and I went in for lunch today. We were a group of 13 and were ready to accommodate on seating in whichever way possible. We dealt with Hilary whom made our experience absolutely horrible. She had no respect for us and you could tell she was wanting to make it known to our party. I couldn't help but notice that she kept rolling her eyes and trying to make a scene appearing as we were horrible guests the whole time. What a pity because I enjoy Bat and have never had a bad experience until today. I am sorry, but for a group spending $180 + this was unacceptable. Beware groups, avoid Hilary! read more

My mother and I ate at Bat17 yesterday, 1st time in two years. We ordered the same corned beef sandwich as previously ordered. To our surprise the sandwich was much slimmer, 3-4 pieces of corned beef only. We made comment to our waiter and the waiter sent the manager to speak with us. The manager returned with a brown paper bag containing corned beef, tossed the bag on the table and told us "now never return here again". Serious racist behavior for which has been reported to the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ!!! (TO MGMT: if you are charging $70 for 2 cheap corned beef sandwiches, one order of fries and a beer something is also wrong with your prices on top of your attitude towards minority customers) read more

I gave Bat 17 "4 stars" on my last review, but after my latest experience I have to drop it down to 2. After having dinner and a few drinks at Hop Haus, we decided to meet a few people at Bat 17 for more food and drinks, but had I known it was going to be a huge problem for 8 people to hang out there I would have chosen somewhere else. I know what you're thinking, "well, 8 people is a lot for that small place, especially when it gets crowded on weekends"... and you'd be right, if that were the case. There are two groups of four people, the four of us coming from Hop Haus and the four of us coming from around the block. We made it to Bat before the other guys did and were forced to stand awkwardly in front of the door until the rest of the group got there. We were literally standing in front of a totally empty table for 8, but were told we had to wait until our whole party was there. Now I understand in a busy restaurant, or something, they don't want you to sit down before your whole party gets there, but as I explained to the rude employees, they were walking from around the block and I had just talked to them... but that wasn't good enough, we still had to stand and block the front door from everyone trying to leave. Eventually I was able to convince the manager (?) that they really were around the corner and we should be able to sit down. Rudely he told us that if they didn't show up in the next few minutes he would have to move us to a smaller table... Why didn't you just say that in the first place so we could have sat down and not looked like complete idiots? It was far less crowded than the previous times I've been in there, so it's not like there weren't other tables.... Literally 2 minutes after we sat down, our other 4 friends walked in and we thought everything would be cool, unfortunately it was not. Our waitress walked over and gave us all coasters and menus right away, but it took about 20 minutes or so before she came back over to take our drink orders. And that's how the whole night went. I think most people only had 2 drinks because the waitress was nowhere to be found... which is seemingly impossible considering how small the place is. I'm hoping this was just an isolated incident and they have troubles with larger groups, but I don't think I'll be going back here with more than 4 people.... ever. read more

Do you enjoy menus that differ from one side of the restaurant to the other (and therefore aren't available at some times of the day)? Do you like inattentive service? Do you want to eat at a place where the manager will try to shuffle you out halfway through your meal for someone else just arriving? Then Bat 17 may be for you! Otherwise, find any number of other better options in the Evanston area. You'll be glad you did. read more

Newspaper articles on the wall declare it's popularity with the Northwestern U set naming it one of their favorite restaurants and I can see why. Free coffee by the mugful, huge portions and pancakes all day. But it seems it's also popular with the local business luncheon set. Prior to afternoon hours, only one half of the restaurant is open for seating so go crowded quick . And kind of cramped too unfortunately. The menu is huge. And some of the sandwiches and plates can be regular or full size. The regular is already pretty large so full size must be gargantuan. I opted for the asparagus salad--it was full of perfectly cooked asparagus, parmesan, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, served with a citrus vinaigrette. Everything was really tasty except for the tomatoes, which were not very ripe (ewww). So the tomatoes were ignored. Poor tomatoes. My son had the regular sliders. Which were cooked really well too. There's no kids menu here so one slider was the perfect sized cheeseburger for his little hands and the rest went to-go for later. This menu has something for everyone--burgers, chicken, salads, fish...and the beer list is pretty stellar too. Service was pleasant. I really liked the casual feel of this place. read more

This place just opened.... Free coffee bar! Tons of different sandwiches (a little pricey though, most "regular sized" start at $10). Special desserts from a bakery in Ann Arbor, MI. Really interesting breakfast dishes. And more... (check out their menu on the website) (I haven't made it over yet but I wanted to get the word out because I like the owners' old restaurant. I plan on stopping by soon.) read more

Here is a fun fact: BAT 17 is named due to its address being 1709 Benson Avenue Tavern. And here is another: the regular sandwich is larger than your head so just imagine how big the large must be! Alright, truly terrible lines aside, BAT 17 is a quality place to go when hunger strikes. It's a fairly relaxed place that would be fine for watching the game or catching up with friends. They have easily 20-30 beers on offer and you can even get those massive towers of beer to share if you so desire. However, the big draw are the creatively designed mouth watering sandwiches. Organised by protein, the menu covers a massive blackboard on one side of the room. I pity the person who has to write that all out in neat script as I'm sure I'd make it maybe 10% through and give up. My choice was a pulled pork sandwich as pulled pork is a rarity in London. I was pretty hungry but since we had been stuffing ourselves for the last few days, I thought I'd play it smart and go for the regular. The damn thing was massive and it turns out the large would be a further 3oz of meat and presumably a larger bun. Still, the tender succulent pork on the soft bun was delicious and I couldn't help but steadily mow through it. The sweet potato fries were also tasty with crispy skins covering the creamy flesh and, when combined with chipotle ketchup, made a perfect counterpart to the tangy bbq sauce on my pork. My mate had a turkey club that could have fed a family of four but also managed to push through and finish the whole thing. We were quite proud of ourselves...until we got up and realised that moving would be a challenge. Thankfully, in true US style, we were driving everywhere as I don't my usual walk or cycle ride would have happened. Overall, I can easily see why this is a favourite haunt for Evanston dwellers and particularly Kellogg students. Reasonable prices, excellent value for money, and mega-taste in every mouthful - sandwich win! read more

I'm going to echo a lot of reviews on here--food was great, but service was not. When I got to the restaurant, I noticed my two friends awkwardly standing near the entrance. When I asked what was wrong, they complained that the entire party had to be there before we could be seated (even though we knew we only had 4 people and the restaurant was basically empty). Though I understand this policy, I could tell it made my friends pretty uncomfortable. When we were finally seated, our menus were kind of thrown at us after it was clear that we wouldn't be ordering any drinks. Our server seemed a little disgruntled that we didn't order straightaway, but it was our first time eating here and didn't know what we wanted. We had also been waiting for a friend to show up but decided to order first because we felt pressured to do so. When our friend came, it took around 5 minutes just to signal our server over (the restaurant was still not very busy at this point) to get our friend a menu; our friend never got any utensils and ended up sharing a napkin with someone. As I said, the food was great. I got the Bat 17 burger with sweet potato fries. The burger was HUGE, with a 10 oz patty, onion strings (basically stringy onion rings), Applewood bacon, and cheese. The patty was flavorful, the brioche bun was soft yet held the burger together really well, the onion strings were delicious (although not as flavorful as I would have liked), and the bacon you could tell was good quality. The sweet potato fries were super crunchy and slightly sweet--some of the best sweet potato fries I've ever had. The portions were really big, but I wouldn't necessarily say it was a good deal; $15+ for a burger and fries (and a pickle, if you want to count that too). I did leave super full, though, and some of my friends took a box home. The food was very greasy, but I can't complain because what else would you ask for from a meal of a burger and fries? Although I enjoyed the food, I didn't enjoy the overall meal experience because of the service. We all felt a little uncomfortable the whole time, which did not make for a good first impression for me as a first-time visitor. I was so excited to finally try this place, but I'm not sure if I'll be coming back again. read more

Bat 17 - Bat 17 burger and sweet potato fries - New American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Updating my review after recently returning to Bat 17. I hadn't been back since they expanded their space, and I thought they would have worked out some of their issues. Nope! The expansion is just a bar area with no food. It's easily twice the size of the restaurant portion. When I was there on a Friday night, I had to wait 40 minutes for a table for two, and there were lots of other people waiting for tables too (or leaving when they heard about the wait!) If they had allowed food on the other side, or simply swapped the bar side for the restaurant side, it would solve most of their problems. The owner is still rude, and doesn't seem to care about his customers. I can't quite put my finger on why, but there's something about the way he interacts with people that is extremely off-putting. He stands next to the door, acting as the host, but he's so unfriendly and doesn't seem to care if you stay or not. There is no effort made to be welcoming. The bar staff, however, is nice- if you can find a seat, I'd recommend just eating at the bar. The food is still good- I loved the nachos just as much this time as I remember. But the overall experience of waiting 40 minutes at the cramped bar after being barked at by the owner means I likely won't be back anytime soon. read more

I am a huge fan of Bat 17. My first experience here was on my 21st birthday, and I had a great time. As a matter of fact, I am righting this review having just come home from another pleasantly buzzed outing at Bat 17. This pub/bar has a lot of things going for it. 1. They offer half-priced speciatly drinks on Saturday night. 2. Their food is great, and they have an extensive sandwich list. 3. The atmosphere is cozy and friendly, and the owner is a nice guy. 4. Free coffee in the mornings?? I've yet to try this, but the concept is AMAZING. 5. Check out the bathroom. 6. Beer towers? 105 ounces of Stella, Blue Moon, or Pilsner for $18. Great value if you ask me. I ordered one of these on my birthday. The drinks are normally on the costlier side, but you can trust that you'll see me there on Saturday nights. read more

This place is a favorite for myself and my roommates. The atmosphere is really low-key, the drink specials are fantastics, the bartenders are friendly, and the food is TO DIE FOR. Oh my goodness, there are few things as amazing as Bat 17 sandwiches. Their menu is stacked with options. My faves so far are the "Bat Out of Hell" (meatloaf- yum!) and the "Tyler Durden Cheesesteak". Delish. Also, they have a late-night menu which the amazing onion string mountain and their incredible cookies and red velvet chocolate cake. So good and always taste so fresh. read more

Giant corned beef and pastrami like a boss. This cool little Evanston deli fills a great niche when you're jonesing for an authentic deli sandwich. They slice it lean and pile it high at Bat 17. There's tons of choices on the board. Corned Beef, pastrami, turkey, roast beef and some more exotic choice. Sandwiches are a little pricey compared to say Jimmy Johns, but there's definite value. Think a more price-conscious version of Zingermann's in Ann Arbor. Great deserts, tasty soups and a good variety of sides and you've got a full blown lunch. Only detractor is that the dinning room is small, but service is good and they set you up pretty quick, even with a full house. read more

Bat 17, a restaurant and bar in downtown Evanston, attracts all sorts of crowds, ranging from families celebrating birthdays to college kids wanting to have a quick, filling meal. Located on Benson Avenue, this tiny yet well-known restaurant established in 2007 is known for not only its food and drinks, but also its quintessentially Evanstonian atmosphere. At this restaurant that seats approximately 40, you'll probably be sitting a foot away from the next table, with just enough space for a waiter to squeeze through. If you only had one day to spend in Evanston, you might just want to stop for a meal at Bat 17. There has to be a reason the Daily Northwestern rated Bat 17 as the "Best Evanston Restaurant" three years in a row. Is it because of the complimentary coffee bar? The sandwiches made with bread specifically baked for them by Bennison's, a popular local bakery? The free coffee that Bat 17 offers is not very strong but still earns my respect, because it really is the thought that counts. Shitty coffee is still better than no coffee. The menu: concise yet diverse. It offers burgers, balawats (breakfast sandwiches), sliders, and breakfast all day. Think French toast, flapjacks, and more. Each item comes in at around $10-$15 each, but just wait until you see the serving sizes. In addition, the menu lists bountiful chicken and turkey dishes, beef and pork signatures, fish and veggie options for the pescatarian/vegetarian in you, and interesting salads (like the asparagus-themed one) and gluten-free bread, among other things. Natalie was a bit concerned the first time we visited. Her K-2 Bat 17 Burger ($13.99) was about the size of her head. This ground beef burger, topped with melted Cheddar, had fried onion strings stacked three inches up, and sat in between two thick slices of Brioche bun. That Thursday afternoon for lunch, I ordered the Sausage Balawat ($11.29). This breakfast sandwich holds up well in a takeout box, because you will inevitably have leftovers. Topped with scrambled eggs, onions, peppers, and Muenster, this sausage on sourdough really hit the spot. The diced breakfast potatoes that I chose as a side were perfectly crisp and salty! It seems that Bat 17 is never completely empty. There will always be an odd couple eating in non-peak hours or a loner at the bar, but when there's a huge rush, you'll likely never have to wait long for a seat. Once you do sit down, there will always be someone at your table within minutes, ready to serve you. And you never have to wait long for the food. Our orders took about ten minutes on average, which is commendable for a substantial lunch/dinner crowd. On a separate occasion, Maddy and I visited on a Tuesday evening. My order of Chicken Salad Sliders ($11.29) came with four huge sliders, about the size of a Shake Shack burger. Each was topped with a thick serving of chicken salad, some applewood smoked bacon, and skewered with a pickle chip. I finished about 1 and 3/4, and took the rest to go. I would have liked some sort of vegetable component, fries even, to balance out the protein-focused meal. Our waitress, however, said that the Chicken Salad Sliders were her favorite thing on the menu, likely because they are quick, inexpensive, and filling, three characteristics with which I agree. Pictures and full review is up on my blog! https://catthecritic.wordpress.com/2015/06/15/bat-17-quintessentially-evanstonian-burgers-balawats-breakfast-and-more/ read more

What's not to like about Bat 17. Amazing homemade food, huge portions, beer helmet towers, and great atmosphere. Plus there is an abundance of toilet paper in the bathroom...pretty funny. Oh and for those in the know (or who read the menu), they have free coffee -- you can even pop in to grab a cup to go. Currently I'm obsessed with the Mediterranean Turkey Burger...it's probably the best turkey burger I've ever had. Haven't had a chance to eat breakfast there yet--that's next on my list. read more

This is an interesting bar to be reviewing...I still can't figure out its vibe despite having frequented it heavily while in college. I'm torn as to whether or not Bat 17 is awesome, or whether going out in Evanston is just that bad. Having lived in Chicago for a year, I've decided with the latter which knocks Bat 17 down a couple notches. That said, their bacon balawat is delicious, especially after a rough previous night. I also like their beer towers, which are a pretty good deal. If you do make it to Bat 17, be prepared for some inept service. As stated earlier, I've been on multiple occasions and can't think of a single time that I wasn't left wondering where they found the servers...they were either inattentive and took forever to do anything or were simply inept and spilled drinks on me. But....the balawat is worth it! Also...their cookies are incredible; try one read more

People seem to really like this place but both times I've been there I've been slightly underwhelmed. There's a strong, varied menu but both sandwiches I've gotten have been pretty bland. It's one thing to have a massive, bland egg salad, but I have no idea how you make a blackened fish sandwich tasteless. They've got a pretty strong beer menu, which is nice. The place also could be a little cleaner. Believe me, I'm not some neat freak but the floors needed to be swept and mopped and there were fruit flies buzzing around. I've only had food on the restaurant side and it feels like the bar side as far as cleanliness. It should be cleaner than the bar. I dunno, I might give it one more try. It's convenient for Evanston Athletic Club. But then again, I might just walk to Prairie Moon. read more

It is hard to find a place that offers vegetarian sandwiches that actually taste good- so I was very happy that Bat 17 just opened. The variety is great, the bread is killer. You should check it out, the variety is huge (and fresh) and for those of you who like something sweet with your coffee, check out the desserts (so nice!) read more

Bat 17 - Bat 17 - New American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I've never quite understood why this place is so popular. It's been here for years and every year or so I go back and try it again, only to be unimpressed. The burgers aren't as good as Edzo's which is 2 blocks away, the wings aren't as good as buffalo Joe's which is 1 block away... the only thing this place has that they don't... beer read more

Possibly the best sandwiches I've ever eaten - both veggie and free range chicken options are particularly stunning. Extensive menu. Solid beer selection. Service is always friendly. Just thinking about Bat 17 makes my mouth water. read more

Boyfriends first statement: "it's gonna cost $15 if I get a burger!" This place...wow! We were looking for a new place for lunch in Evanston and I stumbled across the yelp reviews for this place. A plus? Breakfast served all day! Service wasn't great, but was friendly enough. Only the bar area was open (probably due to being 2 pm on a Tuesday) and it was a little cramped for comfortable dining. But with all the TVs, I imagine it's a great place to catch a game. I had the apple flapjacks. Three huge pancakes topped with an apple compote, syrup and hash browns. Thick bacon on the side. A little too much apple for my taste, but the flavor was amazing and the pancakes were so fluffy and filling! Tip: all breakfast entrees come with either hash browns or fruit: opt for the fruit. The hash browns were essentially small steak fries. Good, but not great for hash browns. My boyfriend had a bacon burger. The highlight of his meal being the jalapeño ketchup in the tables condiment tray. Long story short: don't let the prices fool you. They're a little much for the "bar food" you're expecting but the portions are HUGE and the quality is so there. Ending remark from the man who was skeptical at the beginning: "those yelp people weren't wrong. That was a damn good burger." read more

Went here for a birthday with three friends. Burgers are huge! A bit expensive but you get huge portions. The burger is so big that it's hard to hold in your hands. I got the sweet potato waffle fries and they were delicious. It came with a side of bbq sauce that was perfectly tangy and sweet. read more

Bat 17 - Bat 17 Burger - New American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

It is so damn hard to review places you LOVE. The space is clean, cool, and perfect for brunch, dinner, or late night-- though tables fill up quickly. It's also obnoxious (says the native New Yorker) to compare yourself to a Soho/Tribeca deli in your menu-- but I forgive them. All the tons of food I've had here has been interesting and delicious. They serve the BEST turkey burger. The "Tyler Durden" cheesesteak beats all of Philly into a pulp. The "Rescue Me Fiesta" chicken sandwich is made with free range chicken breast (all their chicken sandwiches are) and is spicy and light at the same time. That spicy potato salad side is somethin' else, and of course they do a mean Reuben. Sandwiches hover between $10-$12, but the ingredients are all high-quality AND local (e.g. bread from Bennison's Bakery, pastrami/corned beef from Kelly Eisenberg). And come on, this is indulgence. When you could be eating a shitty PBJ but instead opt for a giant MEAT LOAF SANDWICH? Screw the price! (The sandwiches tend to make you take on this attitude.) As for the drinky-drink: Prices aren't awful, especially for beers. Magic Hat, $2 Miller High Life, $22 beer towers, yummy "chocolate cake" shots... A waitress said their mojitos are made from a mix and not that good, but it's cool she told us that. And, as if one could forget, the self-serve FREE COFFEE/TEA BAR is amazing. I dare any other place to implement that. The menu says you're even allowed to walk in and grab a cup to go without buying food. I'd feel bad doing that just yet but if anyone does walk in, get a drink, and leave, please let me know such that I may find confidence in your footsteps. read more

First and last time in as we walked into a restaurant that was less then half full and we settled into a table and were asked to move because another party might nneed the bigger table we sat at. Seeing as there were at least 8-10 tables open we chose to take our business elsewhere. read more

I used to come here sometimes when I worked downtown, but now that I don't live in Evanston anymore it was a treat to go back. Was visiting from LA and was meeting a friend for brunch and we decided to go to Le Peep first. There was a 20 minute wait and I was in a time crunch so I remembered Bat 17 and we decided to check it out. My friend liked the menu and it was the perfect place to go! I had the bacon balawat which is 2 huge breakfast sandwiches that comes with potatoes or fruit. I remember getting this back in the day and I can only eat a half of the sandwich and it's delicious! We were both feeling like we needed some tea, and I totally forgot this place offers a complimentary coffee & tea bar - you don't even have to dine there, you could just walk in and get some free! Very classy setup and I like the tea options. For dessert I had one of there giant chocolate chip cookies which was so fluffy, soft and melted in my mouth. Really yummy! I will definitely come back here again when I am in town! read more

3.5 stars to be exact. I found Bat 17 via Yelp after a Northwestern football game. Street parking was ample and finding Bat 17 was easy. The place was lively and loud, but not too overwhelming to have a conversation at our table. The layout was ok and the decor of Bat 17 gets a full 5 stars. Enough TVs to watch game highlights from your seat. One minor complaint that the tables are very close to each other. I had to listen to my neighbor talk about how great River North is, an opinion I couldn't disagree more on. Beer list was above average but not stellar. Good amount of craft beers and domestics. Food: My Cuban sandwich was good, but on the expensive side. I opted for the regular size ($12.99). It was good size and I was able to take the 2nd half of my sandwich home for leftovers. For an additional $1 you can opt for the Paul Bunyan sized sandwich, which I assume would be about the size of a Manny's corned beef. My overall experience was good and I'd eat/drink here again. read more

This review is only for the bar annex. They must not like making money. Staff is unfriendly at best, they always try to close early, and they refuse to put the sound from tvs on during big games. I went with several people for drinks and we were going to split the tab on multiple cards - a fairly standard practice. The waitress gave us a bunch of grief and made me fill out a form with names, credit card digits and how much to apply to each card. Guys: you're in the business of being a bar. Do your job! If you won't split a tab without making customers do paperwork you deserve to fail. Also, they do nothing to appeal to NU students. Why would they not want steady business on slow weeknights? read more

I had the Baddonkey (...Kelly Eisenberg premium hot pastrami, Switzerland Swiss cheese, coleslaw & Russian dressing on grilled, hand-sliced sourdough bread.) and it was excellent! The pastrami was very fresh and flavorful. I've had pastrami before but I don't remember it being this good. My mouth waters thinking about it. In addition to the sandwich I had a few pints of Stella and a chocolate bar for desert. I'll definitely eat at Bat 17 next time I'm in Evanston. It's at http://www.bat17evanston.com/ read more

Ended up here kind of by accident as the original destination was Edzo's, but with the Presidential motorcade going through, we decided to avoid potential congestion. I rarely dole out 5 stars after only one visit, but as far as the restaurant goes for lunch, this is a great place. Large menu with lots of different offerings. I opted for a rueben sandwich and it was outstanding. Great beer selection and good looking desserts which I did not take advantage of and will leave open for my next visit. Evanston is not an easy place to get to, but Bat 17 makes it worth the trip. Looking forward to getting over there again. read more

I don't get it. Four and five stars? Maybe for the beer selection? I've wanted to visit Bat 17 for quite a while: great Yelp reviews, open for lunch and in nearby Evanston. Great first impression: good feeling as you walk in, very informal, downscale, fun. We knew that the prices would be $$$, but figured that was part of the charm: a small place with a hip name, downscale tavern furnishings, colorful menu descriptions, and exceptional food. Alas, it lacked that last ingredient: Prices brought to mind white table cloth and jacketed waiters; but the food was as ordinary as the surroundings. My $14 Bat-out-of-hell meatloaf sandwich was good, not great; it was described as large enough to maybe take some home, but was nowhere near that large. (And I wouldn't have taken any leftovers home). My friend's hamburger was good, not great and certainly not worth $12-13. (Highpoint: The waitstaff were wonderful; friendly, funny, prompt, and made a point of thanking us for coming). If there really are lines in the evening, we must ave missed something. We wouldn't come back even if the prices were cut in half: too many local places have better meatloaf sandwiches and burgers. Hope some future (or past) reviewer clarifies why this place is popular. read more

One of my favorite joints in Evanston. They have Bloody Mary bar. That alone is worth at least 3 stars. Throw in their gianormous sandwiches, and well 4 stars. They always have the game playing. Staff and bartenders are nice. And they serve breakfast all day. Stumbling distance to the purple line Davis stop. read more

It pains me to write this because Bat 17 is so obviously a labor of love. Offering a large variety of inventive sandwiches, I was excited for Bat 17's arrival on the Evanston scene. Bat promotes the gourmet origins of its sandwich ingredients (fresh locally baked bread, Eisenberg pastrami and corned beef, etc.), which led me to believe that they knew what they are doing. It was because of this apparent commitment to quality that I was willing to brave the staggeringly high prices for what I hoped to be a sandwich home-run. I got the roast beef and, for $14.13 w/ tax, it was a bunt. There was plenty of meat but it didn't have much in the way of flavor. The thin slice of cheddar was hard to taste at all. It was admittedly a big sandwich and came with coleslaw but would only be two meals for a small appetite - and would still be a lot more expensive than other options in town. Because I am so eager for this place to live up to its goal, I will give them one more shot and go back to try the pastrami or corned beef. For now though, I have to say that $14 for any sandwich in Evanston is a little bit absurd. read more

Food = great! Service = horrendous! We went here to watch the USA vs. Belgium World Cup game with 4 adults and 3 children - and expecting 2 more people. When we first entered, we went towards the bar on the right side. We were met by the bartender/greeter who basically told us that we should go to the other side where it's more kid friendly. We were a little disappointed since the bigger screens were on this side of the restaurant, but we did as we were told. When we got to the other side, we asked to have a table set up for 9 people. They said they wouldn't seat us unless our entire party was present - mind you, 7 of the 9 people were present AND there were plenty of tables available! We asked if the kids could sit and start eating since they were hungry, we were met with some uneasy looks by the manager. Finally, we just sat the kids down and ordered their food while we stood and watched the TV screens above our heads. After about 10 mins. we sat ourselves at the table next the kids table and ordered our food. At some point in the whole experience, some people walked in and we were told that they needed the table and so they squished the kids at our table. Their table remained empty for the entirety of the soccer game!! I want to point out that the children were not misbehaving AT ALL! The president of Northwestern was at the table next to the kids and commented to us how well behaved the children were. So why were they moved? There were plenty of seats available and we were eating and drinking enough to cover both tabs for both tables. It's too bad we won't be going back because the bison burger was delicious. Sriracha wings were fantastic. Drinks were cold and perfect. I think Bat 17 should retrain all staff on the finer points of hospitality. read more

Overpriced food No sound for football games Slow service If this is supposed to be one of the best college bars in Evanston, then that's pathetic. Don't bother. read more

Always more covid-cautious than peer restaurants in Evanston (to be clear, all Evanston restaurants followed protocol, bat was always a little different), but for some reason they still require proof of vaccination, even after the city lifted this restriction (following Chicago's lead). You walk past like five hand written signs by the entrance pointing out that they still require proof of vaccination, which is both sad and absurd. I asked out of curiosity why they are still doing this and the guy checking my card said it was a "personal preference" but didn't go into much detail and neither one of us wanted to really get into it. I hope it becomes less of a strangely hostile environment because the food is pretty solid. read more

Went here for brunch for the first time. There was only one other occupied table and now I know why. We ordered the breakfast sliders which were extremely dry and stale. I hate to say this but a McDonald's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit tastes better. We also ordered the cinnamon bun French toast and the egg wash was like an omelette. I could not even taste the cinnamon bun. Even the visual of the egg on top hanging over was unappetizing. Now we let our server know and he was really understanding and so professional. He brought back our tab and the manager only took off 10%. Didn't even come talk to us. I'm truly disappointed in that. If he at least took of one dish and apologized I would have at least given the place 3 stars. read more

Overpriced bland food. The Door County French Toast had no taste and the sourdough bread used to make it was extremely dry. The cherry compote was identical to the cheap cherry filling one could find in those canned pie fillings. The sausage patties were cold, but at least tasted ok......but clearly frozen store-bought patties. Will not be ordering from here ever again. read more

Absolutely wonderful. Nothing else can motivate you to get through a 50 minute spinning class quite like the prospect of brunch, so Lauren O. and I decided to reward our hard-earned efforts with some breakfast items. I'm pretty sure Bat 17 has my new favorite corned beef hash. HUGE pieces of corned beef, not that canned stuff. Fresh potatoes, ooey gooey cheese, and fluffy sourdough bread. We opted to leave out the Russian dressing, and I don't think we missed much. We split our entrees so in addition to the corned beef hash we also got cinnamon french toast. Oh MY God. You don't even need the syrup, just shut up and eat a lot. For you coffee and tea drinkers, they're complimentary, which is unheard of! Service is lovely. Bob was our waiter and he was a hoot and a half! Definitely my new go-to brunch spot when in Evanston read more