Had 10 screens re screened at Bess and they did an outstanding job! Also had an old tub stopper cleaned up and the o ring replaced. I love Bess, we are so fortunate to have them in our neighborhood! read more

This store has staff that know their stuff, great selection and solid prices. Nice seasonal items.

I highly recommend Bess Hardware. Great selection of products, paired with very good customer service. That makes this the best destination for your hardware needs. read more

Good selections, and the girl tht works in there I believe her name is Roz, she is so helpful and polite.I recommend her she's a great worker read more

I love this hardware store!! Brandon is the man! He has solved so many problems for me. Recently another hardware store looked at my broken cabinet hinge - spent 2 minutes on a computer and said sorry - the pieces were not available anywhere. Brandon found them and even installed them on to the removed cabinet door!!!!. He has fixed and rewired many lamps and chandeliers for me -including cutting one down so it would fit in a particular room. Extraordinary ! Plus the store is very well stocked in all things hardware - I've always found every weird little handyman item Ive needed. ( like a T15 Torx screw driver bit I needed just this week ) I've never had anything but outstanding help from all the employees. ( and on occasion I've been a time suck trying to find the right size screw in a sea of screws ) At any rate, It's a real gem and I hope folks give it plenty of business ! ( they did just get a lovely assortment of Xmas trees - after all the nice pumpkins ) Go! read more

Bess is hit or miss for me. Whereas I absolutely want to shop local and support neighborhood businesses, I've had mixed experiences at Bess. + mostly helpful, if disinterested employees + they carry a little bit of everything including items that make me laugh, like 'Monkey Butt' powder + I really love the potted flowers they carry in the summer - a lot of their inventory seems old; light bulbs I've bought there have burned out super fast - see 'disinterested employees' above - it's hard to find someone on the floor, you almost always have to have someone at checkout page someone if you need help read more

Great service, surprisingly large selection and all at a nice price point. Love supporting this store.

Back in the early 90's my daughter was at Middlefork, I ran the "surprise booth" for 4 years and counted on donations as prizes, that's when the Fair was Friday afternoon, Saturday & Sunday. A lot of work, but I digress. The ONLY local merchant that would not donate anything, not a cheap toy, nothing, was Bess Hardware. I stopped patronizing them for 20 yrs. Instead I would go to, & love Ace Hardware in Glenview on Waukegan, across from "Mattie's restaurant. But now flash forward 2020, I went in for a little thing, I was surprised how different it was, helpful workers, lots of stuff & I feel better about the place. read more

I came to have keys made however left without any keys. Zero customer service and very slow lazy staff happen to be working the day I came in. Now going to Home Depot. I've always liked this store but they lost my business for good as it's declined. So sad. read more

I recently moved to Northfield and the female connector on my natural gas line was a different size that the one on my grill. I went to Home Depot and Lowe's each on two separate occasions for help in converting the line, and guess how many store associates were able to give me an educated answer? 0 Did either of these hardware megastores have the parts in stock that I needed? Nope One visit to Bess and the store manager (can't remember his name, bearded guy) was able to track down the parts and walk me through exactly what I needed to complete the job. Grill is now up and running and ready for NYE! Bess Hardware just earned a customer for life! read more

I was here to buy some bird supplies. Really unorganized and bad service. Unfortunately will be going elsewhere.

This place reminds me of the "mom & pop" stores I used to frequent with my dad growing up that seem to be very hard to find these days. The service at Bess is excellent (everyone is so helpful!) and the prices are much less than I would expect. The store itself might not seem very large from the outside, but it has everything you could possibly want. I picked up several items for projects around my house and will absolutely be back in the future. I love to support small businesses when I can, so Bess is definitely going to be my new go-to hardware store. read more

A lot of people writing Fake reviews about a store they've never been to and know nothing about. The display has been there for years. The people who work here are nothing, but helpful and amazing. The store has so much cool stuff to explore besides just hardware stuff. It's disgusting how willing people are willing to try and destroy a small business at a time where so many small businesses are failing. Shop local. read more

Sometimes Home Depot just won't cut it. Yes, they're big. Yes, they purport to have "everything." But you know what they don't have? Old timers who actually know what they're doing. And that's what Bess has. While sometimes overpriced, Bess is great for picking up a few items here or there that are unique to your random local needs, especially if those needs relate to gardening. My mom and I came in yesterday looking to build a cage around our vegetable garden to keep the bunnies out. We found multiple employees who happily showed us where the chicken wire was and provided us with instruction on the best way to stake it down and also on non-toxic sprays we could try around the perimeter. Very useful. On our way out, we looked at the herbs but decided that we had already bought enough elsewhere. But we may be back for more later. read more

I walked in with my son today for the first time to buy a few fishing supplies. It's an old style hardware store style setup with narrow isles packed with stuff. I liked it! We walked by one customer not wearing a mask (illegal and odd that was allowed, but okay) and another who was (good), around past the tiki torches and guns (the combo that close together was a little unsettling to me, but okay) to the tackle. My son gathered what he needed and we headed to check out where once in sight we saw the cashier was wearing a face shield but no mask. That's better than the cashier at Fish Tech on Dempster Street who wore neither, but it's still insufficient. Don't get me wrong, it's a great addition to a mask. Her eyes are somewhat protected if the maskless customer sneezes in her direction, but without her mask (which is required by law) it doesn't protect the customers much, or anyone else for that matter. So we returned our stuff to the shelves and left. To be fair, a younger gentleman behind the counter was doing his part to protect the customers by wearing a mask. Good for him. Thank you to that guy! They also had a small plastic shield between the cashier and customers. That's good as well! But so far the science tells us wearing masks, properly, is the single most effective measure we can take to stop the spread of COVID-19, but we all have to do our part. It's required by law for indoor cashiers if nothing else. Given that cashier wasn't, and was unapologetic about it, and management is apparently fine with that, we won't be back. read more

Just a reminder, this is no big box store, so bring your wallet and last 2 paychecks, it will cost you no matter what you are buying. Went in to get a 1/8 nipple by 1". $3.29. Found it on my Menards app, .99. Best price they could offer was $2.99. It will be worth my gas to go elsewhere. I will not return no matter how bad I need something. At least be close to competitive, I would have paid a couple bucks, ok, .29 off, see ya. I value my money more then Tru value I guess. Good luck staying in business. .... read more

I want to support local merchants like bess, which has been a north shore institution for years. However, they always make me feel like an idiot when i go there. I asked the gentlemen for help and he couldn't have been more condescending and patronizing...the tone of voice, the blank stare, the disdainful comments. I was looking for a helpful hardware man and instead i got an unhelpful harware man with a tattoo and a bad attitude. Might as well go to Home Depot or Lowes if that's the service i'll get. Lifes' too short to be treated poorly. In addition, this store is poorly merchandised with shelves that are half empty. I'm sure business is tough for them (see above) but at least they can try and make the shopping experience more please with more product. read more

Hooks for peg board, you know, like to hang a hammer or a pot, but no! They are always out of it don't carry pretty basic items. They're always short staffed and amazingly rude. Go to Millen's in Wilmette. They are much more knowledgeable, better stocked and nicer. Bess is a lousy hardware store and they don't know how to help with projects. read more

OK, they don't have everything. How could they? But for a homeowner's needs they come close. And how could an individual store have prices as low as the corporations? But you can park right at the front door, and when you enter, it's not like H.D., where you could shout for someone to help you and hear nothing but your own echo. The employees at Bess take their jobs seriously--if one doesn't know the answers to your question, he/she will find someone who does, and if they don't have exactly what you need, they'll do their best to come very close or to order it for you. Somebody complained about "condescending" and "patronizing" and "disdainful." Yes, there was an old guy there like that, but he has since passed on to that Big Box In The Sky. I think the negative reviewers are being very overly critical. read more

Bess has been my "go to" hardware store when I really need help. The staff is so friendly and always volunteers their services....I have called on them to help me fix some of my favorite strands of Christmas lights more than once! That is a true sign of patience. They almost always have whatever I need....and are so convenient. Today they donated several pairs of loppers for the Friends of the Green Bay Trail to use on our workdays. The New Trier Sophomores will be thrilled that we have enough tools...as will Central School and the local scout troop. Thank you! read more

Really cool family business. Going to Bess is an experience. The store is packed with merchandise including many seasonal items. I have always found the staff to be friendly and helpful. My kids even love going there-in part because of the free popcorn. read more

I used to go here to support a local business despite the fact that much of their stock is 30 years old. I even bought a fireplace set that had clearly been used and returned to support he store. But recently they refused to return an item and told me it was their policy despite not telling me this when I bought it. They just lost my business forever. Foolishly shortsighted read more

Needed a Snow Roof Rake two days ago, Home Depot/Lowes/Amazon could or did not have until 5 or more days later. Just checked today with a local hardware store, Bess Hardware - and they had it! Kudos and earned my points for checking there 1st! Bravo Bess Hardware! read more

Bess has everything you could imagine! If they don't, just go to the service desk and they can order it for you.

I had a very complicated issue, and the employee there, Nick, was so very helpful! His desire to figure out the problem, and his dedication to resolving it makes me want to come to this shop whenever I have any home needs! read more