Dockside Bar & Grill

Keagan's has the best Irish dishes, burgers and more !! Oh and cocktails! We love this place!!read more

We popped in while visiting town recently and had so much fun! There was karaoke that night and a…read morenice small crowd of talented singers! The dj was so fun and welcoming! The drinks were fine. I would have preferred a glass to the plastic that was used. The service was slow but yet they were well staffed.

The bar has everything!

Pork Chop Sandwich with Blueberry BBQ Sauce

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Court Street Pub

4.2(92 reviews)

1.0 mi

Court Street is definitely a spot worth checking out! The food is always really good, and the…read moreatmosphere is nice and welcoming. Definitely a place I'd recommend if you're in the area and looking for somewhere good to eat!

Passing through and stopped for lunch. I noticed from other reviews the pretzel seemed to be a hit…read more, and well damn, it did not disappoint! The SW egg rolls were just okay. The bartender was also friendly and attentive. Nice place as it is very modern and I like the bathroom tiles lol

Mango Habanero Shrimp Tacos

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Misfits Ottawa

4.7(12 reviews)

Our food was amazing!!! Great flavor and combinations of ingredients that you don't find in many…read morerestaurants. Super fun and witty bartender/waitress. Did not try any drinks but will be back to have one or two as they sounded amazing!! Super cool vibe inside.

Food / service is outstanding. We visit starved rock once a year as a getaway from the city. We are…read morenow adding Misfits to our annual trip itinerary. The food was so good - we had lunch and also ordered 2 entrees to go so we could enjoy them later that night. 10/10 - great job and absolutely worth the stop!

A Taste of Hollywood

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Chickpeas Just Wanna Have Fun

Burger and Sushi House-Ottawa

4.0(334 reviews)

BASH (Burger And SusHi) in Ottawa IL: Why you should go there instead of fast food chains. If you…read moreget a $16 roll and a $10 roll and really take the time to enjoy each mouth full of those true works of art (tip of the hat to Hadi).. eyes closed ..face skyward.. all attention on your tastebuds to give the experience the attention it deserves.. you'll take half of each home and get two meals. Technically that $30+ tab is more than you'd spend for a burger and fries and a shake someplace.. but thats one meal..and its fast and its done and did you really need or want that calorie count? that fat and sugar? starch and salt? It tastes good you say? ok.. try this instead.. take half home. two meals at about the same price per meal.. much better for you and when I say ART.. I mean ART. Like taking your tastebuds to a live concert with Bach and Mozart playing and the opener is OG Queen. As to the economics.. If you buy at a chain..thats an organization designed to funnel money up and OUT of your community as much as possible.. if you eat at say Cinco in Streator or any locally owned and operated and incorporated restaurant more of the money stays local to swish around in the local economy. OH and of course, healthier eating in both cases. real food. A solid platter at Cinco usually gets me at least two meals and thats if i dont mix in the leftovers to punch up my own tacos or soup or whatever I'm cooking

I definitely would have not thought to put these two concepts together, but it totally works and I…read moream so happy it exists. The atmosphere was great and energetic, and our server was very friendly and fun. I believe her name was Lauren and she was a good time. Definitely want to visit again as the sushi looked delicious.

Kamikaze roll

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Bears Den

3.9(22 reviews)

2.7 mi

When you walk in you can smell the food cooking. Especially if they are making sausage sandwiches…read more And damn they are good. Sundays they have build your own bloody bar where you are provided a generous half glass of vodka and ice to start your creation. The only thing I would have liked to see were some pickled mushrooms, but they had a couple kinds of olives, asparagus,okra and pickles so I was happy anyway. Also some horseradish to spice it up. Your mixer was a spicy Clamato and it was delish. Also got a HUGE order of pepper jack cubes and I don't know what kind of magical breading is on them but they stayed warm for a long time , making it so nice to munch on them dipped in ranch. The photo is showing HALF of them gone. I mean WOW !! All in all we will totally be back. Missed breakfast by a few minutes but if it is half as good as it looked cooking in front of us and how it smelled we will be in for a treat. Prices are great as well. Is it a divey bar? Yep. But those are the best !!!

Classic joint. Family owned and run by a great family. Ask for the Cecilia Special (not on the…read moremenu). You won't be disappointed.

HALF of the pepper jack cubes. The order was immense !!!

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Pepper jack Bites YAAAAAASSSS

Garden Berry Cafe Ottawa

4.2(28 reviews)

Huge menu, which sometimes equates to food that is mediocre, but that is not the case here…read more Everything I've ever had has been outstanding. Hands down the best pancakes in town. The restaurant is always clean, and I've always had kind and attentive service without feeling like I was being rushed.

I don't usually write reviews about places I visit, but today I had such a unique experience that I…read morefeel like I should share it. The place is Garden Berry Cafe in Ottawa. The name is quite a mouthful, but it definitely makes you curious enough to go inside and see what it's about. The interior is very grey and urban, with some fake flowers here and there. The menu is pretty large and has a lot of interesting-sounding options. After we looked through it for a minute, one of the waitresses brought us another menu saying, "Here's our special menu." It was mostly coffee drinks, which, unfortunately, didn't look particularly appealing to me. I ordered the Route 14 crepes, and apparently the name was quite challenging. The waitress asked me "What?" at least twice, so eventually I just pointed to it on the menu. Then she proceeded to write down my order by basically cheat-sheeting from my menu. Lol. My husband ordered one of the breakfast skillets. The food looked good when it arrived. But oh boy... My crepes were stuffed with mushrooms, onions, cheddar cheese, and spinach, topped with hollandaise sauce. The cheddar was melted and the spinach was fine. The crepes themselves actually tasted good. But the onions were raw and crunchy, and the mushrooms were so undercooked that they were rubbery and hadn't even been properly browned. The hollandaise was sprinkled with something that looked like paprika, although it smelled strongly of cinnamon, which was... interesting. When one of the waitresses asked how everything was going, I politely explained what was wrong with my dish. They apologized, said they would tell the kitchen, and offered to replace it. I declined because, honestly, I wasn't interested in taking the chance of getting the exact same thing again. I was perfectly willing to just finish what I could, pay, and quietly never come back. But then the waitress came back. And this time, instead of simply acknowledging the issue, she explained that next time I need to make sure to ask for my vegetables to be "well done." She also added that she always eats raw mushrooms. Soooo... am I supposed to order breakfast and specifically say, "Could you please make sure my vegetables are actually cooked?" I've never thought I needed to specify that mushrooms and onions should be cooked when ordering a breakfast dish. It felt like I had to take responsibility for the kitchen not properly cooking the ingredients in the first place. That second conversation honestly upset me more than the food itself. I had already accepted the situation and wasn't demanding anything. But being told that it was essentially my mistake for not ordering the vegetables correctly was not something I expected. The total was $36 for two meals and one regular coffee. The food had potential, and my crepes themselves were actually tasty. But unfortunately, the experience -- especially the way the complaint was handled -- was enough for me to decide that I won't be coming back.

Berry pancakes

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Omelette

Berta's Tap

3.8(36 reviews)

If you're visiting and want a more relaxed vibe, I definitely recommend visiting Berta's Tap…read more Definitely a popular local hangout and the outdoor patio gets PACKED at night. Food and drinks are very reasonably priced. 4 stars because very few people here follow any of the CDC guidelines and there was a birthday party being hosted inside on one of the nights that we visited and ZERO people had masks on. Also didn't appreciate one of the locals coming up to our table and getting uncomfortably close to my face while proceeding to ask me if he could have the rest of my fries ... dude, we are in the middle of a pandemic ??? Staff is great and very friendly, but I do recommend you come early, hide in a corner, and leave before the locals come if you're worried about Covid lol.

If I could put negative stars, I would…read more I got ID'd for getting waters after 2 drinks over 3 hours. My boyfriend asked bartender if they did they started IDing for waters. He got kicked out right after asking. Sorry and pathetic bartenders who obviously hate tips (I didn't need to tip for waters but did since they were obviously busy for the holiday). I would say hire new bartenders but it seems like they all hate their lives working here, so actually keep them. Got ur charger btw #cooked Instagram.com/jxckbullock

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The New Brite Spot

5.0(1 review)

This restaurant is great. Great food great owner great staff and great service. They listen to…read moretheir customers and when things need to be improved they do that. They care about their customers and business. Great Job Benny and all the staff. Keep up the great work

New Chalet Restaurant

3.7(24 reviews)

1.0 mi

Laura G was our server (Mar 14) and was very attentive and friendly. We come here often for…read morebreakfast or an early lunch, and it is always consistently good. Are there better places to dine for breakfast in the area, probably yes. But it is a great place for the south side of Ottawa, and you can't go wrong with a hearty omelet or skillet here. The hash browns are always very crispy and tasty, not too greasy. The prices are very good. The one down side to this place is that they close at 1pm, no late lunch or dinner service at all! I assume they have trouble finding help or perhaps dinner is not profitable for them anymore. Regardless, the breakfast is very good. My mother has gotten French toast and loves it. The last time we were here I had a veggie omelet with cheese and a side of hash browns, mmmm! I ate every last bite. Great local joint for a quick bite.

It's a quant little restaurant with a friendly staff and the best prices I've seen since the 90's…read more Plus the food is homestyle yummy! You gotta stop by here if you're hungry for some American cafe food.

Veggie Omelet

Farmer's Skillet

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Zeller Inn

3.4(39 reviews)

1.0 mi

Cool decor with a fun textured pattern on the walls. Tiny weird outside bathroom. The quirks add…read moreup, but the sum is quite positive. Nice place to stop in for a drink and a bite to eat when the weather is nice. The patio has a quiet, relaxing tuck in on a not so busy street with plenty of parking. Our food was good, made fast, and delivered to the outdoor table with easy to access drinks at the bar for a Sunday afternoon. Prices were reasonable and service was friendly. The only thing that would keep me out of here is a long wait on a cold night, but they have a semi-enclosed patio that should make that a non-issue. Next time I'm passing through starved rock I'll stop in for a bite!

This establishment has been preserved well as it is is very old (established 1871). Although I did…read morenot care for the vibe of the place I do admire the historic preservation. Walking in through the beer garden it reeked of w e e d. It was very quiet there as it was a weekday evening, except for a male screaming in the beer garden as we entered and a few other times as we were inside the bar. Inside the floor mosaic tiling is neat and so are the ceilings. I also like the big vintage cash register which I assume is originally from the bar when it opened. The ceilings are high and beautifully restored. We did not get food. Our two vodka club sodas were $14 total. They were served in clear plastic cups. The bartender smiled at us and was polite but she didn't say much. We couldn't stand how the place smelled so we quickly paid, finished our drinks and left.

Beautiful bar

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THE ZELLER INN IS OPEN AND BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

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Alexandra M.

8 years ago

I ordered the Malibu chicken sandwich and it was huge with a heaping side of fries. The fries were a bit salty for my taste. The pickles here are delicious!Our pride was hurt more than anything, as our friends raised their eyebrows at the obvious mishaps. We asked them to remake the burger but got the same result. read more

Tina S.

5 months ago

This is a fun spot right on the river. The food is pretty good and they have an open mic on Thursdays that is a lot of fun to go to. You can dock your boat here and come up and eat. Would recommend for good bar food and drinks. read more

Jeremiah H.

11 months ago

Never ate here before but the co-owner Colin Zvaniga made a derogatory post about slaughtering native indigenous people on Instagram recently . Please see the attached screenshot read more

Dockside Bar & Grill - bars - Updated November 2026

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Harbor House by Valentino’s

4.1

(9 reviews)

I was first introduced to Harbor House by one of my best friends. She took me for my birthday…read morelunch. I enjoyed it so much that I took my boyfriend there the following week. First time there I had the fish tacos. The tacos were good. Good flavor and they didn't skimp on the mahi. The second time I was there I had the catch of the day and I chose the grilled tuna. That was also good. Our only complaint was my boyfriend's dish, mojo pulled pork sandwich. It was very salty! We also ordered the wings and the peel and eat shrimp as appetizers. Now to my favorite part, the cocktails. I had a mojito flight which was amazing. We also ended up there during happy hour and tried some of those drink specials. The real reason why I would go back again is for the atmosphere. We ate outside both times and I felt like I was on vacation. The restaurant has a water view which I loved. The restaurant is open, airy, the outside area is amazing and the view is great. Both times we had friendly and attentive servers. I would recommend Harbor House for a nice lunch or dinner date in the summer.

It's a beautiful restaurant with a lovely marina view. The food surpassed my expectations. We had a…read morelovely melon salad, perfectly crisp calamari and fresh fish and chips. A+ to the chef. Drinks were tasty! The restaurant itself wasn't up to par though. Upon entering at sunset all we could see were dirty windows. We sat outside and noticed the patio needed power washing, the wood rails needed paint and the smoking patio (located away from dining) desperately needed a landscaper's help. A bit run down.

Snug Harbor Marina

4.6

(11 reviews)

Within walking distance my house!! Always a welcoming place…read more Can't wait for the summertime cookouts!!

Always a good time down at snug!!! Plus, amazing bartender Hailey she will make whatever drink you…read moreneed.

Burger and Sushi House-Ottawa

4.0

(334 reviews)

Sauce’d

3.3

(4 reviews)

Yeaaa, this is going to be our go-to spot. Pizza was FIRE, it's nice and crispy. Perfect! But the…read moremahi... omgggg, the mahi was the star of the show, it's so flavorful, and the sauce was amazing. The mahi sits on a bed of mashed potatoes with veggies. I loved every bite. The vibe was there, everyone was having a good time, tv's had the games on, the staff was energetic and friendly. And we even got complimentary cotton candy that was manhandled by my husband. We're def coming back during football season!! Hopefully they add a mocktail menu

First time at this new restaurant. Was told it was a 10 minute wait, turned out to be over 45…read moreminutes before we were seated at a table. Waitress was very friendly and always asking if we needed anything. Atmosphere was okay but not much change from previous restaurant. I would recommend the steak skewers and shishito peppers as your appetizers, but the chicken tenders I ordered were over cooked and hard as a rock. Drinks were a little pricey, but nothing special. I will come back again and try something different next time and update this post. Note: pizza looked good but did not order one.

Cabin Fever Bar & Grill

3.9

(107 reviews)

This place was fantastic! Service was wonderful and fast. Ordered the honey garlic wings and they…read morewere the best wings I've ever had! Also had the 2 piece pollack dinner and those pieces were huge and at a great price of $13.95 including fries and coleslaw. Was only in town for a wedding but if this place was close to me I'd eat there all the time. Great job!

We love this place we're from out of town, I'm a vendor at the Burgoo festival and we look forward…read moreto coming here every year to indulge in their amazing food. Our server, Amber was amazing. I highly recommend.

Shakers Sports Bar & Grill

3.4

(99 reviews)

GREAT prices for good food! I got the Polancic's Tenderloin with the daily cold salad (macaroni…read moresalad), a pickle spear, and a drink- all for only $13! The macaroni salad tasted so good!! I've never had macaroni salad before, but after having it here, it won't be my last time that's for sure. I'm not a huge tenderloin fan, but I know from many people that the Ottawa tenderloins are top tier. Really neat place inside too! They had ping pong, pool, darts, sand volleyball, you name it! The service is why I took a star off. It was very slow unfortunately yet seemed rushed at the table. It also felt like our food was thrown down in front of us. Side Note- they do not have to-go cups which I have never encountered at a restaurant.

A very large bar with gaming and activities throughout the week. Karaoke, trivia, live music, etc…read more The kitchen is usually open until 10pm during the week which is sometimes why my bro and I venture here. My bro likes the spicy chicken strips and mini beef tacos. The cream cheese poppers are good. I was surprised with the ultimate adult grilled cheese, it's quite good for bar food. They recently added tuna melts to the menu which I was pleased. You can get the tuna melt with pita bread, regular sourdough bread or as a tortilla wrap. It is my new favorite thing on the menu. The bartender who served us on 12/10 was super friendly and made sure my tuna melt order came out the way I requested. I didn't get her name but thank you for being so helpful!

South Shore Boat Club

4.7

(6 reviews)

The food was very good with attentive service. Drinks reasonably priced. The manager/ owner or…read morecook came to check on our food.

The appetizer platter was amazingly good. Good golden brown batter. Great view of the Illinois…read moreRiver, saw an eagle, watched fisherman make some catches. We dined on the outdoor patio. Friendly staff but pur service this day was very slow. Also ordered a burger and chicken tenders. The batter on the tenders was delicious. Burger was undercooked. Would go back just for the appetizers and a drink on the patio. Very relaxing atmosphere.

Lodge Restaurant at Starved Rock

3.9

(176 reviews)

Are these Sysco potatoes? Probably. But they still tasted great. Just the right ratio of salt and…read morepaprika. I got the Eggs Benedict. A bit pricey for a breakfast dish ($16) but I wanted to treat myself before going on my hike. One of them came out drenched in hollandaise sauce-- you couldn't hardly taste what was underneath it-- though I guess that's better than not enough hollandaise sauce, lol. My server was okay. Nothing good or bad. Really liked the ambiance inside the place. Lots of gleaming polished wood. Would've been even better if they'd had the fireplace going (though it was nearly 70 degrees out in November...), so I can understand why they didn't. But I hope they do in the winter months! Because I was early, I got a table right next to the window so I could look out. That said, the view facing the street isn't anything particularly special. But the sunlight streaming in was nice; it really made the place glow. I actually utilized Yelp to make an advance reservation the night before for the earliest 8am time slot, because they recommended reserving on the website. Turns out it really wasn't at all necessary on a Tuesday morning. They have A LOT of tables and only five were ever occupied while I was there. But I could see this place filling up on a Saturday evening during peak months. Can say with assurance I would eat here again, especially if I were staying at the lodge. A lot of their menu items looked quite tempting!

Great hotel. Fun weekend. Room was clean and staff was great. Food was good. Went on the Ghost Tour…read morewhich we enjoyed. Activities lady was great!

Jake's Pourhouse

4.0

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The food was super hot and fresh, vibes were comfortable and inviting, bartender was attentive and…read morepolite, and service was overall great!! Greeted immediately and would definitely come back.

Great food!!! Can't go wrong here! We always stop in for…read morelunch! Super fast service and delicious food!!!!

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