Went on a bike ride through the nearby trails, and decided that a beverage was necessary!…read more Located in downtown Lake Bluff, there is plenty of street parking available! The interior of this spot is kinda small, but in the summer months, the outdoor patio really shines! The bartender was funny and friendly during our quick interaction!! We enjoyed the Peach Hefeweizen, which was a refreshing and tasty treat on this hot day! I'd absolutely go back to sip on that again!

Got some great beers from this brewery. It has been one of the main reasons to get off the Metra…read moretrains at this station. Lake Bluff Brewing Company has been in business quite a few years. A kind of limited amount to choose from but these are well crafted. The prices are okay if a bit higher. Came in and we got a table so we could drink and eat. It's only got beers but you can bring in stuff. There's plenty of places within a fast walk. As for the beers here, the selection is kind of limited. It's about $7 a pint. Best one we got was the Sour Belgian Monkey Strong Ale. It's 9% ABV and certainly strong. For food we went to The Otherdoor. It's about $11 for a few tacos. Also Maevery Public House is next to here. There's lots of close by restaurants and stores. Have a good time with beers and games. It's just beers on the menu but you can still bring in stuff. They're open every weekday and open longer on weekends.

Nice restaurant with bar next door. Easy street parking. Nice menu with interesting appetizers and…read moredinners. Ordered the grilled cheese with fries, it just seemed like the right thing to order and it was very good. Very nice service. Only suggestion, I wish they had a more extensive bourbon selection.

Super accommodating for larger parties. Food is amazing and shareable! My only issue was the…read morevolume. It is a small quaint establishment, so having a full house can get LOUD. I wouldn't necessarily say this is child friendly (under 8).

Wow. I've been here multiple times, and not once have I had a good experience…read more I came here with my family for drinks and ended up having the same bartender who has caused issues in the past. First, he struggled to take five drink orders and brought out the wrong drinks. The bar wasn't even busy, yet we waited more than 20 minutes for them to arrive. When they finally did, the drinks tasted watered down. I politely mentioned this to him, and his response was, "You're f-ing with me." I told him I would rather switch to beer because I didn't want to continue drinking poorly made cocktails. He then replied, "Don't be surprised if the bucket of beers you order comes to you half empty." His behavior was incredibly rude and unprofessional, and he constantly complained about everything throughout our visit. Getting the check was an absolute nightmare. Somehow, he deleted our bill and couldn't find it. When he finally brought us a check, the total seemed way too high. It turned out he had charged us for another party's bill. When we asked for an itemized receipt, he acted annoyed and complained about the request. The issue was eventually resolved, but we were told they couldn't cancel the transaction, so the other party had to reimburse us in cash for the amount we were incorrectly charged to our bill. We asked to speak with a manager, only to find out there wasn't one on-site on a Friday night. Instead, we were given a handwritten name and phone number. As I said, I've never had a good experience here. Some members of the staff were helpful and understanding, but this particular bartender has been a recurring problem. I don't know if he was intoxicated, under the influence, or simply having a bad day, but the level of incompetence and unprofessionalism was unbelievable. This place feels like an absolute circus.

We stopped in Duffer's Pub, down the street from Chief's, which has been one of our mainstays…read morerecently. The first thing I noticed was that all along downtown Lake Forest were large LF flags so it must have been before the football game. There were lots of families in Duffer's, and they had the windows open and the setting seems rather spacious, with golf simulators. We ordered burgers and tots, which were decent (tots - yum!) although we were let down by Beer Nuggets, which were like pillsbury crescent rolls with red sauce and neither beer nor nuggets. The Detroit style pizza did look very promising and I saw lots of pizza being carried out. Duffer's had a fun, friendly vibe and I'd come back to try the pizza.

A fun dive bar. There's a limited food menu. I would love to see a band there…read more The bartender was nice and attentive. Check it out

This is a great bar. Very friendly staff, and great food. Also has great music on weekendsread more

If you're wondering where the cool vibes of Highwood come from, here is the place!…read moreIt's always a pleasant spot for a drink, and it's a great spot for live bands from around here and there Tommy and his crew are all very friendly and welcoming and helpful and they seem to attract the best clientele who are very friendly and supportive of each other and have good local connections, The easiest place to find a new friend and I'm Sean Logan and I support this review and I hope to see you soon in the back parking lot band stage! It is now even better with the coolest new cafe in town right next door, the Pelago Cafe!

Great staff, great owners! Best place to see outdoor music in Highwood! Do wish they had bands like…read morethey have in Barrington and Mundelein!

The Log Cabin is quirky gem of a find in Northwestern Chicago. From its straightforward,…read moreorder-at-the-bar menu with homemade Polish specialties as well as standard fare, to its nooks and crannies that make for intimate seating for groups of any size, it is an affordable place to relax amongst of an eclectic collection of farm implements, vintage signage and more than a little of the macabre. You and your fellow guests will have much to talk about as you wander around its sprawling outdoor spaces. Stop by for a music night or even just a slow hang and you'll want to share your experience, including its lack of cannabis smell. Staff are polite, friendly and are more than willing to share its little nuances. Located just east of the 294 tollway, off of Dempster St. or Golf Rd. exits.

Stopped at a Route 66 diner in Pontiac, IL for lunch, The Log Cabin. It was established in 1926…read moreand they are celebrating their 100th anniversary in May 2026. The Yelp reviews were mostly five stars, and it was touted to be a locals' favorite, so we decided to give it a try. We both chose the patty melt with a cup of vegetable soup. The soup sounded like an excellent choice on this cold cloudy day. The food, the service and the ambience were all wonderful. We finished off the meal sharing a slice of hot peach pie with vanilla bean ice cream. It was all fantastic.

Attentive bartender! Little dive bar! One pool table and…read moredarts, good for a night cap.

This is a neat looking bar in the Crystal Lake area that primarily focuses on Whiskey which I do…read morenot drink they do however have a small kitchen and this is a old place looks more like a rural Iowa or Wisconsin bar then something one would expect to find in Illinois

My sisters and I were looking for a cozy spot for lunch and decided on The Lantern. We were so…read morehappy we did! The corner bar ambiance was so welcoming, offering charm and character. The main bar area and two more dining rooms offered a ton of space without feeling big and cold. Dan was THE MAN! He was so sweet and helpful. He was busy but not rushed at all. All smiles and positivity really made our casual lunch something special. We all tried burgers with different sides so we could all share the fries, tots and rings. We also tried the homemade chili and it was tasty with a kick. The Lantern is a great choice for a casual meal or maybe just a cold beer.

Our burger club just visited The Lantern and it was pretty good…read more Apparently The Lantern has been around since 1934, but not in its current location. It's a smallish place with lots of street parking nearby. It was a cold night when we were there. We thought we would have eight-to-ten people in our group, but ended up with seven people. They don't take reservations, but if you call an hour before you arrive with your largish party, they will hold a table for you. And they did. When you walk in the front door, you immediately walk to the right for the bar or dining room seating to the left. They set our table up across from the door. Every time someone went in our out, we had a cold blast of air hit us and that was a bit unnerving. You just couldn't get warm. There was a wall behind us, but apparently another dining section on the other side, we should have sat there, it would have been more comfortable. Our party was debating about getting an appetizer as we saw someone else get the wings which were big and juicy looking. They couldn't make up their mind, so I got their soup of the day: cream of chicken soup. It was pretty good and much needed on a cold nice, but it was just okay and I can pass on it next time. The soup was warm, almost room temperature, so they'll have to heat it up next time. I ended up getting their 8oz Lantern burger. They have a junior option at 6oz and a Tiffany at 10oz. The middle was fine. I got it medium rare with American cheese, lettuce, pickles, and mustard and a side of tots. They have a lot of options and the server recommended the tots. They were good, but no better than anywhere else. The burger was juicy and good, but the meat is not seasoned. Though if it is, I couldn't taste it. However, the bun held up really well despite how juicy the burger was and the burger was cooked to perfection. Others in our party thought the burgers were just okay. Over all, we had an average score of 4.00/5.00. The burgers were good, but I bet there are better items on the menu which boasts the best burgers in town. Not sure about that, but decent enough.

While the food and ambiance were good, the service was atrocious. We walked in ready for a foodie…read morejourney so we would be ordering a bunch of different dishes to split. The menu sounded delicious. They serve a complimentary bread with butter, but we didn't receive any until we noticed another table did as soon as they sat down. So I asked. And eventually someone brought exactly two over and plopped them down on one of our very dirty, used plates. My favorite part was when the server so confidently plopped down the extremely burnt roll and scurried off. So I asked if they could bring out a new roll and butter. Never received either. To start we ordered the Burrata and the Steak Frites. The Burrata was good and I enjoyed the bread it was served with, but the tomatoes could've been in more bite-sized pieces since they were chunks. The Steak Frites was good too... the steak had the allusive butter. The fries were crisp, I didn't try the onion rings though. I wasn't intending to eat much of this dish, but without asking, the kitchen decided to fully split the dish. Not a big deal and I kind of get thinking. The bread thing was weird. Then there was this weird moment where they just tossed a box on the side of the table and scurried off again. The entire time I felt like my presence was inconveniencing them from doing their job. The whole thing felt awkward and gave a sense like they were bothered by something. Perhaps the way I was dressed, but it's a pub for crying out loud, and if I walked down the street to Le Colonial with how I was dressed, LC wouldn't have even batted an eye or had an attitude when it came to service. So next time I'll walk down the street to LC.

I came here for brunch and I loved it! The service overall is definitely notable. As soon as you…read morearrive, they offer complimentary valet parking and once you get inside and sit down, the staff are all friendly, attentive, and vigilant to get what you need/want. For my meal, I ordered the lake forest breakfast. The ingredients were all fresh and the combination of meat, potatoes, and vegetables made for the perfect balanced breakfast. I felt as light as a feather afterwards! I was told the avocado toast and cobb salad were delicious as well. Inside is an English style pub with very dim lights. There are cozy booths and tables that give such a calming aura where you can have quiet conversation for any time of day. Will definitely be revisiting.