I was honestly pleasantly surprised by Elgin Public House. The food tasted very, very good--definitely exceeded my expectations. Everything was flavorful and well put together, and it made for a great dining experience in the moment. The atmosphere was also nice, and overall it felt like a solid spot to grab a meal. The only downside was that the food ended up making my stomach hurt afterward, which took away from the experience a bit. Still, based on taste alone, it was impressive, and I'd consider going back while maybe trying something different next time. read more

Old school pub with top notch food. I'm a simple guy so I love the aesthetic that EPH has, it a bar that serves good food. Nothing pretentious or phony about it and that was the draw for me. Came in on a cold and snowy Wednesday night and while there weren't many patrons there the vibe was great. Waiter was attentive and friendly as we ordered fresh made chips and guacamole, steak salad for my wife and a build your burger with fried egg & provolone w/fries on a pretzel roll. You can tell that the chefs in the back take pride in what they do as the food was some of the best pub food I've had. Extensive and great drink selection too. From local breweries to the name brands you know they have a beer for all palettes. Wine and liquor selection looked decent too For me, it's a bit of nostalgia as I remember this is how pubs used to be. If you're likeminded, you'll be a fan too read more

OMG the food from their scratch kitchen is truly amazing!!! The five of us all had different dishes--fish tacos, ribeye steak sandwich, Mac n cheese, cod, and the cheese curd and fried pickle apps were reallly tasty with special sauces. Justin is a really talented and congenial waiter, and very attentive and entertaining. The beer selection is spot on, and half price wine bottles on Saturday night??? Hellllll yeah. I really can't say enough good things about this place. We will definitely be back and are happy to support such a friendly establishment with such a great, varied menu! read more

Baked onion soup was lukewarm, even after I told them and they brought me another bowl, still lukewarm. They toasted the cheese on the bread then put the bread in the soup. I also ordered the Kentucky bourbon burger, supposed to come with bacon and cheddar cheese, nope, nada, zilch. Never coming back! read more

I wanted to so badly support the new owners & love the new EPH BUT no. 8 fried pickles, 8? The onion rings are too big. I wanted a BL not BLT and it barely had any bacon or mayo or anything. I hate the lay out of it too. Tacos are not good. The pretzels are good & cheese curds. I guess I will only come here if I am craving the cat fish. BUT the whole homey feeling is gone. It is just a restaurant now. Sucks but hey not everything lasts forever. read more

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Pretty good place. Functional bar, good service but feels understaffed. Food is good. Will return.

First visit since the new ownership. I thought prices were high $19.99 this cod. My cod was supposed to be Cajun but I didn't taste any seasoning and the minute you cut it the crust fell off. It didn't come with tartar sauce or anything. I asked for tartar sauce and was charged $1.00. I was excited for brussel sprouts and fried potatoes which were good but they didn't look too pretty in the plate. They were very salty. The Mac n cheese was not the same as before. The sauce was not very thick or anything. Service was good. Just the overall cost of things on the menu seems high. Not planning on returning unfortunately. read more

Elgin Public House - Cajun cod with roasted brussel sprouts and fried potatoes - Pubs Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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We have been going here for about 18 years because we like the casual atmosphere and the food has always been really good. Unfortunately last night two of the four in our group were very disappointed. We each ordered the ribeye steak sandwich. Each bite was mostly fat which was disgusting. I took my sandwich apart and there was not enough meat to even eat. Total yuck! We will be looking for a different restaurant for delicious casual dining. read more

We didn't know the place changed hands. Bummer. We used to enjoy the sloppy joes and bbq. Gone. Also gone are reasonable prices and delicious food. Service was good. read more

I have been here a few times now. The ambiance is very casual but the service and food is always really good. Street parking can be a little tricky. This time I tried the mango tango cocktail that was excellent! The old fashioned was also very good. The goat cheese and marinara appetizer with Naan bread was fresh and delicious! The Kobe burger with boursin cheese cheese was fantastic and same with the sweet potato fries (that was an up charge). The waitress was also attentive. I will be back next time I am closer to the area. read more

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Love the traditional pub feel. We come here whenever visiting town. Burgers are great and the Ruben is a favorite. Best fried pickles I've had in a long time. Down graded for two reasons. First, Not a fan of the heavy metal/punk music blasting, does not make for a relaxing meal. Second, when asked if we wanted a booth or table, we said a booth. The gal in charge put us at a table and then refused to move us even though there were several booths open. Said she had to seat us there. We spoke to the waitress and she was wonderful and moved us to a booth. Part way through another older group of four showed up asking for a booth and were put at a table and again the same gal refused to put them at a booth even though several were available. read more

Used to be excellent. The new menu and owners have turned a charming place with an excellent menu into another poor quality, overpriced rip off. RIP old menu. RIP EPH. Throw the brick at this place, its heyday is over. read more

Well, this place has tanked. Popular menu items that were unique like Ahi have been removed and replaced with cheap bar foods... Brought a small group of people in last week and we had to leave, drive back to Sleepy Hollow and go local based on the menu and the huge uptick in prices... Not that all prices havent gone up, but getting close to 20 dollars a burger there (and they are not that great) Sorry but have to take this place off our list. read more

2nd time here! Great food! Came on a Monday night and the special were half off burgers! Burgers were very good! read more

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Possible the best service ever from our server Brett S. Food is awesomeness. It's definitely worth the trip . read more

Elgin Public House - Stuffed pork chops - Pubs Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Service: took over 20 min and 2 different staff to take a phone take out order. The first staff could not find anything on the computer, kept saying she could not figure out what was being ordered. There was not a language or accent barrier there was a brain cell barrier. They needed to get another staff to take the order. Despite stressing to both staff that although the menu did not indicate pickles were on the burger or included at all, they seem to always be included and we HATE pickles, so we made it clear we did not want them on the burger, in the container or in the bag at all, but guess what they put a bunch of them directly in the middle of the mini burgers so ALL of them had pickle juice on them. We asked for 2 mini burgers with cheese and 2 without but all 4 had cheese. Food: besides the burgers being ruined by pickle juice and unwanted cheese, the pretzel rolls were dry and hard. I also got an order of baked French onion soup that was so strange. The cheese on top was like rubber. Literally squeaked as it rubbed my teeth while chewing and appeared Grey in color. The soup also tasted like it had a bottle of steak sauce in it. I have never had baked onion soup that tasted like bar b q. Yuck. Seriously this was really an unfortunate meal. I have had a many great meals at EPH in the past but this was the first time under current ownership so maybe they just no longer appeal to my taste anymore. So unfortunately when pennies stretch so little these days next time I decide to use those precious pennies for a nice meal EPH will not come to mind anymore. read more

Great menu choices - something for everyone The nachos were good The bbq was amazing Friendly servers read more

I had the Mac attack burger - it's topped with mac and cheese and crispy pork belly. It was a pretty big and filling burger. The whole burger actually was very underwhelming and needed a touch of salt. I assumed the pork belly would have been salty to balance everything out, but it really wasn't. The Mac and cheese itself also needed a touch of salt. I ate the burger patty by itself and it was also under seasoned. The fries were nicely fried and I asked for extra pickles and they really delivered on that so that was a plus. My husband got the boursin Kobe burger. I forgot to take a picture, but man did they smoother that garlic herb Boursin cheese spread on it. It was a lot that he had to move the whole thing on the side and put it back on as he ate it. He said overall, it was a decent burger. It was too messy for him. Our waitress was really nice so we appreciated that too. The place is huge and very pub feel. It's a nice little place, but I think the burger I got fell short. read more

Elgin Public House - Mac attack - Pubs Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Loved EPH before. New owner = lesser menu items and poor quality. Had the EPH mac and cheese, it was BAD, tasteless mush. Sorry but would not ever go back for the food. read more

I would like to begin by saying this is my very first yelp review. I am a huge supporter of small business and I know a place can have a bad day and/or growing pains during change of ownership however my fellow yelpers are spot on! Went there last night for dinner and oh boy what a disappointment... we went for the half price burgers on Monday and were told promptly that that is no longer a thing. We decided to stay and began with a dozen wings which were $26.00 and grossly undercooked. We all four ordered burgers and they were terrible. Everyone of them were served on hard cold pretzel rolls, the patty was under seasoned and flavorless. The parmesan fries were microwaved, I literally couldn't eat anything. Ordered the French onion soup and can't even begin to tell you how bad it was. The waitress was very nice and tried very hard to praise the food, but she even realized this food was beyond defending. We decided to order a warm cocktail from the bar, it was a Lipton tea bag and a teaspoon of bottom shelf bourbon ($27.00). Okay kids here we go... and the GRAND TOTAL for this entire meal that ended up in the trash??? $160.14! To the new owners my advice is to reevaluate now! If you are counting on your menu items to carry this establishment sorry it's never going to happen. We were once regular customers but will not be returning. read more

Tried the new menu items 3x before finally having to cut the cord on this place. It's gone way downhill since changing owners/ menu. They used to have the best burgers in town and you could always get a substitution of a chicken patty or a turkey burger or an impossible patty, if you don't eat beef. The new menu is pretty beefy for someone who doesn't eat beef. The sweet potato french fries are what I would call embarrassingly mushy. They used to have the best sweet potato french fries in town. Everything is just worse or not good. We calculated that last year alone we spent $4500 at this place, it was a regular stop. I'd rather cook at home than go back again. read more

Been a long time customer. Since the sale there have been changes. We know that's normal for a new owner to make changes, but they have not read into what was working for old EPH patrons. Prices have changed and not for the good of the customer. $1.00 for extra ranch dressing?!? The one cup that came with the salad was not even filled 1/2 way, so of course I had to get another one. They also raised the price on some cocktails, and are pricing themselves out of the market. EPH is not in Geneva! Recently found out Keegan is gone as well. That may not have been the fault of the new owners, but it will impact business. At this point we don't have a reason to go back. read more

Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, good food and my granddaughters like it also. Win win.

under new ownership, Elgin Public House was offering 1/2 price burgers on Monday nights. My friend called to confirm that twice including the night before we went, and was assured the deal was still . But when we got there, we were told that deal is over. My friend spoke to the manager and was told equivalent of tough shit. That really aggravates me. The service was good and the food was excellent, but I don't like liars and I don't think I'll be going there again. read more

Food: great. Server: overloaded so slow (but very nice.) Person bringing food: Pro Tip: if the plate comes with the wrong potatoes, don't take it away & make parson SIT THERE warily while their companion eats. LEAVE IT & being the other potatoes separately. Not cool. Also smoked cherry bourbon smash was not that great. Get the other one instead. read more

Elgin Public House - Cajun shrimp. Excellent. - Pubs Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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We ordered only drinks, which were good, however I am deducting two stars because the prices listed on the paper menus inside our booth were way off. The ale I ordered was priced on the menu as $5 but was actually $7, and my friend's drink was listed as $7 but rang up as $8. The server looked somewhat bewildered when I called this to her attention. read more

Stopped by here with family today for lunch. The wife ordered the Hawaiian Divine martini and she reported it to be divine! Fresh and fruity. They have Newcastle which is a rare bar find these days. We ordered the pulled pork sandwich, sloppy Joe sandwich, a burger & the Hawaiian chicken sandwich. Sides included the pub fries, Cajun fries, bacon jalapeño cole slaw, & Mac-n-cheese. Everything was delicious! Great service too! read more

Elgin Public House - Hawaiian Divine martini - Pubs Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Stopped in for a Sunday lunch. The restaurant was not busy so we were seated right away. The ambiance is kind of like a dive bar/pub but it was a chill vibe. Our waiter was friendly, and we were in a hurry and he was very accommodating. They didn't have the fried pickles so I was pretty disappointed. - Cheese curds (3.5/5): pretty good but a relatively small portion. Didn't taste super fresh but the ranch (chipotle or bbq?) it came with was delicious - Chicken entree with mashed potatoes and veggies (3/5): I ordered Cajun style chicken but it tasted kind of plain. The mashed potatoes were not very flavorful. But the sautéed vegetables were really good, seasoned well - Steak (3.5/5): ordered medium rare, cooked pretty well just needed some salt. We were on a time crunch, and the food came out relatively quickly so that was a plus. Overall a nice pub in the outskirts of Chicago, good for a quick lunch. read more

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Not the greatest pub. We made reservations for three on a Friday night. They sat us all the way in the back along an old bar. The place was practically empty when we arrived. By the time we left, it was much busier. Covid: all the tables are socially distanced; employees all wear masks; reservations are appreciated. We came because hubby had a Groupon. Having been to a few other pubs in nearby towns we assumed this place would be similar in quality. We were disappointed. The ambiance and employees are the only nice thing. The food wasn't very good and they only have a few beers on tap. The rest are in cans. Hubby and son both ordered the Friday fish fry and said it was good. They also liked the hush puppies. I ordered their ribs. Not good. Tastes like leftover/ old meat. The bbq sauce was the only good thing about the ribs. We noticed several kinds of coleslaw on their menu, but we were not given a choice. They just brought us the traditional coleslaw. We tried somewhere new to us and supported local. We just didn't like their food. read more

Elgin Public House - Friday - Tilapia Fish Fry with fries and hush puppies - Pubs Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Phenomenal food. The staff and servers were beyond friendly and professional! Definitely try the cheese curds! read more

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So we came here because of Groupon deal and we liked it. My wife got their ribs and my son and I got their fish and chips. Let's start with the good: the fish is very good and we liked the hush puppy. Service was great and they really kept customers spaced well. Parking at the Free Public Garage was very handy. The negatives were also there: I had a Groupon for $30, our bill came to a lot more. Beers run around $9 each (great beers but HUGE markup), the ribs were tough (my wife doesn't love when I make ribs but mine were better than theirs). For the money the meal was barely average. I would not come back because the food, as a whole, was just average, and the cost was rather high for what we got. read more

Elgin Public House - Fish and Chips - Pubs Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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First, I have to say my daughter and I had dinner here just a couple times and really enjoyed everything! So no surprise we decided to go back with my husband about a month or so ago...not sure what was going on but it just seemed like everything was coming out completely terrible if it came out at all. My husbands food did finally come out a lot later than ours and it was really inedible. We didn't say anything at first as we had great experiences in the past. The (I believe) owner immediately addressed our issues, apologized, and made more than an incredible effort to ensure we left with the promise of another visit! Of course we gave them another shot and we're sure glad we did! It was most definitely a fluke and it is now one of our favorite places! Awesome service, great food, fun open atmosphere! We still need to try trivia night! read more

We love EPH! Great family fun on Tuesday nights where the kids can play games at the tables while waiting for food. Service is good. Try the Cherry Bourbon Smash - served in a smoke-infused glass. The menu is extensive, there are plenty of TV's to watch the game, and it is an all-around great time. read more

Went here on a Saturday night as we had a gift card we won at a fundraiser. Sat in the bar area which was about 1/4 full. The beer I ordered was out of stock so the waitress provided a different one at the recommendation of the bartender. We ordered fried pickles, cheese curds, and chicken nachos. The fried pickles were ok: one was completely empty/breading only and the rest the breading fell off when you bit into it. Cheese curds were good and the sauce was nice. The nachos were mediocre. They had plenty of toppings on them, but they were cold and chips were a bit soggy so they may have been sitting too long before being delivered. Once we received the bill we noticed the server charged me for the beer that was out of stock and the on they replaced it with. She took it off the bill for us, but it took quite a while to get it corrected. Overall not terrible, but I don't think we will be returning. read more

Elgin Public House has a strong presence in the community for years. It's akin to a favorite aunt and uncle's house. It's welcoming and comfortable and you know you are gonna have a good time when you go there. We went this past Tuesday night just to get out. They always have a great beer selection and their burgers are terrific. The food and beverage certainly lived up to expectations. My wife and I started with their fried pickles. They tasted great but for the price, we received only six small pickle "fries" and the pickles slid out of the breading when we bit into them. They rebounded well with the burgers we ordered. My wife chose the KC burger which had white cheddar, bacon, and their house-made BBQ sauce. Killer! I ordered the Bleu Horse burger which came with bleu cheese, horseradish, and a healthy layer of onion crisps. The burger itself was perfectly made with a terrific grilled burger taste and the toppings were plentiful but well balanced to the burger. We both had their pub fries as a side which are perfectly done too! Our server was nice and attentive, but I think she may be new to the game. She did a decent job but she didn't know if they had a special and we needed to remind her about a couple of things. They also had erroneously added an order of naan bread to our bill. Everything ended up working out just fine at the end. Another nice relaxing time at the Elgin Public House. read more

I heard on WRNM 1410AM talk radio, that there was a retirement party for talk radio broadcaster Leah from the Radio Shopping Club, so I went over there. The party was in the rear, plenty of room, very clean and fast service by the waitress. The food was tasty, especially the chicken nuggets and every one there was very pleasant. The only downside was that they do not have cans of diet drinks, since I do not consume alcoholic beverages, this was a little disappointing but other than that, it's very nice place. read more

I love this funky place in funky downtown Elgin. We often stop here on our way from home to Michigan and back. Service is prompt and knowledgeable. Plenty of delicious items on the menu and an overwhelmingly generous beer and beverage list. I've had their chili and last time tried their appetizer list for three small pub burgers. Excellent and get this, topped with a pickle and a fried onion ring pinned to the top of the bun. I ordered it with the house slaw which was unlike any cole slaw I've had anywhere. Very good. It's on a downtown street and doesn't look like much from the outside. But enter and enjoy. Great local spot. read more

This place is real inviting. We were greated right away when we walked in. The food is INCREDIBLE. I had to capitalize that. I ordered Mediterranean chicken salad. Salad was really fresh and chicken was still hot and tasty. I really didn't have room for dessert but had to order one just based on how good salad tasted. I ate the carrot cake when I got home. The carrot cake was incredible as well. This place we'll definitely get my business again. Heads up I will drive from Chicago to Elgin just to go here. Really Impressed! read more

If I could give 0 stars I would! Me & my Husband were sat down for 15 min and NO ONE came to attempt to help us. There was one waiter & two waitresses. The waiter and the waitress with 2 "heart" ponytails made eye contact with me and ignored me. That is HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! Why would you take a job helping customers if you're not going to help them! I just moved to Elgin & like trying new places around the area.. but this by far was a horrible experience and I will make sure to let friends & family know! @Managers- do better to train your staff or get new staff! read more

We have gone hear many times and every time we do, we always leave happy. Staff is nice, large inside, nothing fancy, but consistently solid food. I like the chicken sandwiches, my husband has had wraps, salads, meat loaf, burgers and never a bad meal. read more