Just left Embers after ordering and eating one of their $18 hamburgers! I am home now having a salami sandwich because that tiny tasteless hamburger was a complete joke! How does a Cajun Black & Bleu burger not have any taste? Wife's burger just as tasteless! I ordered the fries as my side, they gave me a little cup with maybe 8 half fries in it? Here's a suggestion Embers, if you're going to offer tiny itsy bitsy hamburgers maybe put them on smaller plates instead of the large oval plates and I'm sure you can put more fries on the plate instead of a little 6 oz cup! read more

Went by myself for lunch on a Tuesday 1pm. Sign when entering says "seat yourself". 1st table I chose was dirty from a previous guest. Chose a 2nd table and it was very sticky on top. Tried a 3rd table....very sticky but I stayed at the 3rd table. Had the blue cheese burger. It was good; definitely hand made; not frozen. Had a very nice char on the outside. Not the best burger ever, but good. The fries were Sad. Other reviews said fries were amazing. So I was excited to try. Mine were extremely cold. I assume made maybe during busy lunch... and cold by the time I was there at 1pm? I didn't bother requesting new fries. Just left them alone and finished my burger. Good burger but mediocre experience overall. read more

See all

Gorgeous Industrial-Chic Celebration Venue in Lockport -- Absolutely Perfect! Our special day at Embers (10/18/25) was absolutely magical. The staff went above and beyond -- thank you Ann, Nicole, and Maddie, especially Ann for making everything run seamlessly and stress-free. The venue's industrial-chic vibe -- exposed brick, metal beams, wood barn doors, high ceilings, and soft lights -- created such a romantic atmosphere that we barely needed to decorate. The food was incredible (our guests are still talking about the mashed potatoes!), and the chicken was delicious. Everything tasted fresh and high quality, just like every visit we've made since booking our date a year ago. If you're looking for a beautiful, well-run Lockport venue with amazing food and service, Embers is it. read more

Embers - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

Me and my family and friends decided to try this place because of there wide variety of hamburgers and I order the patriot burger and it was very dry and no flavor and my girlfriends niece order a bbq flat bread and after a few bites of it and notice that there was a hair in the flatbread ( disgusting ) and when we told are waiter all he said was that he would take of the price of the flatbread and the manager or owner Never came over to apologize which was unacceptable and you think that the restaurant would say that the bill was on them so maybe we might try and come back again but never said anything and also the tables were sticky and I don't know how someone could run a business like that needless to say that we won't be going back. read more

Solid food at Embers. The burger was tasty. Quite a while ago I got the smoked prime rib dinner special. It was fantastic. Hoping they bring that one back. read more

Big parties are frequently happening at this bar in Lockport because it's one of the bigger places around here. Embers is in a building with several stories, the first of which is the bar and restaurant. It's where most of the action takes place, including live music and other stuff. Has lots of good drinks. The food is more of an afterthought but has some good options. A lot of big parties always seem to happen here. It has room for them. That's why. Menu is basic. They have frozen cocktails for $9, and these aren't the kind with mostly ice because they actually put a lot of alcohol in these. As for the food it's nothing special. Especially for vegetarians. A menu of pretty slim pickings. We got the Simple Salad. It's $10, and this actually was pretty big. The presentation was cool too. A lot of cool stuff to check out. When you've had enough here, check out the speakeasy upstairs. Getting food can be slow especially when it's busy. It often is. There's lots of good drinks but not that much to eat besides salads for vegetarians. read more

Embers - Blue Raspberry Margarita And Simple Salad - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

It was pretty average normal bar food.. I will say that I was happy that they had an impossible Burger I ordered also. The chicken tenders. I know that they said they were housemade but I don't know for $17 for four pieces that had no flavor at all and not even salt. Nothing.. I might have felt better if if they had used Frozen. But I really was surprised over the bill. I know food is expensive but we ordered a bowl of soup which was $7 two burgers. Probably they were about $17 a piece. I'm not even sure and a chicken tender with mashed potatoes and they upgrade that $2. We had three sodas full bill was $75 for three meals. I was appalled I don't mind paying money when you get a lot of food or if you leave and you can say ... Wow that was good. That's like $25 a plate... You can see the images below... I wish I could say I would go back for the food .I know they have a bar. There is an upstairs lounge. I don't discourage people from going out enjoying themselves. If I was just drinking I probably would go there but not to order food... read more

See all

Embers is just excellent! Allison was our server and she took great care of us as soon as the hostess seated us. Thanks Allison! :-) We entered just after the restaurant opened on a Sunday. Our food (breakfast burgers, yum!) was served hot, tasty, & fresh. There were nice people to take care of us, the ambiance was awesome, and the burgers delish. Allison kept the coffee refills coming frequently as well. Honestly, we just could not have asked for anything more. Thanks Team Embers! :-) Patrick Shaughnessy Chicago read more

See all

We had to plan our wedding long distance from Florida and that presented challenges on its own already, but Theresa made every single thing absolutely perfect for us and she answered every question that we had. But the pictures do not do this place justice at all. It was stunning and absolutely perfect for what we wanted! We loved the food so much that we also ate here three times while we were in town. The food is sooo good and the chef is a top notch chef. We enjoyed every bite. read more

Love the cauliflower bites as an appetizer! Burger and wedge salad were fresh and served quickly. Jackie did a great job with our many "on the side" or customized burger requests. Also went to a retirement party in their 3rd floor Speakeasy. Great drinks, fun atmosphere! Everyone from different burbs loved it. read more

Our bartender Chloe was amazing. She is definitely an asset to this establishment. Not only very friendly, but offered wonderful suggestions. the burrata appetizer was soooo delicious. The autumn cocktail was really good, too!! read more

When you walk into a place you get warning signs. Inadequate signage, puzzled faces, no hospitality. This place manifested those concerns. The table-service and buss-boys were fine. But the upstairs bartender failed to bring even the most basic hospitality. I would use the word "unbecoming" service. Unfit for a venue that holds weddings - maybe for a dive bar. My friend paid for this venue out of pocket - and the bartenders "turned the lights on" to push everyone out fifteen minutes before 10 o'clock? I know this kid spent a good chunk of change on the venue, and his family doesn't have much to spare. That's when a rude gesture crosses the line to a heinous one. Man these events with people who know how to serve - when you're getting paid to host - you serve the patrons, not the other way around. I'm not going to be told "if you want water, you use this". Nope. Not dictating where I drink, or from what. All in all this was appalling. Behavior for my friend's special day. Anyway, venue is big enough, and clean enough. Downstairs bartenders were great. Valets answered all of my questions. Gotta look at the overall service objectively and ask, was this worth it? Nope. read more

Went to embers yesterday for prime rib I was told that me and my son could not be seated they were not taking any more reservations although there was a bunch of open boots and tables I had to sit at the bar bartender was friendly ordered the chicken tenders for an appetizer they were just on season pieces of chickeimpressed not very good and they were overcooked I got the prime rib which was mediocre the vegetables that came with it tasted like greasy grill vegetables not very good my son got Grilled cheese and tomato soup did not like the soup like the grilled cheese overall I would not return there for the amount of Money that the prime rib costs for the taste of it... Bartenders were friendly and adequate food quality is sub par in my opinion read more

I heard about this place so figured would go and check it out. The building is in a cool location in downtown Lockport and the inside is very nice. A lot of bar seating and big restaurant area. The food was good just went with pretzel bites and breaded cauliflower this time. My only complaint is it took awhile to order drinks just sitting at the bar and it just seemed like the workers were all over like they just showed up at opening to work and were not prepared. After awhile the bartender got better but it shouldn't take 15 minutes to get a drink when there was only two other people at the bar and a family in the seating area. After saying that I will be back to check it out again and try more food. Cool place lots of potential and next time hopefully sit outside unfortunately couldn't due to rain. Check it out!! read more

Embers - Pretzel Bites - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

See all

Update: I appreciate the response Edward and have heart for your situation. I would hate for less and less customers to show up because the front of the house can't get it together. The food and drinks are good, the menu is awesome, as is the space. I hope your employees see this and care about the bigger picture. Best of luck to you! Previous review: I see a common theme here with these reviews -- service SUUCKS!! Edward M (Manager) you should handle this. The space is beautiful, you hire young pretty girls that are kind and always smile but forget drinks and orders, and your bartender always looks pissed off. I was told he was the reason that drinks from the bar take FOREVER. Regardless, im not the only one putting this in black and white. I had to get up and get menus for us and had to ask another waitress if we could have a waitress after sitting for 10+ minutes. Sincerely. read more

See all

Embers is always a good vibe. Food is great. I noticed they update their menu a lot. Mac and cheese is good but my favorite would be the flatbreads read more

See all

I REALLYYYYYYY do not appreciate being asked 16 times if we are doing okay by the waitress tonight. We had a few drinks tonight, and the waitress came to our table 16 times asking us if we were okay. It didn't feel like she was checking on us, but more like rushing us out. This place was dead. Why the hell did she make us feel unwelcome? I'm never coming here again. read more

Embers - Dead - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

See all

I've been a regular here on Thursdays for trivia for a while. Good atmosphere and the staff is great. The Thursday bartender Nicole was awesome and kept the beer flowing even though I was getting something different ever round. The burger is good, but the blackened salmon salad is fantastic, highly recommend. There about 40 taps and most of it is local. read more

Embers - Bar - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

This place is a Hidden Treasure!!! My daughter Megan had her Wedding Reception there on Oct. 7th 2023 and it was just Perfect!! The food was delicious and fresh, it was the Best Buffet style I have seen yet! The room it was in was flowing & perfect! The food was hot and we never ran out of anything!! The staff (Ann & Chris) were just amazing and on the ball with everything!! The Speak Easy bar on the third floor is amazing too! It's decorated for Halloween and everyone needs to stop in there and have a drink! Luv luv the decorations and atmosphere..It's really a cool place to sneak away for a drink! read more

I feel like Embers is more concerned with appearing cool instead of actually being cool. They present themselves as an upper scale joint, so I expected the food to be the same. Their menu isn't very big and their food is just okay. I liked the brussel sprouts a lot, but their flatbread was not good. Their burgers are okay too, but everything I've tried seems to fall a little short. read more

FYI.....This place sucks 1st sticky table 2nd flat beer 3rd took our appetizer when we were not finished put someone glass in it asked if we wanted it back 4th steak so tough couldn't bite into and couldn't cut with knife:/ never got to eat it at all 5th burger was ok asked for medium came medium well:/ Plus side fries were delicious Live music was good read more

See all

Great location in downtown Lockport. Good service, and the flatbread I ordered was delicious. They make a good old fashioned too.

There was nothing really special about it. The food and ambience was typical sport bar. It was ok if you just wanted to grab a bite and a beer. read more

Delish Brussel Sprouts and Macaroni nCheese!! Delish Flatbread (Black and Blue) but they should serve the steak in smaller pieces, not BIG CHUNKS on the bread. Signature sandwich, The Lockport, not the Best, wouldn't recommend. Fatty pieces of beef, not yummy. Chicken wings, DELICIOUS!! Burgers, ok, skip those too. Friendly servers and staff. Kitchen slow, I bet they have trouble keeping the kitchen staff like most eateries these days. Overall, Good place to go with a GREAT atmosphere!! read more

Just had lunch at Embers. My 3 cousins and I ordered different items. All the food was delicious. Loved the Brussel sprouts appetizer and the cream puff dessert was amazing. A true gem in downtown Lockport. Hats off to Chef Bobby. read more

If you're just sticking to the booze, no problem. The food tries but often misses the mark. There's almost never a wait, even when it's busy. Decent vibes. read more

This place is considered one of the most popular bars in the Lockport area. There's actually alot in walking distance so I gave this place a chance. It's beautiful and it offers alot. Kids are welcomed here and they do have bingo here on Tuesdays. Great variety of drinks. Food was okay too. Prices are on the high side might I add, service / staff were okay but it is very clean and professional looking. They have outdoor seating and a a stairway to a second floor which might lead somewhere cool. Definitely a great casual place to check out read more

Super strict about ids even if you are 21. Constantly bothering you to see your id every 5 second. Like sorry I look young it's not that serious... somewhere else would've more fun Fs. Just wanna hang not be annoyed by management read more

Whoa the gluten free options this place has are amazing. Fried pickles you guys!!! A little spice to them but they were so good. Burger was a little burnt but other than that it was amazing read more

Hadn't been in quite a few years, but met friends who live in Lockport. This place has gone down hill. Server was super sweet and felt awful every time he had to tell us they were out of something from something needed to make a drink to a food item. The Brussels barely had anything on them at all. It was just roasted Brussels. No "seasoning to perfection" and garlic aioli needs garlic?? Flatbread was a joke. Three tiny pieces (size of nickels) of mozzarella, a few slices of tomato so thin that once's they baked it they became virtually missing. The picture on the menu vs. what came out looked like a Pinterest fail. Super disappointing for our girls night out. read more

We dined there on 10/7/22, the food was great! I had the corn hash sandwich, my kids loved their wings, and my wife had the Buffalo chicken Mac & Cheese. The fried pickles were ok. The mix drinks were good, wife had the Manhattan. I had a craft beer. Our waitress Kaitly (I hoped I didn't mess up her name) was outstanding, she gave us great food recommendations. I will definitely go back. read more

Embers - a table full of food and drinks - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

See all

Hey I get it about the complaints regarding staffing issues but let's get down to why someone would come here. Our food was excellent. The staff was slow but friendly, the prices were in line with the rest of downtown Lockport, not great but not bad. The only issue we had was the drinking glasses all look dirty because they're the hard plastic types that are hard to look clean, especially with the hard water for the area. The chicken/shrimp quesadillas were as good if not better than what I have had in authentic Mexican restaurants and I would know because of my heritage. My wife said her burger was fantastic and made as ordered. It would also be a great place to watch sporting events because there's TV's everywhere. We will return and we are locals read more

Just have to say that Embers has left the best impression! Hospitable and attentive staff, delicious dishes, beautiful presentation, wide drink list and wonderful dessert and ambiance. I recommend to everyone! I will come back again. I heard about Chef Bobby and verified it myself. read more

Arrival: When we walked in had to wait a couple minutes to be acknowledged. Table: No menus, table itself was very sticky. Not sure what they use for cleaning product. We had to ask for silverware and napkins. Food: Was just ok. Not a lot of flavor, came across as very basic. Very small portion of fries. Waitress: Ours was never around, and we had to ask two or three times to get a refill, or extra napkins. Place has changed over last couple of years, very basic now, and appears to be more like a bar / grill. read more

Embers - Crispy Buffalo Chicken - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

Tried this place tonite, had read mixed reviews but had an open mind. One person ordered the crispy shrimp, which was way past crispy and into burnt territory, the manager did replace it and comped the dish. Another person had a sandwich that had bacon, the bacon was so burnt it was inedible... What is going on in the kitchen that the cook is not aware something is bring overcooked, and goes ahead plates the food and sends it out to the guest? Not like it was swamped with orders either...dont think we will return. Service was fine, our waiter was friendly and tried to make things right. read more

Soup was tasty beer was cold. I have a few things i would like to try when i get back that way. Service was very friendly and attentive. read more

Giving one star to this dive is being generous. The owner and proprietor, Dave Mede is about as friendly as Scrooge, the food is as bland as the menu, and the place is apparently staffed by teenagers who are more interested in sneaking cigarettes than serving customers. I'm actually surprised that nobody's been pinched for underage drinking. This place has the ambiance and atmosphere of an abandoned building, and the barmaid looks bored to tears. If you want a lonely, depressing place to watch people hold onto their beer with both hands, like it's going to fly away, while you eat a equally depressing meal, then this place is for you!! The only thing missing is funeral dirge music. Just say NO... read more

We recently held our Wedding there and we couldn't be more happier with the entire Embers staff as well as Theresa Wolf. The staff was on point, the food was better than excellent and the reception hall was done up to perfection. This is a day my wife and I will remember forever. Excellent job to Theresa and her staff. Thank you so much Embers. ......oh the speakeasy was a plus!!!! read more

We ordered our Thanksgiving dinner from Embers. It was a pre-cooked turkey with sides , pie, and a bottle of wine. The instructions said to heat the turkey for 30 minutes. I used a digital thermometer to check temperature and had to warm it for 75 minutes at 350 degrees. The Thermometer said it was 145 degrees. However when I tested a inch from the outside it was 180 degrees. I was worried about drying out the breast after reheating for so long so I decided to start cutting. As I worked my way down the breast bone I found that the turkey was raw in the middle still. I believe they tried to cook the turkey while it was still frozen or only partially thawed. While the turkey had been reheating I had to go back to Embers to pick up our rolls that they had forgotten to give us. Another issue we had was that it was suppose to come with a pumpkin pie. There was a pie but it had marshmallows all over it and it looked like chocolate on top too. The guy looked at it and assured us it was a pumpkin pie. Well when we cut into it we found that it was some type of chocolate pie. (maybe a smores pie?) Definitely no pumpkin here. He also tried to give us a bottle of white wine when we had ordered red. We were able to get that corrected. I have attached a pic of the raw turkey and pie. This was not a good experience. read more

Embers - Pumpkin pie? Nope. It was some kind of Chocolate smires pie that the guy assured us was pumpkin. - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

See all

The front of the house here is horrible. Food was ok. Expensive for what u get. Tots were mushy and cold. Ice tea was old and foggy ice in all the drinks. That's horrible. Appetizer came out before drinks. Understaffed with servers. But 3 food runners. Bathroom floors sticky. We asked for Chips and salsa we where with young kids server asked manager and my wife heard the manger say. " don't waste ur time going to the back just tell them no". They have chips and salsa on the menu. Dip and Chips. And nachos with salsa. Geesh. Customer service. When we walked in manger/hostess gave us menus and said sit where ever u like and handed them to us. It's a bar not a restaurant. Place needs help. Never again will I go here and I'll Be sure to tell people my experience. Just be better. read more