Not sure how anyone can rate this place higher this place stinks! Food: nothing short of just greasy junk or reheated foods. Drinks: watched bartender continuously dig a rocks glass into ice to scoop ice. Very dangerous if that glass breaks. Service: No matter how busy the place is we always have slow service. Nothing more unprofessional watching servers clowning around on the floor. My wife and I love the look of the place and we have tried to like it but after three attempts we finally gave up. Hopefully they can improve as Lockport is desperate for some better restaurants. read more

Sat at the bar on a Sunday evening - just happens that I was a bartender for 20 yrs and I was with 2 ex-servers.. I have never been treated so rudely by a bartender. The bar had 5 other people - when she finally got to us she was horrible - I cancelled the drinks before she poured them........ Never, ever again would I go to or recommend Embers to anyone..... read more

Somehow we missed this neighborhood spot even though it's been around for more than a year, we visited for the first time about a month ago. Unlike a number of the reviews on Yelp, we had a good experience with our server, Michael. He was friendly and attentive to our two grandkids. We started with the brussels for an app - very tasty. Our entrees included the brisket melt, the chop, beet salad and the Grown Up Grilled Cheese - everything was fresh and delicious and the portion sizes were generous. I would absolutely come back to try the large list of craft beers they have. read more

This is one of the best places in town. The food is outstanding and service is prompt and friendly. So happy they are open for indoor dining. read more

First let me say I would give this a 0 stars if I could. Called ahead to check on if there was a wait to be seated. Waitress said no wait now. Asked if they had high chairs available for infant, was told yes. When we arrived 20 minutes later, there was no wait but the high chairs were in use and not available. Ordering beers - we have an updated beer list at our table and each time we order the waiter has to go check and then come back and tell us it is now Not Available. This occurred 3 consecutive times. I ordered our entrees and told them to bring out loaded waffle fries at the same time as my wife's soup. They brought out regular fries and the soup was loaded with salt. Do not recommend the mushroom soup unless you like licking a salt block. Ordered the Cuban sandwich, very dry and very bland. Had to order a spicy aioli sauce to add to it, and whatever hoarseradish sauce they did bring, I had to add hot sauce to enjoy the Cuban sandwich even slightly. My wife's fish and chips were very bland. They forgot to bring me out my second beer. Had to remind the waiter 10 minutes later. Then to close, I asked for the check. They brought out another tables check to us. I immediately caught the error and they brought out the correct check, however they overcharged us by putting a beer on the tab which we had requested earlier, but was not available any longer. Only bright side to the check was I told the waiter to comp the mushroom soup because it was inedible. Needless to say I will never be back in this establishment. They have to get their sh!t together. Too many errors and the food is honestly very poor. read more

Came here for a murder mystery masquerade event. It wasn't as organized as I would have hoped for the $$ cost. It was a good time, but the line for drinks was uncalled for, dinner was served later than I would have expected. They seemed to have waited 30-45 minutes to start the event for all the sold ticket holders to arrive. Which is nice for those folks but not for the ones already ready to start promptly when the event was supposed to start. The food and drinks were amazing! Prime rib, cheesy mashed potatoes , grilled veggies, salad, and chicken, for dessert they had two options. I went with the snickers cheesecake. Would go back for a regular bar night. read more

I came here on a week night with my girlfriend looking to grab a quick bite and some drinks. We were told there was a nice outdoor patio area. When we walked in there was a group of servers all talking. Didn't welcome us, just said "pick where you want to sit"...I asked if there was any room outside for us. They all sort of looked confused and the one said I'm not sure. My girlfriend and I went up the stairs with nobody behind us. We walked outside and there were four tables with people eating and drinking. I was a bit frustrated that the servers didn't know if there was room or not because there were plenty of tables open. We sat down, no menu's figuring someone will come up. Waited about 10 minutes and a bus boy asked if we had been helped yet. Told him nobody bothered, so he grabbed us a menu and said it would be a minute. Waited another 10 minutes and nobody came up. We got up and as we were walking down the stairs someone was making there way up and asked if we were moving downstairs. HA! Left instantly. I don't know who runs this place but your servers suck. I've talked to a few other people who had similar experiences. All said the service was garbage. I would never recommend anyone to go to this poorly run establishment. read more

This place was good I sat at the bar had a few beers and the breakfast burger , plenty of taps to find a beer of your liking , and the burger was really good , read more

Embers - Good burger , had the breakfast burger , - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

We ordered the nachos with just cheese and they seemed to change the cheese they used, not as good as before, it was watery. We also ordered wings boneless, instead we were given bone-in but we didn't want to bother with waiting for the correct order, we decided to eat them anyways. However, they were under cooked, so the texture was slimy and not appealing. The service also lacked. read more

Embers - Crispy Chicken Wings (8) - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

I have been coming here for the last year. Nothing has ever been consistent. You order something and they are out of it. You order something else and they are out of that also. You want to play darts or pool and they don't have quarters to give you. Fine I can deal with all of that. Tonight my wife and I sat down at the bar to eat dinner like we have done 20 other times and the bartender wanted my credit card before I could place my order. Her attitude was ridiculous. Then she wouldn't shut up while we were eating. After this experience I will never come back. I guess good help is hard to find. read more

Haven't been there in about a year. Was there last Saturday night and was very disappointed with the size and price of sandwiches. The Lockport Legend is about half the size it used to be and it costs $14.00. It's too bad I won't be back!! read more

First time I went here I had the panini and thought it was so good I went back for a second time but it wasn't as good. Atmosphere is great, especially if you can get that patio. read more

This place used to be one of our favorites. It has a very cool atmosphere and good beer menu. The last 2 times we have been there the quality has fallen. The server was good and the atmosphere is still cool, however the menu has gotten a lot smaller. The food came out extremely quick and was not very good. We order nachos they literally were chips, microwaved cheese sauce that was luke warm and diced chicken that was grilled before and reheated and not hot. My wives sandwich she said was good but my burger was okay. I really hope this place regains it's magic read more

Friendly staff, okay food, slow service, wide range of drinks and only a short distance from my house. I like their bloody Mary's which is what keeps me going back. They had a really great garlic soup but I've only seen it on the menu once. I want that garlic soup in front of me right now! I like their nachos with pulled pork, their burgers are okay if you want to wait the time it take to pump out an entree. Brussels sprouts are good and so are the chicken wings. Embers as a business, they always try and accommodate their customers dining in, renting their banquet hall or throwing a festival. They are team players and will make sure you have a good time and satisfied when at working Embers. read more

We just moved to Lockport a few months ago and found this great restaurant or casual dining. We have been back several times. It is on my list of favorites read more

Food was good service sucks and the atmosphere is just outdated and run down. I wouldn't recommend

Went for Dinner tonight. Food was excellent! There was 8 of us and everyone was very happy with their dinner. Waitress was speedy as well. We will be back. read more

I've had stiffer drinks at an AA meeting. Nice place, plenty of seating and patio areas. I did not eat here but the food looked pretty good. The problem with this place is the service and the drinks. Takes forever to get a drink from the bartenders or the wait staff. The drinks are very weak. Doubt you even get a full shot per drink. read more

I used to love this place and I've been here a million times so I expected business as usual today...NOT the case! There were 3 of us on a Friday at 1pm and only 1 other table in the whole place. It took over 45 minutes to get our food which was only sandwiches and fries! The food was mediocre at best. I wish they never changed their menu..very disappointing. We had to get up from the table to search for our server or anyone to get us more water and we had to get up and go to the bar to pay our bill because the server didn't come back. Such a ridiculous experience and needless to say we won't be back. read more

First tried the food at the Lockport Canal Days and it was really good. The restaurant experience wasn't so good. Our appetizers were the garlic Parmesan size and the brussels sprouts and they both came out very cold. I ordered the steak kebabs with the lemon rice so I expected to be somewhat more of a Greek style. However it came out with tortilla chips. It was very odd. Steak was super tough. We do. Has a burger rare. However half of it was well done and the other half was rare. Very strange. I really wanted to like this place. read more

First time trying Embers. Food and service was excellent!! So glad to help a local establishment!! I will be back.

Like most of the "trendy" folks who frequent this place (especially in Summer), it's nice to look at but has zero depth and personality. Prices are in the Naperville/North Side range which is ridiculous considering other venues in town are substantially less. Food is typical, generic bar food nowhere near approaching "gastro pub" level as stated. Skip it and go to a smaller local bar/eatery that avoids pretentiousness like Embers. read more

I have heard great things about this place in the past. We have drove by it many times . Lockport had the Canal Fest going so we stopped in. We ordered their famous broccoli appetizer and it did not disappoint.It was seasoned and tasted fantastic. I was served an ice cold Coors 16 oz for 3.00. Then my wife and I split a chicken finger basket which was good also. They have a lot of tv's playing sports all around and the best part the volume was not up or like some bars who think if they crank up the decibels it will make it more exciting. Kelly the bartender was attentive and talkative. Looking forward to going back. read more

Food is ok. My spinach dip was very oily. Waitress sucked... she didn't smile once and didn't refill our drinks. It was dead too. Thought third time would be a charm for this place but the only thing that's good about it is the atmosphere. Could be great if the staff was better. read more

Stopped in for a hopefully quick bite, but the service and food didn't deliver. Our server was not very attentive, spending a good amount of time sitting at the bar. As a result, two groups seated at least 10 minutes after us had the orders taken before we did. The spinach and artichoke dip was greasy and looked like it was microwaved. Chips were ok. Bacon on my girlfriend's mostly tasteless Avocado BLT was overcooked and greasy. Her fries had a burnt aftertaste, as if the oil hadn't been changed in awhile. My cheeseburger was decent, but not worthy of the $13 price. Best item of the meal was the pretty basic tater tots. When my girlfriend tried to approach the manager about the issues, he barely looked up from his computer. Not coming back. read more

I love their beer selection & location, but I've had not so great experiences here. around 5:00 PM on a Wednesday i sat at the bar by myself waiting for my friend that works a few blocks away. Within less than 15 minutes a shit show almost caused me to leave. Starting with waiting to order a drink. Unfortunately I did not realize that 2 barstools down from me was a very troubled, maybe over served woman who was going to not only rudely bother me but also make it more difficult for me to order a drink. Bartenders maybe didn't want to serve me because they wanted her out & she was "insisting" on buying her & I a drink which I thanked her & denied multiple times.... drunk woman finally leaves and as I have a full drink by myself I decided to go play the slots around the corner. I do not gamble much but there is a game there that my husband & I enjoy. I walked to the machine which has a small corner from where I was sitting and stuck my $20 in. After a spin I noticed the machine said an amt a bit higher & I didn't just win some bonus round. No sign or person was around so I figured maybe I got "lucky" maybe the drunk who was harassing me was playing & forgot idk. After a few minutes a very upset young woman walked up to me & told me she was playing that machine & had about $22 in it. I in all honesty said "oh is that what happened?" I was confused & never would have played if i knew someone was on it. she continued on with a RBF tone agreeing that of course i wouldn't have. I told her if there was a sign on the machine i would have known- (the stack of signs were to the right of me) so then she went on telling me how she "actually worked there & her manager needed her for a minute so she didn't put up a sign" I cashed out & gave her $20 & then she had the nerve to tell me that I could play it now because it's "whatever" I would have left if my friend wasn't almost there. I waited for him outside feeling extremely uncomfortable. Once back inside I saw that same "employee" drinking at the bar. Staff needs to be trained to handle over served customers & not use their place of employment as a condescending stat. My friend was upset that online it said they had specials & they didn't. IDGAF about that Btw the drunk woman never bought my drink ‍ read more

High end beer selection helps keep the trash of lockport out

The whole staff was very rude and unprofessional. After asking to see the manager, the manager threatened me. I was very afraid of the whole time while I was there. I wouldn't even take my goldfish to this establishment. read more

First time walking into the place, really looking forward to trying out Embers. the bartender was the most ignorant rude bartender I have ever had. She was a blonde girl working the evening on Sunday October 2. I couldn't believe how rude this girl was I 100% will not be going back there ever to try it out. Will not recommend to anyone. She should be completely fired on how bad she made this place look. read more

Our waitress Jessica was very attentive and knowledgeable. We got the jalapeño poppers (pic added) that we're awful. She Went out of her way to make us and brought us a basket of bacon while they prepared something else. Beers were brought before we finished our current brews and even though they were busy with Star Wars trivia, found the time to check on us and even chit chat. Great service! read more

Embers - Their version of Jalepeno Poppers. They taste as awful as they look. Save your money and disappointment. - Gastropubs Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

See all

I actually like this place, good beer, decent food, I like this place!! The service is awful!! Our waitress told us.. not my table! I don't appreciate that at all!! She completely ignored us for 20 minutes! Nobody wants to wait that long for a waitress to tell you that!! TOTALLY RUDE AND UNACCEPTABLE!!! Never going back again!! read more

Short review: our server was attentive, our food was excellent (6 different dishes plus apps), and the beer selection is above average for everywhere in Homer/Lockport. Long review: got there at 5:20 on Friday night. Hostess rolled her eyes when we turned down a high top (-.5) (we have 2 small children) but gave us a seat for our party of 8 within a minute or two. Our server was friendly, prompt, and attentive . Didn't catch her name but was wearing an urban camo shirt. They were out of 3-4 beers on the menu (-.5), but she made some knowledgeable recommendations as replacements. We ordered some apps: pretzels with a very good beer cheese sauce and an average marinara and spinach artichoke (I didn't eat it as I am straight). Dinner was pretty diverse- wings (solid- crispy and flavorful), breakfast burger (tasty combo of egg and maple bacon), mac n cheese (good but a little breadcrummy), margherita pizza and the Lockport Legend. No complaints on any food, drinks came quick and cold, and the server brought the check as soon as we asked (baby was getting fussy). We have been here 3-4 times before and our experiences were very mixed- usually service being the issue. It wasn't tonight! read more

We sat at the bar on a slowish Saturday afternoon. Not too busy. Food seemed to take a long time to come out even though we watched him plug it into the computer as soon as we ordered it. Food wasn't good, panini was mushy and my friends fries were cold. Good selection of beers although some were out of stock. Went here bc online it said they have the impossible burger. The do NOT carry it anymore. The only vegan options were mushroom panini and Brussel sprouts, and salad. read more

We have been here a few times and every time the service was slow. In fact, it was so slow, our table had to ask the waiter not once, but twice, about our food. We were hoping for a fun place to catch up with friends, have a few spirits and eat a good dinner when needed. It is our not our favorite place in Lockport. read more

Me and the wife had dinner here tonight, so disappointing. We ordered the Brussels sprouts with garlic aïoli, and the sprouts came whole. Every restaurant you go to they are cut in half so the middle is cooked, and of course the middles were hard. We sent 3/4 of the bowl back. I ordered sweet potato fries with my sandwich and they were ice cold and soggy. I asked to replace them with tots and the were room temperature and old. Our waitress could care less that my food was bad, all she did was ok I'll take it away. It's such a cool place with the outside, but you can clearly tell the restaurant is ran poorly because at 6pm on a Friday, Maybe 8 tables used. 6pm on a Friday I would expect the manager walking around making sure everything is good. We were there over an hour, I never saw anyone that looked or acted like a manager. P.S. tell your wait staff if a customer has an issue, ADDRESS IT, don't just take the food away like it's normal. read more

I used to really like Embers Taphouse. With new restaurants opening up in Lockport they are going to have to get back to the quality they used to have. One of the things we ordered yesterday was barbecue pork nachos. They were very sad. They o longer melt cheese over them. There was just about 3 tablespoons of some cheese sauce. Very few beans. No sour cream or guacamole. Not willing to pay money for poor quality when they used to be so much better and now we have other options for a decent sit down casual dinner. read more

We aren't from the area and stopped in after a recommendation from a local. So glad we did!! Can't go wrong with good food and a cool location. We came on a Friday night so it was busy but we didn't wait long at all. Service was awesome and we loved the food. I am not much of a beer person but the Hardball with blood orange was awesome and they had PAGES of beer choices. Good wine options too. Very reasonable price and great quality food. We were impressed!! Overall a great place and if we happen to be in the area again we would definitely stop back in. read more

The best thing about our whole experience was the host. Beyond him, it was not good. Online menu is NOT accurate, the real menu is about a 1/3 of the size and does not have detailed descriptions (i.e. bacon comes on the california panini, the KIDS mac & cheese has BEER cheese sauce). Beyond that, service was incredibly slow. Half the table got beer, waited 25min for the other half to get drinks. Had to ask for missing items once food came 2-3 times before we got them. Actually took our ticket to the bar to pay the bill b/c our server was sparsely seen. Slow, slow, sloowwwwww...so if you're cool with dinner taking 2 hours, (no appetizers/dessert, JUST dinner) then this is your place. The ambiance is cool but everything else needs some work...well accept for the amazing host. read more

Hoping they can find more staff to keep this Lockport staple open- ambiance is great but lots of improvements are needed.

We've been in here a handful of times since it opened... and we USED to love it. Something must've changed over time because now it's a mediocre spot at best. It's a beautiful restaurant inside with a great beer selection, but that's about all it has going for it anymore. They've changed their menu and are missing some of our favorite dishes (and what they do have isn't as good as it used to be)... the service is terribly slow (even on a Monday night with only a few patrons)... and the food portions and beer pours aren't worth the prices charged. Overall we may stop in for a beer or two from time to time in the future, but we'll probably plan on eating somewhere else. read more