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.

Sports bar with good Polish food and the vibe of a tiki bar mixed with a pirate bar with multiple…read morebocce alleys out back. This place is a little slice of heaven. Established (as the wall told me) in 1936, I expected "Polish" to be in menu alone...and I was wrong. The gal behind the bar had an accent. Halfway through the Bears game, I started hearing folks concerning and cheering in Polish. I felt like I had slipped into a cool little club to which I would never have otherwise been invited. Loud (but not too loud) and boisterous. I read some other reviews talking about rude regulars: rubbish. Chicago is loud and direct. If you don't like that vibe, the shoulders in this city may just be a little too broad for you. The pierogi and the pyzy were great, both served with sour cream. The beers, while not draft, had a wide, Euro-leaning selection but still respected some local favorites (Old Style). Good food. Good folks. Confusingly brilliant ambiance. You're missing out if you skip The Log Cabin.

What a spectacular venue with exceptional customer service, views of the water, great service and…read moremenu. Will definitely be back!

Excellent experience and meal at Foxtail to celebrate a first year wedding anniversary. From start…read moreto finish, our meal was excellent. Service was excellent and Shelly took great care of us - attentive, kind, and thoughtful. We started off with the grilled octopus and the pork belly bruschetta which are two of their top appetizers in my opinion. We loved the grilled octopus so much, we ordered it twice. We ordered the grilled pork chop and the filet which were cooked beautifully. The presentation was beautiful which matched the flavor of both. Lots to choose from on the dessert but we settled for the banana sticky pudding which was decent. Nice cocktail and wine list options. Overall, excellent meal and worth the far in advance reservation. The decor of the restaurant is warm and inviting. Highly recommend.

Great spot friendly bartender great prices. Bears fans…read more When in town ensure to stop by you won't be disappointed.

Great service, bartenders are quick to serve you & always fun to talk to! Drinks are delicious and…read morevery reasonably priced, pizzas are great, and with pool, darts, bowling games, & golfing games, you never get bored. All the regulars are very kind, and they make you feel like you've been going there for years even if it's your first time visiting. Highly recommend the bar to all of my friends & family in the area.

Beacon Tap is an awesome local spot and a great go-to for both Des Plaines regulars and visitors…read more The atmosphere is welcoming and fun, with plenty going on, weekly bingo nights, themed menus (their St. Patrick's Day food is always a hit), and live musicians from time to time. The menu has something for everyone, the drinks are solid, and it's a great place to catch a game or just hang out. Owner Tommy is fantastic and truly helps make this place feel like a neighborhood staple. If you're looking to support a local establishment with great vibes and community energy, Beacon Tap is it.

Asked if a seat was taken? Then was physically shoved away because someone thought I was trying to…read moretalk to their ugly girlfriend. I defended myself but was kicked out by her bartender because "hes a regular." And the bartender "didn't recognize me." So violence is allowed Aslong as you're a regular

We recently made our way to Yana's for an after dinner cocktail on Valentine's…read more They take reservations which is nice for a cocktail spot! We had reservations for 9pm and were able to be seated straight away. We arrived to find the address brought us to a barber shop. Fortunately, my husband had done some research and knew the drill--we made our way to a organ against a brick looking wall. On top of the organ was a bell--we rang the bell and shortly after the brick wall swung open and a woman came out to greet us. She had us play a tune on the organ and then brought us back into the speakeasy. The vibes are pitch perfect. Dimly lit with candles on tables and artful films playing on screens. We loved it. We were greeted straight away and brought water. You can also get a full meal here which we did not know but noted for our next visit. They had a special Valentine's menu as well as their regular cocktail menu. For my first cocktail, I got the paper plane which was light, lemony, and lovely with the adorable touch of a small paper plane pinned to the cocktail with a clothespin. For my second, I got one of their Valentine's specials which was essentially a Boulevardier made with a small float of mezcal on top. What an amazing addition to this classic cocktail! Truly, gave it added dimension, depth, and smoky flavor. I loved it. We also enjoyed their Valentine's dessert special, which was princess cake. It was a lovely blend of tart raspberry and warm almond--we loved it! The service was lovely throughout our experience. Get to it!

This place is so unique, quaint and eclectic. Tucked into a barber shop, you enter through ringing…read morea bell on a piano. Highly recommend the tuna carpaccio and Milada's Aura. It's fun to watch the bartenders make all the fun cocktails! Great for date night, friends night out or much needed solo drink after a long week.

12/28/24 - While we loved going to Bourbon & Brass. This is a cool speakeasy on the second floor…read moreof the Des Plaines Theater. When I was a kid I use to go to the Des Plaines Theater & watch movies for 60 cents (ahhh nostalgia trip down memory lane), but I digress The speakeasy inside the Des Plaines Theater is an awesome idea. The show was awesome but the one MAJOR MAJOR issue I have is the bartender who continued to serve my sister's friend. He was obviously very very drunk to a point where he could barely walk wo/stumbling. He was slurring his words. Both my sister & I asked the bartender not to serve him anymore alcohol but she kept serving him drinks even after we asked. She continued to serve him even after we asked her not to. When he and my sister left she told me he tried to put the key in the ignition 14X's before she convinced him to let her drive. Your bartender's need to be aware of a persons level of intoxication. Both my sister & I asked her not to serve him anymore drinks but she continued to serve him. Thank God my sister was able to convince him to let her drive home otherwise what was an excellent evening could have ended tragically. Please have your bartenders be more conscious of a persons level of intoxication. While I gave Bourbon & Brass a 5 star review I need to down grade that for over serving someone alcohol even after both my sister & I asked her to stop serving him

I heard there was a speakeasy at this theater, so we had to stop by to check it out. Free parking…read moreat the lot behind or ramp. There was a show that evening, when we entered the theater, the usher asked to see our tickets. I asked how to get to the speakeasy and the usher pointed to the elevator, take it to the second floor. Once we got to the second floor, more ushers greeted us and informed us there's a jazz band performing and small cover charge. As soon as we paid and entered through the bookshelf, the room was beautifully arranged as a lounge with fancy and vintage sofas and couches. Kind of reminds me of someone grandma's house. The bar had snacks available, otherwise more drink options. The band played good songs too. Definitely recommend if you're in the area and jazz fan.

So far i have only tasted their thin cruwt pizza and it was delicious!!!…read more Its one of those neighborhood bars that you can go to, to hang out watch sports and if you frequent the place often enough im pretty sure you will get to know everyone! I have yet to try more things on the menu but i would recommend their thin crust pizza with your toppings of choice! Definitely going back! Happy eating!

Masha at Countryside Saloon in Des Plaines is absolutely the best! She really knows her customers…read moreand remembers exactly what they like. She always checks in to make sure everyone has what they need, and somehow manages to refresh your drink before you even have to ask. Masha is incredibly attentive to everyone in her section and works tirelessly to keep things running smoothly -- from making sure the wait staff has their orders fulfilled to ensuring every guest is happy. Her professionalism and warm personality make her a true standout at Countryside Saloon! Updates: James at Countryside Saloon in Des Plaines is an outstanding bartender. He's incredibly attentive to his customers and always seems to anticipate what people need before they even ask. James is approachable, kind, and genuinely cares about the people he serves. You can tell he takes pride in making everyone feel welcome and comfortable. His empathy and warm personality make him one of the best in the business -- a real asset to Countryside Saloon!

Illusion's is your standard bar. Kid you not. Don't expect…read morecourtesy, kindness, nothing. Simply know what you want and order your food or drink. A friend and I went here on a Thursday and it was empty inside. Had to have been a party of 3 old dudes getting ready to leave. You could tell they were regulars. No greeting when you enter and the lady (who I would later learn was the manager), looked like she was on her last straw and nerve. Type of person to be very mean and rude but would say they're not, they're just direct. Mmmmh! Wasn't a clean table in the table and took forever to get a menu and water. When I asked about happy hour that I saw advertised she simply pointed to the menu and said these without recognizing it was the regular drink menu with the regular prices. I simply ordered the chicken tenders and sweet potato fries. She swore to heaven that their honey mustard was bomb. I don't think this lady knew her elbow from her wrist. The sauce was ehh. The food itself was good but again it was bar food so I didn't expect much. I wouldn't return or anything. Absolutely not.

Great place. Got to chat with one of the ones. Good people. From out of town but hope we make it…read moreback again someday.

I just recently started popping in here with a little bit of Saturday night regularity. Why? Well,…read moregive me karaoke on a Saturday night, near my house, and I'm not going to complain! Now, the first time I stopped in here was in the 1990's, to watch a game and eat some burgers... and I didn't go back again until the mid-2000's, just once, for karaoke. I had little kids and didn't get out much, met up with some friends and made it a quick stop for the evening, since I had to work in the morning. Here we are, 2026, and I've been in a few times in the last few months. I've got to imagine you're wondering why I'm only giving it three stars, it's the ambiance, to be honest... there's something that isn't for everyone here. I like the place, a little dive bar and a bunch of regulars, but it's not super inviting and I guess that's the issue. The crowd is also a bit on the older side and it's generally pretty dead on the weekends. The food, though... the only thing I have had and wasn't all-in on was the Caesar Wrap, because it was an oil based dressing rather than creamy and it was very messy - everything else I've had (wings, burger, fries) have been quite tasty! Yes, I'll be back, I like the Saturday-Night karaoke, the bartenders and the food.

Saturday night when your inner vocals come out to sing!!! Come out, have a drink, meet some…read morestrangers, bond over some karaoke!!! They have great daily specials, staff are friendly and great! Recommend...

This was a spur-of-the-moment choice but ended up being very fun for drinks and dinner!…read more I LOVE tiki bars and my husband noticed this one in the area near where we happened to be on Google maps, so off we went! We had about a 15 minute wait for a table but it gave us time to peruse the menu in the car. They offer many classic tiki cocktails, a page full of seasonal drinks, a page of "Designated Driver" mocktails (nice to have an option for something other than just a Shirley Temple!), Polynesian appetizers and entrees, and then Lola's Pizza. For drinks, I got the seasonal Gingerbread Painkiller and my husband got a Green Flash mocktail. (Pro tip on the seasonal drinks: check the regular cocktail menu to see how many skull and crossbones are listed under the regular version of your drink, if applicable, to see if it's a super strong one!) Mine was creamy and spicy but quite powerful. Props to our waitress, Makayla, who checked if anyone at the table was epileptic, because normally the "flash" part of my husband's drink is a strobing LED ice cube; I actually am photosensitive, so it came in the drink in non-strobe mode and just glowed an alien green. She said this was the first time it had actually paid off to ask, but I'm glad she did! The food was tasty: I ordered rumaki, an old-school appetizer of bacon-wrapped water chestnuts that you don't see very often these days, and he got loaded fries. We also got a small Lola's Pizza, which was very good, with a crisp but also chewy crust. The atmosphere here is pure tiki, with a fountain, swag lamps, bamboo, and Hawaiian-influenced Christmas music playing for the season. Lots of big groups here; everyone seemed to be having as good a time as we were! What a laid-back gem in Arlington Heights! We'll be back. Mahalo!

Discovered this place 10 mins from me! The decor is a little too much in my opinion but great…read moredrinks and vibes. Parking is a little tight too but I parked across the street at Mugs pizza and walked over. The service and staff were great! Big menu as well, next time will try the food. The restrooms are a little small too.