I went there twice. Once for dinner with my wife and daughter, and we sat in the dining room. The other time was with a friend and we sat in the bar area. See, Grumpy Goat consists of two indoor dining areas and an outdoor seating area within a slightly larger building also that has a locker room, golf shop, and meeting room. The food ranges from pub food, to sandwiches, to flatbreads, to great steaks. Both times, the bar area was louder and people tend to focus on drinks and appetizers there. There's a separate dining room beyond the bar area where full dinners seem more common. Given that my 2 trips were in November and December, don't have a good sense for the outside area. I could just see that there are several tables overlooking the golf course. On certain nights, they have live music. Great variety of drinks, appetizers, sandwiches/burgers, and entrees. Can go inexpensive, or can get a filet mignon and spent a lot. Filling choices. Prices are quite reasonable. read more

Grumpy Goat Tavern is a hidden gem. The first time we went there, my husband and I were seated in the dining room. Although the view of the golf course was phenomenal, it felt old, worn out. Since the food was exceptional, we gave Grumpy Goat another try and went on a Thursday. This time we sat in the bar. The atmosphere was so much better. The views were the same as the dining room. The best part was that there was live music. About once a month, my husband and I go on a Thursday for dinner and the music. In the warmer weather, the music is on the terrace. We usually have the artichoke dip appetizer. I get the chicken saltimbocca, my husband gets the Jambalaya, and our daughters get the Lobster Mac and Cheese. One of our daughters and I get the Vina do Campo Ribeiro white wine, the other daughter drinks the lemon martini, and my husband gets a beer from their extensive list. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

I have been here 2-3 times in the last 2 years. Food and service is always good. My comment today is there website or lack of one. When you click the website for the restaurant you are reverted to a corporate page listing 5 restaurants around the US. No information about menu etc. read more

We went on a Wednesday night. Personnel were sparse but efficient. Friendly service, steak cooked to perfection, excellent asparagus. Not a deep wine list but a decent one. Nice ambience. Will return. read more

First time here - never knew there was a restaurant tucked away at this golf course. Cute place, menu had lots of choices, food was good. We wwre seated oright away and the service was good. read more

My church group, the DayTrippers, went to The Grumpy Goat Tavern prior to a matinee performance at ECC. There were 20 of us and we were treated royally by our server, Ava, and got in and out with separate checks for the performance. The food was superb as was the service! read more

Grumpy Goat Tavern - The DayTrippers - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Decent food, fun atmosphere. I'll go back. It didn't meet the high expectations I had based on all the reviews, but it was a good place.

Everything was surprisingly delicious, we also had the French onion soup, that was a hit as well. Prices are unbeatable for the quality and quantity! I will make this a staple restaurant for sure! read more

See all

The service was extremely slow. The prices were reasonable. My Chicken Saltimbocca wa very good . My wife's shrimp pasta was not the shrimp was overcooked and not deveined properly. It could have used more sauce. The spinach and artichoke dip was very good. The ambience on the golf course is nice But the slow and inattentive service soured the experience. We won't return read more

Excellent food & service. Comfortable with great views of nature and the golf course.

It was a sunday brunch, and this place did not disappoint. We had steak and eggs and it was simple and perfect. Service was amazing.

What a classy place... I went there last summer and sat out on the patio overlooking the golf course. I was very impressed. Great selection of foods; we had steak. read more

Wow great food and atmosphere. Will definitely come here again! Great view, good drinks too

Just finished dinner at The Goat - great as usual. The weekly specials are fantastic, always looking forward for what new dishes they may have. The staff is great as well. We come here every week and love it. read more

What a pleasant surprise . We stopped in after a soccer game and didn't know what to expect. Everything from the kids menu to the entrees were top notch! Plenty of seating and great views of the golf course. Highly recommend . read more

Wow! A hidden gem for sure! The ambiance in the bar was great: the view of the Highlands golf course across the main wall, the Scotch plaid bar chairs, a roaring fireplace, four large TVs to watch the playoff game, and amaaaaazing food and drinks served hot and timely! Our group had the Amish chicken with mushroom and asparagus risotto, chicken nachos, the frutti da mare seafood plate, and a chicken wrap with fries--and we all raved how good ours was! The bar area and the outdoor patio (closed for winter of course) were really lovely, although I have to say that the dining room didn't look inviting at all. Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better experience or tastier food/drink options. I can't believe we haven't been here before, but our group decided it's our new favorite cozy spot! :) read more

We came back for another round but unfortunately this time the weather did not cooperate so rain kept us inside for dinner. We sat at the bar and the gal there took good care of us. If the patio is closed choose the dining room with the bar, the other room is s little too sterile for dinner unless you had a party in there. The chicken po'boy had a great mix of grilled chicken, andouille sausage and provolone cheese. The bun was tender and I added jalapeño slices for a little extra punch. Sweet potato fries were nicely cooked, crispy outside, tender inside with just exactly enough salt. The CBB (candied bacon burger) was a great mix of sweet and salty. Regular fries were perfect. The pickles and red onions offered in a tray were a nice sour addition to the sandwiches. We will return and hope to sit outside before it gets too cold. read more

Where to begin? This place was very hyped up by my date, I didn't think it was anything special. Prices are very high for what you get, service also seemed a bit lacking. I wouldn't go back. 2.5/10 read more

Grumpy Goat Tavern - Steak salad, why is this $18? - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

I absolutely loved my dinner experience here. I had the cider jerk chicken special and it was savory with lots of spices and delicious mashed potatoes. My son had the Grumpy Goat Mac and Cheese and he ate every bit of it as well--he added sousage to the order--it was all delicious to him. Without prompting, my son described Grumpy Goat Tavern as a "nice Place" and described the complimentary jalapeno corn bread muffins as tasking more like cupcakes than cornbread. I agree--they were the bomb. I finished off the meal with the bread pudding which was also delicious--but I'm biased since bread pudding is my favorite dessert. The ambiance was cozy and it wasn't too loud until a large group came in but then it quieted back down when they left. I'm not from around here and if I'm back in the area again, I will definitely come back for another meal. read more

See all

Grumpy Goat is great, especially if you are a fan of delicious flavor. It is unique for the area (cajun, creole, and other food styles associated with Louisiana), and is great. I had the Louisiana fried chicken (which is smothered in alfredo sauce and corn, and is served with various cooked vegetables, fried polenta, and jalapeno cornbread with delicious honey butter) and the bread pudding (which I'm pretty sure was peach bread pudding). All this plus a beer ran me $30, so the price is reasonable - not cheap, but reasonable. I'm straining to think of "who wouldn't I bring here" because really this place is for all occasions. Your parents are in town? Bring them here. Drinks with friends after work? Sure. First date? Absolutely. Junior's first home run? As long as Junior likes delicious food. 6 months sober? Maybe...but maybe don't sit at the bar. The place was very busy, but the service was still notably good. When I feel a restaurant deserves "x and a half stars," I always round up. So 4.5 becomes 5. This is not the case with grumpy goat. This is a solid, and well deserved, 5 stars. read more

First time here. Wasn't a fan of the flat bread appetizer. I pretty much can only taste the bbq sauce. The stuffed pork was amazing tho. I finished the whole thing. I would definitely come back for that again. read more

Grumpy Goat Tavern - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

See all

A place with potential for sure. The menu has a lot of interesting choices and the food was pretty good. Service fell short and the atmosphere was kind of off. My party of four arrived on a recent weeknight at around 7:45 pm and the place wasn't busy, but we waited nearly 15 minutes for anyone to come to our table. 4 different workers walked past our table several times each-with none even making eye contact-until I went to the hostess and asked if she could send a server. After someone came and took our order "for" our server, the server eventually came out and was attentive. Food-wise, the menu is interesting-a cross between a sports bar, Irish pub and Cajun. I had a blackened grouper po-boy and a side of dirty rice-all was good. Create your own burger options were enjoyed and due to the delays we didn't drink, so I can't comment there. read more

Honestly - I don't understand the hype. At all. We were asked if we wanted the dining area or bar - and we said dining (we were there with our 2 high school aged kids). We were the ONLY table in the dining room. Immediately when we walked in, it smelled like fishy water. And I could see no water outside - nor would I have expected it to smell like a lake inside the place. I'm sure there's some water out there on the golf course somewhere - but having to smell it was gross. And then there was the service .... I don't know if we were just the red-headed stepchildren because we were the ONLY ones in the dining room, but the service was slow. If I actually can contemplate getting up and just leaving instead of waiting around to place my order - you are taking too long. And then there was the food - which was just..... meh. I honestly just do not understand the appeal here. It's no wonder this was our first time here - so unimpressed that we won't be back. read more

Make sure to get the Groupon before you go - only $18, for $30 worth of food. I wish I could say we loved GGT, but we live almost 35 minutes away, and that's too far to make a trip back. My thoughts: FOOD: - Complimentary jalapeno cornbread muffin top was hard; tasted dry & old - Cheese curds tasted odd; definitely from frozen - Bay french fries were so coated in spice you couldn't see the actual fry - or taste anything other than cinnamon. - Kobe burger seemed dense - per my husband. He thought it was premade. - The Louisiana Fried Chicken meal was DELICIOUS. It's pretty popular on Yelp pics - and now I know why. - Tasty homemade pickles. - Coconut and marshmallow stouts were tasty. SERVICE: Friendly waiter; attentive. He was nice enough to switch out a beer flight item with another one. (One of my choices tasted the way a litter box smells - if that makes sense?) It was the sour option. I thought it was odd that the guy who was going to each table to light the candles, skipped our table. It would have been nice to have set the mood for the evening. We were there on a Saturday evening around 5pm and only 3 tables were occupied. I guess I didn't need that reservation...? If you're in the area, stop in to try the Louisiana Fried Chicken and maybe a kobe burger. Otherwise, don't drive out of your way to eat there. read more

See all

Located in the Highlands of Elgin golf course clubhouse. The interior feels like a typical clubhouse. There are loads of windows with great views of the pretty course. The owners of Elgin Public House run this place so you know the food will be good. Today five of us stopped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. There was a decent crowd. I ordered the sloppy chicken, with a side of roasted veggies. The food was very good at a reasonable price. Service was friendly and attentive. Not what I would call a convenient location, but if you happen to be at or near the Elgin Sports Complex you should stop in here. read more

Grumpy Goat Tavern - Sloppy chicken. Lots of tasty meat. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

See all

First time here. Food was very good. Homemade pickles and pickled onions for the table. Ketchup was even homemade. Good beer selection. Food was delicious. You can tell there is some talent in the kitchen. Server was very nice and attentive. We will be back. read more

See all

Time for an update since we finally visited here for their Sunday breakfast. We have visited here for dinner/lunch numerous times since they opened and the food we've tried from appetizers to sandwiches & entrees has been consistently delicious. One of their appetizers, the Stuffed Jalapenos, stuffed w/lemon goat cheese, grilled pineapple, candied bacon, piquillo sauce, deserves its own shout out in my opinion - DEEEELICIOUS! The service has always been pretty good as well and the portions are usually generous. Their breakfast did not disappoint either and it was difficult to choose from so many amazing options. The Hubs opted for the Shrimp & Grits and added a couple poached eggs as well. Before adding the eggs it was one of their pricier options at $17 but at least the shrimp were large & the dish contained 6 of them, cooked & seasoned perfectly. In addition that dish had their house-made andouille sausage and WOW, was it fantastic! It was all topped off with a creole sauce and was excellent. I had the Crawfish Skillet which was chock full of crawfish in an etouffee sauce atop creole roasted potatoes, onions & bell pepper and was very good as well. We both opted for their homemade buttermilk biscuits as our bread which were large & came with 3 different homemade topping options: creole butter, a berry (& I think bacon?) jam and apple butter. All were tasty but the apple butter was actually the best I've ever had...and my Mom would make apple butter so that is sayin' somethin'! AND they had some of the best coffee I've had in a restaurant to boot! Now we need to come back for their Friday night seafood boils...can't wait! read more

Finally got to eat here Let me start off with the place; good location and very cozy. Service was good and accommodated our request to sit at a quieter area where we can hear each other However, I asked the waiter for a straw quite a few times because apparently he keeps forgetting and eventually returned touching the tip of our straws putting them directly into our drinks ‍ Now with the food, well all of them tasted almost to perfection - I said almost because their potatoes were pretty burnt but the steak was juicy, their popular chicken dish was on point, their salmon was very tasty and their reuben will definitely make you want to go back Everything tasted so good and worth coming back. read more

See all

My first time at Grumpy was last week. I had a great experience, I ordered the salmon Orleans glazed with bourbon mustard and creole hollandaise, piquillo sauce. It also had golden raisins, pine nuts, spinach, goat cheese, chili oil, lemon and I picked white rice. This dish was very flavorful, it also came with delicious corn bread to begin with. One of my coworkers ordered their Cuban sandwich and their famous coleslaw with bacon and gave me a taste of both!! It was delicious, great service and the view is amazing. They have an outside patio as well, I will definitely go back!!!! read more

Grumpy Goat Tavern - Salmon Orleans - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Just awful. The BLT came with several thick slabs of rubbery fat - is this what passes for bacon? The burger with jalapeño came with pickled jalapeño (might have been nice to mention that they weren't fresh. Good bourbon selection but over priced with skimpy pours. We won't be back to this one. One positive - great waitress and fireplace was nice. read more

What a terrific find, thanks to Yelp. Great Borbon Old Fashioned Crawfish puff were yumm The duck bacon wrapped filet mignon was perfectly prepared top quality filet. The wines by the glass selection is top notch. read more

See all

I just received my credit card statement of the credit card I used the night we were at the Grumpy Goat and yet again, as in other establishments mainly restaurants (4) and gas staions (3) the wait staff/etc decided to increase their tip by changing the "0" to an "8" after I signed the receipt. And I'm a good tipper to begin with! Yes I balance my credit card statements just like I do my check book. I unfortunately have a small list of places I refuse to do business with because of this and I will add one more to the list. We will never be back! read more

After five visits now, I can say that I am a fan of this place. Prices are still high, but I have yet to leave here disappointed. In fact, I think I am addicted to the Bourbon Candied Bacon. Read those three words again, and let it sink in. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Really good beer menu, really good service, and a nice array of food choices. You could probably satisfy your Cajun craving if you come on the right night. We had Gator Gumbo tonight! Oh, and make sure they bring you the side of house made pickles and pickled onions. Easily the best pickles in the area. I know, pickles, but still...THE BEST! I like what I have seen here and do recommend it to friends and family. Just be prepared to pay a premium for the golf course setting. As long as the food, and service, continue to be excellent, I'll continue to pay the premium! read more

See all

Had another great experience at Grumpy Goat. The Creole Cobb was super tasty. The chic has heat, I was glad I had ranch dressing to cool it off, but all the flavor were delicious. My mom got the Cuban sandwich she loved it. She said the pickles really made the sandwich, and she also commented on the bread, saying it was unusual for a Cuban to have a multi grain bread but it was great. The four star review is for service. The bartenders are awesome, fun and knowledgeable, but the servers are slow and out of sync sometimes. It is a bit annoying, but not enough to stop me from going back. Go for the food and the beer, they are great, just make sure you have a full hour to eat. read more

Went there Friday night with a group of friends. No fish fry? in the Midwest? Had Cajun Fish and Chips, it was catfish, no tarter sauce? It was mustard sauce, it tasted like they squeezed it right out of a French's bottle. Food was fair at best, and this was the consensus of all 7 diners. Service was very good but what they served wasn't. read more

I really really like the Goat and am trying to love it.... First off the Menu is fun and usually interesting I mean come on they have a Deviled Egg of the day! We have been several times but somehow I keep forgetting to write a review. Some of the portions are on the smaller size, which can be fine as its not like they don't give you enough food. But for the price I sometimes feel a bit cheated..but just a tiny tiny bit I have had somethings I really loved ie... the stuffed Pork steak with Chili oil, then somethings that were still very good just not as memorable. I have always had excellent service and have never had an issue with waiting a long time to get food. I would rather take some time than be rushed along though. There beer and drink menu is extensive and I love the choices they make especially on the beer list. The appetizers are somewhat over price and small, but I have loved everyone we have had. And we always seem to order at least one. The last time we had excellent Crawfish Rangoon, but $9 for 5 small sized dumplings is a bit much. The Burgers a large and excellent, and taste even better on half priced burger nite. I had the Bourbon Bacon CBLT last time and it was really really good, I will definitely be getting it again. I exceeded any expectations I had for it. I do love having a fun place with great food so close, I would love to go more but its ends up being just a bit to high priced to indulge that often. This is not a negative review, I love the food, atmosphere and location and have been several time and brought people to try it.... just not as much as I wish I could.... Maybe I'm just wishing for it to be something it's not read more

The decor in this restaurant is a Scottish Highland vibe with pictures on walls of bagpipers and Scottish plaid seats. The restaurant overlooks the beautiful Highland's Golf Course which is hilly and very picturesque. Everyone is so nice there from the girl who seats you to the waiter or waitress and also to Management, the personnel are very professional and the quality food is beyond expectation! I cannot wait to go back again!!! read more

Started off with deviled eggs de jour, tonight's treat was buffalo chicken with blue cheese topping. Brian started with a bowl of chili. It smelled so good I had to try a bite. It was hard to not eat it all. Followed with fried chicken breast and a steak salad. Great views of the golf course coupled with delicious food made for a great evening. read more

See all

Louisiana Fried Chicken - panko breaded chicken breast, maque choux alfredo cream sauce, roasted vegetables, fried polenta. Ok, wow this was amazing! What a great dish, original creative and tastes fantastic! You can enjoy a Kobe beef burger or choose the certified angus, turkey, or even a veggie burger. The food has a mild Cajun orientation. My wife chose a Hawaiian Chicken sandwich and said it was the best chicken sandwich she ever had. Service was friendly attentive and efficient. It's located at a golf course, but don't be afraid. It's casual and comfortable inside. You need to try The Grumpy Goat Tavern, I'm going back for sure! read more

See all

We had read some great reviews on Grumpy Goat Tavern, which inspired us to go. We were drastically underwhelmed. First, the service, while very friendly, was incredibly slow. The ambiance of this place is like a low-budget wedding venue. The chairs are low quality, uncomfortable banquet chairs. But we could have forgiven all of this if the food had been excellent. It was mediocre. My husband began with the cheese quesadilla, which was over-crisped and nothing spectacular. I had their deviled eggs of the day, which is a specialty of theirs. It was pickled deviled eggs on this evening. They were bland and uninteresting. For entrees, we had the Salmon Orleans and the Nawlins Grouper. The salmon was correctly cooked, but under-seasoned. The grouper was drastically under-seasoned and bore no discernible relationship to any Cajun we have ever previously eaten. Grumpy Goat is trying hard to be more sophisticated than it really is. We will stick with the Patten House in the future. read more