Yana's has a really cool vibe. When you get there you'll ring a bell and a "special " door opens…read moreinto the restaurant. The ambiance, from the lighting, music and decor is very seductive! We had caviar and drinks that were served in fun glasses and were topped with pretty little flowers. The whole experience really blew us away! I could've stayed all night but it was a stretch on the pocketbook. I truly recommend Yana's especially if you want to impress your friends. Great experience all around!

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!

Very cute little trendy place in downtown Northbrook. It is labelled as 'lounge" only you dont see…read morethe actual words 'Next Door" so its a little confusing from that aspect. Its actually the 'Next Door' to Eataco. The drinks are insta-friendly, very cute for pics. I had the lychee drink which was really good with real fruit inside of it. Was at here for a a private party and the good from Eataco was provided, Ive had Eataco before and it's usually really good but a couple of items (elote and quesadilla) were a little bit strong on the salt. The rest of the dishes were good especially if you're a fan of onions!

Stopped by for a visit, and honestly, Next Door Lounge wasn't what I expected after finding it…read moreonline. The space felt really tight, and the atmosphere didn't quite match the vibe I was hoping for. It seemed a bit unkempt, with worn furniture and a general sense of neglect. Definitely not the most comfortable spot to relax--felt cramped and not very inviting. I was not too fond of the service. And to top it all off, the menu prices were pretty steep - $16 for a cocktail. But since I'd already made the trip, I figured I might as well try one anyway. I ordered the ROSE-LY, which was OK. It's made of ketel one rose, fresh lychees and syrup, grapefruit, and Josh rose wine. Honestly, I cannot say it was worth the price.

Finally got to visit on a day they were actually open! Me and a couple friends had some delicious…read morecocktails, and the bartender was super helpful and friendly. Definitely you do over.

We went out with Park Ridge friends last weekend and they took us to this charming bar. I read a…read morefew reviews that said that Pines Room has a small town vibe. I disagree--I am a Chicago boy and it has a big city hidden gem quality about it. In fact, they promote themselves as a speakeasy. Of course you can get any cocktail you want, but my husband and I both opted for a special strawberry cocktail made with Hendrick's gin. It was refreshing, not too sweet, and garnished with a dehydrated lemon slice. Perfect! Our friends both ordered old fashioned cocktails that looked equally as good. It was a Saturday night and this tiny bar was jam-packed. We had to stand, but it was okay because we had only stopped in for one drink before heading to another restaurant for dinner. The bartenders were friendly and efficient. Prices are not inexpensive, but average to what you'd find in a downtown Chicago restaurant. If you''re looking for a cool place to hang in Park Ridge with a craft cocktail and have a small bite (they have a limited food menu, too), Pines Room is the place.

Social Inn has been on my to-try list for some time.  My husband and I finally had a chance to…read morecheck it out on a Monday evening recently.  I made a reservation via Tock that I already had an account for years, so that was simple. On a weekday evening, as expected, the restaurant was not busy.  We were promptly seated at a 4-top table (2 × 2-top) against the right wall, with some other 2-tops on both sides.  Like many reviewers had mentioned, the venue was beautiful, modern and chic. There were 7 tables occupied, including us.  The music that they had was not too loud, just that customers' conversations were amplified by the box shape open dining area.  If we focused enough, we could hear every conversation if we wanted to.  This was obvious when a table of about 6 women got seated at a table near the front door, some of them laughed and talked very loudly.  My husband and I just found it funny and didn't let that bother us.  However, when the restaurant is filled on busier days, it might be a different story. Our server, Patrick, was very nice and attentive.  Since they did not list drinks on their menu except those with alcohol, I asked him about non-alcoholic drinks.  After a brief "discussion", he asked me to leave it to him to make me a drink with mango.  He came up with a beautiful drink that was good and refreshing, with some mango flavor.  It was Virgin Paloma on our receipt for $8, which was reasonable.  He was very polite and checked in on us several times at appropriate times during our dinner.  The pace of the dinner was good, we spent a total of an hour and 15 minutes in the restaurant. Patrick might be the only waiter serving all the tables that evening, though. I also ordered Grilled Octopus ($22) which was very good, tender and flavorful, but was a little too salty to my taste.  The small pita bread wedges were warm and fluffy with some crispy edges, the beet hummus was creamy, and everything was delicious and tasted fresh.  I generously shared 2 little bites of octopus with my husband and I finished the entire plate, it was so good!  My husband really liked his Spiked White Fish ($29) and I shared a bite of that too.  He also had a House Salad for $6, that was a very good value.  He enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc Crossing ($12) too.  We also shared an order of Crème Brulee ($8), that was creamy and cooked perfectly.  We ordered a takeout order of Rigatoni with Sausage ($23), that was a good portion, and was still delicious and al dente the next day after being microwaved. I am so happy that we found Social Inn - a hidden gem in Plaza del Prado, it's not far from home, with comfortable and beautiful ambiance, excellent service (from Patrick), an attractive menu with enticing food (fresh ingredients and appealing plating), and reasonable prices, we will definitely be back!

It's been a while since I went to Social Inn. They used to be open for lunch as well as dinner, and…read morethat was easier for me to get to. We were in the area late in the day and remembered Social Inn was open, so we went. We ordered a variety of items. I had the Social Burger (at least 1/2 pound), we also ordered their chicken dinner salad and the beet hummus. Everything was delicious. I did order my burger medium and it was delivered well done, but it was still good. They also have one of the best gluten-free buns I've ever had. I do wish they were open at lunch time still, but I understand they need to be open for their busiest hours. Social Inn is a great option when you are in the Glenview area.

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.

The restaurant is located off route 60 in Lake Forest, on a back road just off the highway near…read moreHalas Hall. The majority of the patrons seemed to be Hotel guests or business meeting attendees enjoying a quick meal and a drink before ending the work day. The restaurant, located in the Hotel lobby, has a large bar and offers partial booth and table seating. The menu offers basic appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches and offers a few entrée selections. The cod in the fish & chips was good; however, the fries were limp and did not taste fresh. The grilled garlic chicken and asparagus was pretty good and the server was great! I would definitely go back if I had a colleague staying at the hotel; however, wouldn't seek out the Oaken otherwise for a night out. The ambiance is lively, with background music and the bar offered a variety of cocktail and wine options.

Solid American restaurant inside Hyatt Place. Great option especially when its too cold to go…read moreoutside or if you're looking for a nice quiet business lunch. The burger was delicious and came out promptly. While there are other options in the surrounding area, this place does the trick especially if you don't want to bother traveling too far out of the way!

It was surprisingly crowded on a weekday night so we sat at the bar. For my drink I got a spicy…read moremargarita and it was really good--very refreshing with a kick. For appetizers, we got the sesame rolls, and they were super soft and fresh. I also tried bacon wrapped dates for the first time (so I have nothing to compare these to), and they were alright but I thought the cheese was sort of overpowering. For food, I got the brick chicken and it came with a side of crispy cottage potatoes. The chicken with the garlic thyme jus went well together, and the potatoes were so crispy and delicious. The sticky date cake almost tasted like pumpkin bread because of the spices I was tasting. Overall the food was good, but I wasn't blown away by anything I ordered. Although our server was really friendly and helpful, I felt that the service was lacking and it took awhile to be checked on to order our drinks and food, but maybe they think it's best to just leave customers alone and allow them to take their time. He also gave us our check without asking if we wanted dessert or anything else. He apologized and made sure to ask if there was anything else we needed before we left which I appreciated.

I enjoy many restaurants in the Ballyhoo family so have been looking forward to checking this one…read moreout, but unfortunately it didn't live up to it's big sisters (Pomeroy, Sophia's Steak to name a few). The service was one of the worst, bizarre experiences I've had a restaurant. When we first sat down we had empty glasses of water, which my husband claims is always the first sign that a restaurant isn't on it's game. We asked the waiter for water giving them a chance to redeem themselves, but had to ask again, again and again. Our waiter himself did seem to be off his game. We placed our order for drinks and had a in depth conversation with him where he promised my friend to make her a special drink that she'd love. 10 minutes later he returned and asked to take our drink order and didn't seem to have recollection of our previous conversation. It was a busy Saturday night, but still quite odd. Ordering food didn't go much better and of course we had to keep asking for water. We couldn't figure out why he didn't leave the pitcher. He did tell us that he was having a bad day (fair enough), but seemed very unsteady on his feet and we were concerned he may pass out. Towards the end of the meal someone (i assume the manager) stopped by at the end of our meal to tell us that our waiter had left due to a family emergency. We were introduced to a new very smiley and helpful server. We were a little surprised that the manager didn't offer to comp drinks, bring dessert on the house or anything else to make up which was clearly a subpar experience. However, we were mostly worried that our waiter possibly drove home in the state he was in so asked our new server to check on him later. As for the food it was fine. Apps: peekytoe crab toast (3 stars) and devils on horseback (4 stars) Entree: shared the duck tacos (3 stars) and chop't veggie with salmon (2 stars- bland) We skipped dessert, but the dessert menu did look tasty. I'd try again since i know it takes new restaurants a bit of time to get up to speed, but wasn't overly impressed in comparison to other Ballyhoo establishments.

I had my future daughter-in-law's bridal shower at the Boardroom this past Sunday. I can't see…read moreenough about the service that we received. Cesar and Nate and they were amazing. They me unload my car, set-up decorations and were there for anything we needed. I highly recommend the Boardroom for any event you may be planning. The food was delicious as well.

Amazing service and cocktails! Andrea is an amazing bartender and an absolute smoke show.read more

Our server at the Wonderverse recommended we stop in the Ghost Trap after dinner so we did. It's a…read moreneat 21 and over speakeasy with a bar and a handful of tables. I don't think there's table service here, we ordered and paid at the bar but they did bring the drinks out to the table. They had a few Ghostbusters themed drinks that aren't available at the restaurant. I had the Death Chill Slushie which was good and strong, I enjoyed that it came with a rock candy swizzle stick. Hubby had the Wax On Wax Off which was a little more sweet and more up my alley. Overall a nice place to grab a drink and relax for a bit. Cute for a date night.

Cute spot inside wonderverse! Glad we came during soft…read moreopening weekend because I can tell this place will be packed. Shout out to Hedeia (spelling may be off) at the bar. She was hustling and patient with the guests. Things to keep in mind: you are paying for the theme. Their specialty drinks run $20. Tip your bartenders appropriately on that amount. Recs for the team: qr code, menus on tables would be helpful for when the crowds pick up. Fun time!

Ever since I learned that there was a speakeasy in Lockport i've always wanted to check it out but…read moreI didn't want to go there by myself so I finally convinced my wife to visit the Speakeasy with me. We figured it would have been the perfect way to top off our evening. For first-timers it might be hard trying to find the speakeasy since at first I thought you had to access it from the Busy Street and walk up three flights of stairs. Actually you just walk inside of the Embers building, find the elevator that's kind of hidden and take it to the Third floor. I thought that the little trip up felt exclusive already. Once you're at the third floor you are treated to a beautiful array of scenery. Exit to your left and you were treated to the bar and some great tables with a cozy, intimate setting. I'm not sure if it was open seating since there was a little podium right off the elevator so we just sat ourselves. Some speakeasies require a certain dress code to keep up with the times. This one thankfully was casual though many people dressed business casual. We actually loved how the staff dressed as well. I have to try their Japanese sex drink and I absolutely loved every ship that I took. The drinks are fairly price. They did have a food menu but it was mainly snacks and small plates that were a bit overpriced. If we're having a large Gathering they have a big private room next door. This place does have a lot of great events going on as well with their upcoming Valentine's Day event that looks really interesting. It does get pretty busy as well after 7:00 p.m. from our experience. Overall, I was excited and enjoyed our visit coming to the 933 speakeasy!

933 Speakeasy is located inside Embers in Downtown Lockport. I loved that getting to the bar was…read moretruly an "in the know" experience. It just so happens that I visited the night of a holiday bar crawl in lockport so the inside wasn't set up how it normally would be. For being packed, we were still able to grab a cocktail table to enjoy our drinks at. The bar was decked out in holiday decor to get everyone in christmas spirits. My group got two rounds of drinks which included the Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned, Figgy Smalls, Christmas in a Cup, Happiness is a Warm Puppy, Milk & Cookies, and Maple Bacon Old Fashioned. My favorites by far were the Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned and Figgy Smalls. My group also loved the Milk & Cookies. The bartenders hustled to get drinks out and still took time to smoke the old fashioneds to perfection. I'd love to come back on a normal night and re-enjoy this lockport hotspot.