Had the pleasure of visiting Lucky Monk Bar & Grill in Downers Grove, their second location following the success of their South Barrington restaurant. Congratulations to owners Tony and Jeremy, GM Sean, Manager Rajan, Chef Maria, and the entire team for the warm hospitality and excellent dining experience. The Buffalo Wings were outstanding, the Fish & Chips were perfectly prepared, and their selection of IPAs was absolutely delicious. From one Chef/Owner to another, I wish you continued success as you grow. Thank you for a wonderful evening, and I look forward to visiting again soon. -- Chef Sunny Le P'tit European-American Gastronomy read more

I love Lucky Monk. My friend and I have come here a few times for Happy Hour because they have great Happy Hour food deals, which I appreciate a lot as someone who doesn't drink much. The deal is half off apps, but if you enjoy an adult beverage, the house-brewed drafts are also half off. M-Th 3-6pm, dine-in only. At least that's what it is right now. I feel like it changes, so maybe call beforehand to confirm. I only got pics of the nachos this time, which really doesn't do it full justice because they're bigger than they look in the photo. Food is always good and consistent, there's nothing really to complain about regarding service or prices, and parking has always been really easy, though that could be because we typically go on Tuesdays. I imagine weekends could be a little bit busier, but the place is pretty big, so even if you have to wait, I don't think that you'd be waiting that long. The vibe is also casual and low-key. read more

Lucky Monk - Nachos. - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Gooooooooooooooooolooooood !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

I get together with old friends once a month at various restaurants. On this visit, there was just three of us. I chose this place for this month's lunch. I had been here with my daughter about 12 years ago and remembered enjoying it then. We all had burgers and craft beer. My friends went with the Mad Max (burger of the month) and I went with a peppercorn and blue cheese burger. It was thumbs up for all of us on the burgers as well as the beer, which was unique and delicious. I took no pictures that day and just enjoyed the outing with friends, but I was especially impressed with the taste of my burger. I abstained from adding any of my usual condiments, and decided to try it as is, with just their sauce. Best decision ever! The sauce was amazing and the burger was cooked a perfect medium. Like many restaurants, Luck Monk offers their regular menu, plus flyers on their specials, including beers and cocktails. Four days later, I went right back there again on my own, to formally review it with photos. I had to go with that same peppercorn burger, because it was just so good, and to make sure the first time was a fluke. It wasn't. I tried out their chili as well, which was also good. This chef knows what he is doing. This stand alone restaurant is easy to get to, and has ample parking. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful and looks high end, though I found the pricing to be reasonable. It would be a great spot to take clients for a business lunch. It's elegant looking , but unpretentious. The hostess and servers are wonderful. I highly recommend the Lucky Monk! read more

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Wonderful New Location in Downers Grove, & Outstanding Service! We had a fantastic experience at Lucky Monk's new location in Downers Grove! The food was absolutely delicious, and everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Our server, Kala, was exceptional. She was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, and made us feel so welcome from the moment we arrived. Her service really made our dining experience special. The new location has a great atmosphere, and it's wonderful to see Lucky Monk bringing its delicious food and great hospitality to Downers Grove. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back! Highly recommend Lucky Monk's--and be sure to ask for Kala! read more

The food was really good, I had the bang bang shrimp and spinach dip(it reminded me of Houston's restaurant) and appetizer. Both were shareable portions, although I did not want to share my spinach dip. It was that good!! I had the bbq salmon for my main course, I really enjoyed it, it was seasoned well and had a nice bbq flavor. My favorite was the dessert! The key lime pie was amazing. My server, Bree was very nice and attentive. She suggested the key lime pie and I am so glad she did! Beautiful setting, very spacious. The drinks were AMAZING! read more

Best place for a quick bite before the movies at the local AMC. Wish they had more vegetarian options and a few more healthy options but it's always a good time when we meet friends there read more

Recommend items: buffalo wings are meaty and tasty. Bavarian pretzel is fluffy and chewy... Just delightful! I appreciate the variety of spreads/dips for the pretzel. Cinnamon butter was great to turn that pretzel into a dessert course. Carnitas nachos and pub chili were done traditionally well which we enjoyed. Classic burger is made-to-order and unfortunately cooked more well donethan medium rare, but it was good quality meat. We needed to add salt to season the meat and fries to bring out the flavors. Service is friendly, warm and appropriately attentive. Ambiance is chill, Christmas decor is festively done. Wish the TVs were bigger, wish there were more TVs it's easier to see and not blocked by lighting fixtures. read more

Lucky Monk - The financial damage - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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This is just my favorite spot in the suburbs, I will gladly keep reviewing. I went today with a reservation I made last week for the patio not knowing wed have terrible air quality today. The whole trip was for the patio cause I saw it online and it looked so beautiful but we settled for indoors cause I did still come for the food. Last time I came we only got appetizers, today we got entrees and that parmesan chicken w vodka pasta did not disappoint at all. It was beyond exceptional. Whoever back there working the kitchen, give them a raise please. Server was super sweet too. Always a lovely time, and the food is heavenly read more

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The staff was very nice, and we were able to go here for lunch without a reservation. We got the new chicken parm tenders, twisted chicken sandwich, jumbo buffalo wings and the green chicken chilli. The Parmesan tenders were very good, I also got a side of ranch which was delicious. The restaurant was very nice but they did play a lot of Justin Bieber. read more

Lucky Monk - Twisted Chicken - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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The location is large and seating was easy. Great children's menu and a good variety of food for the adults. They are a brewery so their beverages are available to taste before actually ordering. Our waiter was fabulous. I wish I could remember his name but he was attentive and very kind. Our food was delicious. If you are in the area, I recommend you stop in. I ordered the burger without a bun and a side salad. read more

Lucky Monk - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Came here for dinner after a movie. They have a separate GF menu. My husband and I ordered the GF nachos to start. They also have fun holiday drinks on their special menu. For my entree I got the GF pizza and it was really good. My husband had fries for his side and we asked for them to be on the side so I could have some too. The service was decent. Would like to go back and try some other GF options! read more

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The Bavarian Pretzel is the BEST! The texture is soft, chewy, flaky. The cheddar beer fodue and cinnamon butter were our favorites to dip the pretzel in. One of the main reasons we frequent Lucky Monk is for the Bavarian pretzel. I highly recommend this appetizer! We had a large party of 10. We were seated in the private room which happened to be empty. It was a nice coincidence to be able to talk and spend time with our group without the bustle and noise of the busy restaurant. Our waiter was exceptionally attentive on this busy Father's Day. We had to wait a while for our orders but our waiter was generous with the little things to compensate for the wait and had a great sense of humor and demeanor. The friendly banter made the wait time tolerable, dare I say, enjoyable! The Crispy Calamari was unique being served with giardinera. In addition to the crunch, there was a kick of spice to it. It was a pleasant surprise to the taste buds. I enjoyed the hearty salad, however, would've liked more romaine than iceberg lettuce in the mix. The thing that stood out the most overall was the kid's meal portions. They were fairly close to the regular sized entrees-- definitely great value. If I threw all eating norms out the window, I'd want the Barvarian pretzel to be my appetizer, entire meal and dessert. I will definitely be back! read more

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This place is so good! It was not what I was expecting but I was pleasantly surprised. It has a really nice atmosphere that makes you want to stay in there longer! Their beer selection is great and the servers are really knowledgeable. Our server gave us great recommendations. The burger and truffle friends were so good and done just right. The salad was really fresh and it was a really good size! read more

Lucky Monk - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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What happened, Lucky Monk? The service was absolutely terrible. I had to get up from my table three different times just to flag down our server, and on top of that, the attitude was rude and unwelcoming. The food was just as disappointing. The pita bread with my hummus plate was hard, the loaded fries looked old and were greasy, and my burger arrived red in the middle even though I specifically asked for no pink. For the amount of money we spent, I expected much better service and food. Unfortunately, this was a very disappointing experience. read more

Waiter messed order up the first time, and I had to send it back for it to be remade. She was also not the best with time when we asked her for things. Very mid salad, I've definitely had better. I ended up trying 3 sweet potato fries my mom got and they were honestly better than the whole salad. For an appetizer my family and I got the spinach dip which was okay but a little on the saltier side which I wasn't a fan of. read more

Lucky Monk - Santa Fe Salad - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Great place for outstanding food cocktails and craft beer. Our waitress Maira G. Was attentive knowledgeable and friendly . I had fish tacos with elote and beer. My partner had chicken sandwich with fries and margaritas Highly recommend read more

I'm a big fan of Hopleaf and the thought of a similar place in the NW suburbs was intriguing. Man, was I wrong. Under the guise of a Belgian microbrew pub, this is actually a generic gigantic semi fancy suburban burger joint. My burger was fine and I think the other folks enjoyed their food. But maybe it's me - these places are all too big and feel kind of corporate to me. Plus, the beer selection was mediocre and there was only one, bottled Belgian available. 3 1/2 stars if you like these kinds of places. read more

There's a lot to like about the Lucky Monk. The service is friendly and the food very delicious, and the ambiance is chill, but they definitely have room for improvement. If half stars were possible, I'd give them 3.5. We stopped in for an early weekend dinner. From the time we were seated, the service was friendly and helpful, but could be a little better informed. We wanted burgers and were told they were very big, so we ordered just one to share so we didn't overeat. It turns out it was a pretty normal size, and we would have left hungry if we hadn't ordered an extra side. The burger was excellent, so tasty that I didn't notice until several bites that it didn't have the toppings I expected. They gave us a regular burger instead of the special one we ordered. But it was great and we decided not to complain. The star of the meal was a slice of key lime pie at the end. It was definitely freshly made and one of the best ones I've ever had. It was large enough to share. I had a higher rating in mind before hitting the ladies room before the end of the meal. The toilets looked like they had not been cleaned recently. I checked a couple stalls in case it was a fluke, but all of them were the same. The cleaning checklist on the wall was blank. So, it's a mixed bag. I would give them another try, but hopefully there will be some better training and cleaning in the meantime. read more

fun environment with good food! This is one of my go-to restaurant, especially when entertaining friends. We've tried many things on the menu and all have been good! read more

The menu has changed since we have been here last. We came an hour before they close and there is music playing loudly in the dining room right behind the hostess stand. My husband ordered the Chicken Parmesan and I ordered the Shrimp Farfalle pasta. Both were excellent however I was disappointed that they don't give you bread with your dinner to soak up the pasta sauce that is left over in the dish. I highly recommend you give this restaurant a try if you're in the area. Will be back read more

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Good food! 10/10 service! Overall a good restaurant when you're in the mood for burgers and good appetizers! read more

Lucky Monk - Jumbo Buffalo Wings Fried Pickles - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Stopped in to check out Lucky monk brewery on our way to barn and Brew Beer fest in Streamwood. So happy we stopped because the Beer, the food and the service were 10 out of 10. The space was massive, nice, cozy and inviting. read more

Lucky Monk - Vienna lager - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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The food is mediocre, which is the biggest offense. The service could be better, host stand kept saying a couple minutes for our reservation at 7. We waited 20mins to be seated at a table that was cramped for 6ppl. I let the waitress know that l'd prefer a different table, no one wants to feel crammed when the food comes and you have little elbow room. She said they couldn't accommodate. The appetizers were better than the entrees, but the donuts were inedible. We let the waitress know and didn't get a credit for an uneaten plate of greasy and gross donuts. I felt like I was in chili's, just not my type of place, but l've had a better burger at chili's and that's saying a lot. If you're forced to go here get the cheese curds they were tasty. This is a step up from a bad fast food chain. I don't know how they are so busy read more

Came in with some friends and our service was for lack of better words terrible :/ as all of us are industry people we get it but we were forgotten about probably 4 times and had to keep reminding our server what we ordered. Second round of drinks took 20 minutes to reach our table and only 3/5 came out, the other two came 5 minutes later. Probably won't be back anytime soon unfortunately. read more

Best food, best service, best ambiance!!! The outdoor patio is beautiful. Specialty foods! read more

I have been back to Lucky Monk several times since my first review 9 years ago... the young adult went off to college and the nine year old is now a young adult. Every visit has been stellar. The food is great, the restaurant is always clean and the service is fantastic. My favorite things to eat at Lucky Monk are the pretzel and the calamari. The calamari is so good! read more

Lucky Monk - Crispy Calamari - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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Lucky Monk has become a go-to for my long time girlfriends and me. It is convenient from so many suburbs and one can even come in from Rockford fairly quickly. I prefer the summer season because of the lovely outdoor space on the little lake. The Interior is more typical of many places. We all love the crazy big German pretzel, good beer selection, and entrees enough for everyone, food restrictions included. Staff has always been helpful and friendly. read more

Went here for Father's Day and as expected it was quite packed. Had reservations which we were seated 5-10 min after our reserved time. Overall we were there for two hours for just a table of four. After putting in our order we received our appetizer and then it was quite a long wait til our food eventually came. Server told us a few time that the kitchen was behind but it still took 45 minutes or so til our three entrees came out. A table of seven who were seated 15 minutes or so after us received their food before ours. I was really impressed by management as they acknowledged and apologized for the wait and comped our appetizer. Really really great customer service by Lucky Monk. I'm already a huge fan given the great food but the great service makes me like them even more. Now onto the food. You must get the Bavarian Pretzel. It is enormous and one of the best pretzels you'll have. The pretzel is soft and warm with a nice pillowy like texture. Cinnamon butter is out of this world. Sweet and buttery with the salty pretzel, what's not to like. The beer cheese reminds me of a nice queso and the tomato sauce is similar to a thin marinara, nice robust tomato flavor. Having three different great tasting sauces really compliment the pretzel. Classic burger, meat was nice and juicy and a great medium rare. Lettuce was a little soft and I love onions so would have liked more red onions but the beef was great. Bun held up nicely to all the ingredients and had nice light buttery crust to it. Hand cut fries were nice with a bit of chew and crisp to exterior. The sweeet potato fries were the best I've had. They had a very nice crunch to the exterior as a thicker breading and great ratio of sweet potato. A sprinkling of brown sugar on it just made it exceptional. Lucky Monk will not disappoint with the food, flavors and their service. If you're looking for a great place for burgers look no further read more

Lucky Monk - Bavarian Pretzel - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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We had a bit of a wait for a Friday night and also having a reservation we waited 15-20 mins was a little disappointing. They were packed for a Friday but we were happy to be seated finally ! Ordered a new appetizer loaded tater tots. The burgers kept coming through the dining room being delivered to tables they all looked fabulous and there were lots of food runners! Service and food were all great! I thought my husband was gonna need a stretcher to get home, luckily I was driving ! Shrimp tacos were fantastic along with the elotes! Enjoyed a hazy beer from their lineup. Definitely will be back read more

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Great service and great food! We had an amazing server, Joann, who took care of us extremely well throughout our meal. She gave us helpful recommendations, served us with a smile and made sure we never wanted for anything. We came on a Monday during happy hour and got half off drinks and appetizers. We'll definitely be back!! read more

Stopped in during the afternoon on my lunch hour and was so glad I did. The food was phenomenal. I had the 50/50 burger and it did not disappoint -- incredibly flavorful and cooked perfectly. Our server, Joann, was fantastic. She was very attentive and did an amazing job describing the menu and different options. I ended up going with her suggestions and I'm really glad I did because everything was spot on. Great food, great service, and a really enjoyable lunch. I'll definitely be back. read more

Lucky Monk Happy Hour Review! For as many times I've visited Lucky Monk, they were a bit off their game today. My partner and I sat at the bar for happy hour (half off apps from 3-6pm). The bar seemed to be lacking in stools today. We were able to grab the last set of two thankfully! There was only (1) bartender working and she was hustling to keep up with how many people were there. This was our first visit in 2 years that they've actually had their beers on tap! My partner for the Hazy IPA and thought it was pretty good! Normally they have their signature monk beers on happy hour special ($3.50 instead of $5) but they were not offering this in February. I got the Ace Perry Cider which is always refreshing and delicious. We split the Bavarian Pretzel (my absolute favorite) and the cheese curds! The pretzel is HUGE and normally comes with queso, tomato fondue, and a cinnamon butter. This time the tomato fondue was switched out with honey mustard which we didn't enjoy much. The cheese curds come with the same tomato fondue and a garlic aioli. Their apps are always yummy and really generous portions to share. Overall, Lucky Monk is such a fun place to dine. They have good, quality food and a variety beverage options to try. Know that their beers are back as well as monthly food/drink specials. Be sure to check them out if ever in the area! read more

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Went for a specific dish, poutine. Very disappointed. Cheese curds were WAY too big, actually cheese pulls. Fries were not CRISPY. And, personally speaking, the gravy was sour. Or old. Or something. Spoke to manager and explained the problem. read more

Pumped to be updating Lucky Monk from 4 stars to 5! It's been almost a year since they've had their beers available on tap and I'm happy to report THEY ARE BACK. My fiance and I were here for lunch during a cold Sunday and we were seated right away. We chose to sit in the bar area since there are TVs throughout. Service was great and quick. Within minutes of sitting down we happily ordered a monk flight which was prepared and brought over to us extremely fast. For food we decided to try the Trappist trio which consists of fried pickles, cheese curds and truffle fries. Gimme all the fried food when stressed out lol. My favorite was the cheese curds, I could eat that all day. We also ordered the nacho carnitas - this is our favorite item for apps. It's full of flavor and the pork is cooked to perfection. I can't remember a time I've been here and didn't order them. This is a very casual and chill spot. It's a great place to kick back, down a few brews and enjoy the food and company you're with. read more

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Always save room for dessert! Highly recommend the cookie skillet! I loved the deep dish apple pie as well. read more

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Visited today and had the best server. He was fun and so very attentive! I have dietary issues and he went out of his way to make sure i had a great meal ! My friends and i loved our food and the atmosphere is great ! read more

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Fried pickles are to die for! Fun environment and amazing staff. Location is great for date nights, right next to theater.

The high was the service. Nice ambiance inside. The staff was great and accommodating. The burgers were decent. I got the BBQ burger. I felt like the BBQ sauce detracted from the quality of the meat. The fries were not that great. My wife got truffle fries that were not edible and rubbery and we asked for a redo, and they came back not rubbery but just not that good. Decent place but I feel there's better for less or the same price point. read more

Lucky Monk - BBQ burger - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

We were a group of 10 who dined after a movie on Sunday! LM was so easy to work with in reserving our table and accommodating our individual checks, which is not easy! JoAnne was tremendous as our server! Everyone enjoyed and everything was delicious! Thank you! read more