Checked out this pretty busy bar and grill in Marengo. It often has things like live music going on. Niko's Pointers Saloon is one of several bars in the downtown area of this small town. A lot of room for groups. There's a surprising amount of space. Basic menu items to get. It's got better drinks than food to be honest. There's actually some pretty thoughtfully made up cocktails especially for seasons. Also lots of the beers. The cocktails include the classics and modern stuff. A lot of beers on tap along with more in bottles and cans. It's about $6 for a basic cocktail like whiskey and whatever. As for the food it's mostly meaty. They even have the salads topped with bacon so it's not good for plant based people. It's about $11 to get the Beer Nuggets. These are pizza dough rolls fried and served with marinara sauce. Actually it was better than expected. The menu also includes plenty of meaty choices if you like things like fish and pork. For sure it's one of the most popular restaurants in the area. It's located on State Street at Prairie. There's plenty of TVs for watching games or whatever. read more

Niko's Pointers Saloon - Whiskey And The Beer Nuggets - American Near Me - Marengo, Illinois

My friend, partner and I ended up going here because the restaurant we started with was closed. When we arrived my expectations were high but I shouldn't have gone in with any. There were only two people working the bartender and a waitress. We waited like 5 minutes of not longer to get a greeting . It took like 5 more minutes to get seated. We grabbed menus to get an idea of what we might want to eat. I went into the restaurant part looking for an employee. She was wiping down empty tables saw me but never acknowledged my presence. The bartender saw us standing waiting to be seated and also didn't acknowledge us. I didn't understand why it took so long to get seated there were only 3 people at a table and the rest of the restaurant was empty. There were a few people at the bar. When we finally got seated the waitress asked if the table was dirty we said yes but she didn't wipe it or anything. She was saying that she had like 35 boys come in to eat and messed up the whole other side of the restaurant. She got us our drinks and then asked if we were ready to order. We said Please give us a few minutes to decide. When she took our order she was nice. When we got our food my friend ordered the Niko burger the bacon was rubbery and not even half cooked. She poured A1 sauce on the side and it was very watery it wasn't thick like normal A1 sauce should be. My partner ordered chicken fingers the meat inside was good and had the crisp on the outside, I ordered an Italian beef sandwich it was good but only had meat on half the sandwich and didn't melt in your mouth. I was only given a very small 2 tablespoons side of au jus. The waitress got us our refills but wasn't attentive like I would expect considering we were the only people in the restaurant. Is it a place I would go back to? Probably not. I was disappointed considering it was downtown Marengo. The ambience was wilderness and forest themed the restaurant was clean but the women's bathroom was not. read more

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Had a great time here! The drinks were excellent, the bartender was friendly, attentive, and provided outstanding service. The owner was also incredibly sweet and welcoming. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was calm, relaxing, and family-friendly. We had a wonderful experience and would definitely come back! read more

Ok so management has changed since my last review. Maybe I'm in a different mood, or being picky but I did notice some differences. I ordered the Niko burger same as last time although the menu has changed some. Overall, still a decent place to catch a bite and nothing I'm noting would stop me from coming back. You know I consider myself a hamburger critic extraordinaire, so I did notice a different taste, and thickness in the burger, and that's probably where the one less star came from. However it was cooked the way I ordered it, I just can't imagine wanting it medium rare. The toppings were all very fresh and good. The bacon sometimes on a burger in restaurants is awful, but this was nice, freshly cooked. The bbq sauce I had him put on the side was ok but I just won't get it next time at all. It was not nice to the tastebuds. The onion rings and fries were good, especially the onion rings. Fries were usual "seasoned" that you often get in restaurants. Not my fave but usual. It was served fresh and hot, so good on that. Even the pickles were fresh and good. Gone was the coleslaw but that's ok by me. Unnecessary side imo. The house wine I got this time instead of beer was a Sauvignon Blanc, and was a good buy, good taste for $6 a glass. The prices overall were reasonable for the food I got. Atmosphere was the same. Lunch crowd started to roll in. The service was fine and the owner? Manager? Maybe both, introduced himself and checked on me to be sure everything was to my liking. Friendly guy but introduce yourself first and let people tell you their name after that if they chose to share. read more

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Wow this is a hidden gem. Lunch specials were very tasty and affordable, beers specials were even better. Service was great. We had burgers and panini club with fries that were a step up from the usual. Rustic decor. read more

Giving 5 stars because the food was Soo good! I came for dinner and got the Italian beef, it has become my favorite. My kids loved their food, the staff were polite (server Emma & bartender) I like that there's verity in the menu. Will be returning for more yummy food! read more

Niko's Pointers Saloon - Italian beef - American Near Me - Marengo, Illinois

Went to Nikos with my husband and kids the other day. The waitress was very sweet and helpful. My daughter has allergies and she was very sweet about asking for safe option. The kitchen and manager were kind enough to check food and offer suggestions. We started with the potato skins which were good, I would only recommend adding extra bacon as that was a bit skimpy. My husband had the steak sandwich and I had the chicken tender salad. Both meals were really tasty! The sweet potato fries could've used a few more minutes in the fryer for a crispier taste but otherwise were good. read more

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The place is very local The service is good We will be back soon Great job everyone read more

Stopped in for lunch and was totally disappointed. I ordered the $1 wings and had to laugh out loud. An order of 8 gave me 7 flats and one drum, each portion was no more than 2 1/2 inches long and was vastly overdone. If you added up the total meat of the entire order you would not have even equaled the meat of a half of a drumstick. These had to be the smallest wings I have ever seen in my life. Can't imagine paying the normal cost of $1.50 per wing. Wish I would have taken a picture. I would fire the person ordering the food immediately. DO NOT ORDER THE WINGS! read more

Stoped in for a quick drink. Met Sharon, it was her first day bartending. She was LOVELY!!! Beautiful up kept bar!! Will definitely be back! read more

Since the new owner took over this has gone down hill. Food is terrible and when the owner is approached about it he could care less. He wont honor gift cards purchased at his facility. We will never be back. read more

Great atmosphere, very friendly and the food is really good! Definitely recommend giving them a try if driving thru Marengo!

Great food and great atmosphere. New owners are really stepping it up! I will definitely be back and will recommend to others.

The place is very nice inside but food isn't great. 4 out of 5 of us did not like our food. Service was friendly but very slow.

Food is always prompt and amazing. Their wings are some of the best and you can never go wrong with their meatloaf or chicken tenders read more

Niko's Pointers Saloon - Boneless chicken - American Near Me - Marengo, Illinois

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It is so seldom you run into any place, product or service these days that the end result is that the experience exceeds your expectations. Spoiler alert. Niko's exceeded my expectations on every level. I was tooling around Northern Illinois and I've had some good grub in the town of Marengo before, so I decided to stop and try another joint. Pointers Saloon, on the main drag, called to me with the sign out from which simply said "burgers and beer." The decor is "outdoorsy" with a fair amount of dead animals adorning the wall. I don't mind. The service was very pleasant and attentive, from the initial contact all the way through the meal and to my departure. Very enthusiastic young woman. The menu is lengthy. Hard to choose, but I started with a Chicago favorite, Saganaki, a greek cheese set on fire at table side, that you can scrape up with pita. Love it. Finally decided on a club sandwich, I love a good one, and this ended up in my top 3. Quality ingredients. Prepared with care. Nice presentation. Good sides, with home cut fries and a tangy slaw. Also at the table was a patty melt, on marble rye, which was also pronounced 'most excellent." How can I get so excited about a club sandwich? Two reasons: 1) There are a lot of crappy ones in the world, and 2) that Pointer's cook would be conscientious and care enough to prepare this one very nicely. Decor. Food. Good service. Two sandwiches, appetizer and one beer, $42 including tip. Nightly specials too, including the local tradition of AYCE fish fry on Friday nites. If you're out on a drive from Rockford or Chicago, this place is worth a stop. Good job, folks. read more

Niko's Pointers Saloon - Club sandwich - American Near Me - Marengo, Illinois

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The service was ok. There was no manager at all, which is evident in the way the place is run. The food is just ok, but the prices of course are high. We will not be going there ever again. read more

I ordered the clam chowder soup had hard potatoes broth was good told waitress. Ordered Mac Attack burger 10 oz burger with Mac n Cheese with pretzel bun. Would have been great if bun was warm. Cold slaw was great if was over a tablespoon! Cost $14. read more

I had written a previous review rating Niko's very highly. Unfortunately it has gone way downhill. My wife and I went on a Saturday around Noon and the place was pretty empty. Our French Onion soup arrived in a reasonable time and although the Cheese was nicely melted, the soup itself was tepid at best. I ate mine but my wife sent hers back. Forty Five minute later we had grown tired of waiting for the rest of our order (Chicken Tender and a Fish sandwich). Finally a got up from our table to track down the waitress who told me our food would be ready shortly. Really? I told her to forget it and threw $5 on the table and walked out. As we were getting into our vehicle to leave, the bartender/acting manager approached us and asked if we forgot to pay for our food. In turn, I asked if they forgot to give us our food. Shut the door and left. All this was probably a result of not being able to hire enough staff because they are getting paid so much to not work. Too bad. Not many good places in Marengo. read more

Drove there from Addison Illinois. Well worth the drive. Not our final destination but we sure we're glad we stopped in. Higher end Saloon with wonderful food. The wife had three sliders and I had the reuben sandwich. Both were fantastic. Pass on the coleslaw. Excellent food with a very good price. You pay for Quality. Love the decorations a nd the ambiance. Rustic Woods and mounted animals everywhere. Sure wish I could have slept there. We will return. Excellent service from our waitress Alyssa. Hi Alyssa read more

Niko's Pointers Saloon - a bar with a television - American Near Me - Marengo, Illinois

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Very good food and beautiful place to go eat! This place is the gem of marengo! Definitely recommend.

This is not my 1st time here and do enjoy coming back. The staff is 98.7% happy and friendly. We all have our bad days. This visit we had Emily as our server and could not have been more pleased. She personalized with us and did not make us feel like just another customer. We did the Friday night fish fry. The raspberry cheesecake for desert was great. Yea! I will be back. read more

Great food and very nice staff! Burgers were delicious and chicken wrap excellent!!! Definitely will be back!

We were a group of 8 and they sat us within 5 minutes . The restaurant wasn't packed but had a nice crowd! I loved the decor. It's got that lodge/cabin feel. There are deer heads, wood plank walls and vintage light bulbs - very cool and rustic feel! Service was good. It was our server's first night and she did a great job. Food was very good as well. I got the Rueben sandwich and would definitely order again. The menu offers a lot of options so everyone could find something they enjoyed. read more

A nice saloon in a little town of Marengo. Nice friendly staff, good drinks, cold beer. Only downside is it mostly just guys hang out drinking. read more

This place has a beautiful decor with a decent atmosphere, but its WAY over priced.... I expect more for a $10.70 appetizer! read more

Niko's Pointers Saloon - a tray of fries - American Near Me - Marengo, Illinois

My friend is a contact tracer in McHenry County, and through her work, she learned that there was a reported case of Covid, and employees were told to LIE about exposure! The owner cares more about The Benjamin's than the lives of his employees and patrons (and their household members). That speaks volumes. Stay TF away from here AND Niko's Red Mill in Woodstock! There are so many other, better, safer pubs. read more

Just wandering around on a lovely Saturday, seeing where the road takes us and ended up in Marengo around lunch time. Found this place on Yelp. Interesting decor in a combo of hunting lodge & saloon. Tried their wings with teriyaki sauce (you could also choose from BBQ or Buffalo) and the pork tenderloin sandwich. The wings were good & meaty with a crispy skin and their teriyaki sauce was darn tasty. The pork tenderloin sandwich, while not the "hubcap" size you may see further South in middle to Southern IL, was still very good and came on a nice brioche bun. We paid the up-charge for onion rings instead of fries with the sandwich & they were the beer-battered kind, perfectly crisp so worth the swap. The sandwich also came with a tiny cup of coleslaw. Add in a couple of the beer specials for a Saturday and it came to $23 & change before tip for the 8 wings, 1 sandwich w/onion ring up-charge & 2 beers. The service was okay....perhaps could have been a tad more attentive but considering the type of establishment it is what we expected. read more

Ordered a sausage pizza .... came out with meatball sized pieces of sausage. Never seen anything like this before read more

Niko's Pointers Saloon - This is the pizza - American Near Me - Marengo, Illinois

I was there in early July on a Friday. we arrived around 7 pm abd we were worried it may be a long wait. There was no wait. We had been here a couple of years earlier and everything was great. Oh boy not this time. There was not enough help. There was no effort by anyone in charge to talk to patrons about how long the food took. I could not even get a beer when I wanted. How hard is it to fill a glass of beer quickly? Cheese sticks were crazy over priced for about 5. They were crispy but cold. My wifes sandwich was dripping with sauce as if they poured a bottle of buffalo suace on it. My Sandwich was average at best. Fries were great but a very small amount and the cole slaw was a joke. It was the size of a Mcdonalds ketchup cup or a shot glass. This meal was way over priced too. Stay away from this place. They want your money and thats it. It makes sense now why they werent busy. read more

Stopped in Sunday around 5:30. Was not very busy and the service was great. Definitely have a burger if you can. I had the bleu cheese burger and it was so tasty and juicy! Nice variety on the menu and will definitely come back. read more

2 stars cuz the food was decent. Everything else was a bit of a show... We ordered to go from the bar on a Saturday afternoon and ordered drinks while we waited. Bar was not terribly busy. Bartender forgot half our drink order. 20 minutes or so later after asking we got the other drinks. Cool. Over an hour after ordering we asked what the eta was and were told 10min. 20 min later we were told 5 min. Okay, I get it, I work in the industry and was trying really hard to not get annoyed while my friend was a little louder about it. My friend handed her card over to cover the tab without looking at it first - rookie mistake. We were charged for a bacon cheeseburger we definitely did not order. Whatever. When we finally got back home with our food almost 2 hours later it was still warm and everyone was satisfied, but definitely waited too long to eat. I personally think she forgot to put in our order like she forgot about half our drinks. My friend might go back, but I won't. read more

No masks . A breeding ground for the Trump virus . Hostess no mask ,bus boy no mask. Bartender no mask. On the way to the rest room I could see nobody had masks on in the back rooms , even the waitresses took them off in the back room. Anyone could get the Trump virus there, no protection at All ! Fish was soggy , patty melt bread was over toasted and hard . Drink was watered down and very weak . read more

Easily one of the best restaurants in Marengo. Highly recommended. Reuben egg rolls competes with the Mac Daddy (Pulled pork with Mac n Cheese on top) for best on the menu. Medium prices for Marengo, but quality can't be competed with as long as they keep this menu/chef. Highly recommended. read more

We live just outside of Marengo city limits, and have eaten at Niko's Pointer Saloon a couple of time before my 97 year old mother moved in with us 5 years ago. When we were there, I wasn't all that fond of the dead animal heads, but I guess they fit into the rustic decor which is casual but upscale. The atmosphere is a bit similar to a sports bar, but not loud, and very nice for couple to get away for a nice relaxing dinner. The service was excellent as was the food. Since we don't get out much with my mother, we now order take-out on Mondays, my day off from cooking. The food is still very good, but not quite as good as eating it in the restaurant without being put into a styrofoam box. One of my favorites is the patty melt. As take-out, it's a little soggy from steam in the styrofoam box, but I put it and the fries into my air fryer for a few minutes, and it's perfect. The burgers are also very good, and are a generous 10 ounces instead of the usual 8 ounces at many restaurants. I also get the dinner salad that is more than enough to share with my mother. I have tried a few of the sandwiches on the menu, and, as yet, haven't had anything that was not good. A couple of the sandwiches were pretty messy (but still very good), and probably wouldn't order them because we eat in the family room on Mondays. I did find the pork tenderloin sandwich to be a bit dry, and wouldn't order that one again. In addition, the prices aren't bad. There are more expensive things on the menu, but most of the sandwiches with fries, cole slaw, and a pickle are priced at $9.99.This is a restaurant that I would recommend to anyone. read more

Bad service. Person taking orders on the phone is clueless to the menu. Repeated my order to her 3 times and she still didn't get it right. Manager was not very helpful, pretty much said "well you weren't up charged for it", which is BS because ITS NOT WHAT I ORDERED. Manager blamed it all on a new employee, but why are you letting her take orders still if she's messed up 3 orders already? I will not be back for a while and will not be recommending to anyone. read more

OMG what a place. The food was old supper club and amazing. Had a lobster tail HUGE. All side delicious Great service and the management came out and introduced themselves. Live music. Nice twist on the old supper club atmosphere Jerry... one Of the managers rocks! Fun place read more

Great food, efficient friendly staff and really cool atmosphere. Love the live music and the rustic barn wood decor. Definitely a great addition to Marengo! Try the Saganaki , it's delicious and has a great table presentation. read more

I'm not a big fan of any of the Niko's. I find that the food is mediocre and the price too high. Staff has always been friendly and service has been good. read more

Great neighborhood bar. Staff and locals are super friendly. People sitting at the bar were open to conversation and we made friends. Went on a Sunday and the specials were awesome : 50 cent wings, $5 for 3 sliders, $4 Bloodys read more