I was really excited to check this place out after seeing their cocktail menu online, and in some…read moreways it definitely lived up to the hype. The drinks were excellent--well-balanced, creative, and clearly made with skill. There was also a live musician performing during my visit who was amazing and added a great atmosphere and really elevated the overall vibe. Service, however, was a mixed experience. One of the bartenders (a newer female bartender) was very friendly, attentive, and showed a lot of potential--she made a great impression despite seeming a bit new. Unfortunately, the other bartender completely brought the experience down. He came across as rude, disengaged, and honestly like he didn't want to be there at all. I understand it was a busy night, but there was very little sense of urgency from him, and wait times felt longer than they should have been--even factoring in the crowd. That said, I do understand everyone can have an off night, and given how good the drinks and atmosphere were (plus the positive reviews I've seen elsewhere), I'd likely be willing to give it another shot. Overall, great cocktails and ambiance, but inconsistent service keeps it from being a top-tier experience--for now. I will be happy to update following a repeat visit.

Pricey but unique and well worth a visit when in town. The bartenders here are friendly and know…read moretheir stuff. CatsEye has one of the best espresso martinis I've ever had!

Good wine, great old fashions with ton of variety, and the owner makes sure the service is right on…read morepoint!

Best watering hole in Sterling. Selection is the best in Northern Illinois, vibe is conversational…read morecool, and the staff is awesome. If you want to feel like Norm on Cheers the first and every time you walk in, stop at the Rusty Fox.

Perfect bar! Great and kind owner, always doing barrel picks, always getting the good stuff! Love…read morethis bar! Good hearted people always helping out others!

Love this place. I'm a huge fan of whiskey, and love trying the rare stuff when available. Barrel…read moreSociety has a very large selection, great pricing per dram, and a store towards the back of the building which sells various bottles and beers. Service was solid too. One of the gents behind the bar was very attentive, and liked to geek out on whiskey as much as I do, so it made for a good time. One more thing regarding the selection - everything I picked was in stock, and I don't take this for granted. A number of bars in Chicago boast a huge selection, but your heart gets broken quickly when the barman repeatedly says the selection you've made is out of stock. I'll visit again when I'm in that area if Illinois.

They seem closed. I hope they open again soon, since the outdoor spaces looked great! Their…read morewebsite implies they are trying to reopen but everything is shuttered. I had a chance to go more than a year ago and liked their beers. Now I wish I had gone more often.

Checked out this pretty cozy local brewery and distillery in Batavia. Grainology is a terrific use…read moreof an old building in the historic downtown. It adds a certain charm that newer shiny places can't match. Has a pretty good variety in the draft list. The prices are pretty good for being local and making smaller batches of stuff. A lot here to drink. It's both a brewery and distillery, which is an interesting process. This means you can get something with hops, or something less filling and smoother. Has plenty of room inside if there's not some party going on. It's about $6 a pint. A way to be charitable is to pay a few more bucks to get the Ability Amber. This is an amber ale, of which the proceeds benefits Project Mobility, which gives bicycles to disabled children. This has notes of plum and raisin. Has a kitchen but food is limited. There's often a food truck out front where you can get things like chips for $2, lobster rolls, and more. Good place to get locally made beers and liquors. It's closed Mondays. They often have food trucks.

To be honest, I hadn't heard of McCarty Mills before. We were looking for a new place to try, as…read morepart of Aurora's restaurant week, that had a good beer selection. The food offered, as part of restaurant week, the beer selection, and service were all fantastic. I'm very glad we stopped here and would definitely stop again!

It's a small place. Variety of beers in cans and on tap. The service was good. Place is cute…read more Definitely locals go there. Not a variety of food-pizza and like 2 appetizers.

Stella's Backstreet is my favorite weekday chill bar with the friendliest bar tender and great…read moredrinks!

AMAZING drink selection!!! Any and every flavor you can hope for with the coolest bartenders! Super…read morecute dog and goldfish, too!

Great location for a quick quite drink. Not to busy later it get the busier it gets. Wait staff are…read morekids wearing sweatpants and crocs . Who also don't know the drinks available. If you want to hangout with under age staff hanging out at the bar then take a seat. Bartender(s) are semi professional and not so fluent with drinks. Food is a typical bar food nothing special about menu . It has came under new a new manager and if you want to hangout with her and her kids who sit at the bar when not busy then stop on in . Outdoor seating and the view are great ..

Custom made burgers and view of the river. New remodeled place near Seneca-nice setting. Sports…read moreon the televisions.

It's spectacular! Beers food service …read more Food is absolutely delicious & so much you always have at least one full meal. I love the schnitzel cordon blu - which is served with ham and Swiss. Double mashed and whatever delicious soup they serve! And did I mention beer....ummmmmmmm

We're big foodies. Shared four entrees and two appetizers. Thought it was good and definitely a…read moreplace to go to for an occasion. Lots of great dishes, a few not so great. The curry wurst was the bomb but needed more sauce. The sauce was heavenly though. The potato pancakes great and flavorful. The cabbage rolls tasty. The liver soup not my favorite only because it had a liver taste--which if you like, then you'll like it. The saurkraut and purple cabbage the best Ive ever tasted and worth getting. The spetzel so-so, not much flavor. Son liked it though. The bread dumplings ok. More like white bread. The big pork shank that is the prize-it was good but not as stellar as we thought it would be. And we did make sure to order it crispy like it said to and it wasn't. Looked like it was a little browned but even my young son said the fat isn't rendered. I think it would have been a lot better if it had been crispy like in other pictures on here. Disappointed. It's like $35. Not cheap. The beef with sauce (sauerbraten) was good, the sauce great, the beef ok. The special that was going on, the beef roulade. Nobody liked it at all. The stuff just didn't taste good together in it. Overall, it was a good experience. The waitress Rosie was amazing, most of the food was great to awesome. The ambiance was German and cozy. Our favorites: the curry wurst sauce, the saurkraut and red cabbage and the stuffed cabbage rolls.

We were In town for a motorcycle event and wanted a good pizza. Forno seemed like the best option…read moreand did not disappoint. In fact this place exceeded all expectations. Great service, food, and atmosphere.

Great pizza! Nice atmosphere! Friendly staff! They have some great daily specials too!read more

This place has some of the best cocktails I ever have had. They are truly the Alchemists of the…read morecocktails. Such innovative drinks! Food is good. Very nice place with great seating outside.

Cozy, romantic, quaint vibe on a cold winter night - The Alchemist is great spot. We came here…read moreafter some shopping in the area and were looking for some drinks before dinner. We were tucked away in a corner table and felt cozy. Interesting drinks, cocktails are unique, their small bites were a little limited but the cocktails were good.