MY coworker was hungry and didnt have the patience to look for other options. Pointed to this place and said: Lets go!. Service: Nothing good, the bare minimum to get an order placed and food dropped off. Food: AWFUL. The "Dont Risk It" Platter: The brisket was dry and not edible, so that stayed on the plate after one bite. The pulled pork was good, until later in the day when I didnt feel that well. Fries were the best part of the meal. The Cole slaw was definitely from a food service container and had that distinct mayo flavor. The picture you see posted is what was left on the plate. So it's cheap for what you pay, but not worth at any price. Overall: Not sure what they do well, but we're not coming back to try. read more

The Rafters - Dry! - American Near Me - Lena, Illinois

Our servers name was Toni and she was just a sweetheart and so nice and welcoming to our family. The food was delicious. The indoor seating area was gorgeous and made our experience perfect. read more

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Best homemade chips ever !! Fat Belly bowl was good too. Atmosphere lovely. Really nice wait staff. Haystack sauce not my favourite. read more

First of all, great atmosphere. They did a lot of work to get it that way, and it shows. The rest is not what I wished it could be. Our server was good, but they had her covering two different parts or the restaurant which stressed her out. Our food took forever. One hour to get my daughter chicken fingers which we ordered first thing when we sat down. The appetizer took about a half hour. When we finally got all our meals, they forgot the vegetable side on one order and the soup on the other. The food was good, but when people who sit after you order, get their meal, finish and leave before you get your meal, it kind of takes away from things. I will try this place again sometime in the future. They just seemed to have a bad night read more

Five stars for good food, good service, ample seating, ample parking and a great bar area. This is not haute cuisine - but it's very good. Drove by Rafters for many years because the timing wasn't right for a meal stop on our travels to and from northeast Iowa. Finally in 2022 we have been passing by on days they are open and our stomachs were ready for a meal. We have enjoyed a lunch of the Lena Brewing Company chicken sandwich and a BBQ Brisket sandwich with fries. I really liked the chicken - the breading was flavorful and not too heavy. The accompanying sauce complemented the chicken in just the right way. Rick deemed the brisket sandwich a winner - and those steakhouse fries can't be beat. Most recently we stopped in for dinner. I had the barbecue smoked ribs - with baked French onion soup, baked potato and sautéed squash. LOTS of melted cheese on the soup - which I appreciate. For my taste I could have used a little more broth and onion and a little less bread. Still - I practically licked the bowl clean. The ribs - what a treat! Generous portion of fall off the bone meat. Tender, juicy and thick. Some places serve you ribs that are so thin you have to really gnaw on them to get any flavor. Not at Rafters - these ribs were very meaty. I had my supper - and still had two more lunches worth of rib meat leftover. The baked potato was a nice medium sized potato served with butter and sour cream. I enjoy a baked potato - but don't really need one as big as my head. This was just right. And the sautéed squash was not overdone. I think they cooked the squash with the ribs - as opposed to pre cooking it and letting it sit in a warming tray where squash usually turns to a soggy mess. Rick had the Brisket Platter - that came with enough cheesy-oniony potatoes to last for three meals. The brisket was tender - served a little drier than we usually like - but the dish comes with some barbecue sauce on the side and an option for more if requested. Cole slaw was fine - not too creamy - not filled with lettuce. Next time we stop - I need to make sure my driving shift is done - so I can enjoy a nice draft beer with my meal. read more

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Visited The Rafters on Friday evening! The fish fry ( battered) was excellent. The brisket was amazing. Portion sizes were ample. We enjoyed the music and the service was attentive but not intrusive. We will be back! read more

Clean Nice environment, lots of wood Good beer and wine selection Very creative food entries Wonderful service, warm and friendly read more

How can you miss the big red barn? Driving to Galena we decided to stop for lunch at The Rafters. We were not disappointed. The burger was delicious and juicy. The smokestack burger was also delicious along w "the perfect situation". The fries were perfect. Bonus - Beautiful holiday decorations! read more

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We came to the Rafters on a Friday night with a party of 15. Service was excellent and the food was great. I ordered Mac and cheese for my son and it was delicious. I had the chicken and also amazing. Parking was easy and the place was clean. Highly recommend! read more

Let me start with only reviewing the Mother's Day Brunch. 3 people, 3 sodas and 3 buffets with tip, $125. Starting off, I was never offered the complimentary Mom's Mimosa, I overheard after we had already ordered our sodas. We were at the third seating at 1:30pm. Our buffet should have looked as fresh as the 10am buffet. The sirloin and pork loin was overcooked and dried out. I thought the scalloped potatoes were cauliflower, they were so crusty. Salad station was fine. The dessert table had two options for dessert. I was happy to try the chocolate fountain. That turned sour when the lady in front of me licked her skewer and put it on the table.... My husband's comment is that it was like nursing home food. Brunch here prepandemic was Amazing. We all had high hopes. I was ashamed that my college kid paid for it. read more

Their food is to die for, their beer is to thirst for... Their service was tremendous and so friendly! Great atmosphere! Quick shout out to Diana. You are the best! read more

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Drove by it once. Not twice. Such a good place. Had a late lunch and was impressed! Burgers are big and flavorfull. The brisket is pieces and has a really smoky flavor. The sauce compliments it well. The potatoes are solid. And the cornbread is a winner! Overall, everything was good and a 4+ star rating. Pricing, service, quality, and interior all great. Do be like me. Stop here the first time read more

Tried the Burger and the wrap and They never disappoint. The Service and the food we had were great. Had a IPA as well...very good. Will definitely be back when we visit Lena. read more

This place and its sister business Lena Brewing are amazing! Great food and atmosphere. I had the bbq nacho with pulled pork appetizer as a meal. Some of the best I've ever had. The Pain Killer and cheesecake were outstanding as well. After dinner we checked out the brewery. A great place to bring your well behaved dogs. Nice open bar feel with live music. We will definitely stop by here again anytime we are traveling nearby. read more

Went here with my family on a camping trip food was great , service was quick , and looked great in and out side . Would definitely recommend . read more

The Rafters - American Near Me - Lena, Illinois

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In the middle of no where, but the food is worth the drive to the middle of no where. I was with a larger group and everyone liked what they had. Restaurant was clean, staff was friendly, and afterwards we walked over to Lena Brewing Company which is on the same property. read more

The Rafters - American Near Me - Lena, Illinois

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This place is great! I ordered The Rafters Burger and it was top notch. Very juicy and flavorful. Cooked perfectly. My waitress was so nice and professional. I also ordered a Yard Pimp IPA 25oz. It was a lot of beer and it was very good also. My waitress's name was Cathy. She was so helpful offering the daily specials and samples of beer. At the end she suggested we stop by the gift shop to enter into the raffle. The interior is amazing. They have a beautiful waterfall in the party room. The The arts and crafts feel to the place reminds me of the town I grew up in. I can't wait to go back. I love this place! read more

Used to frequent this location for many years, even when it used to be located across the street known as the Red Barn. The store has been empty lately with not a lot of merchandise, the food has never been that great, and recently been seeing tacky/disrespectful billboards for the restaurant. Those ads do not make me want to visit the restaurant. Miss this place when it was the original Red Barn. read more

When we're out here it's usually for a beer next door at Lena Brewing Company. Thing is, that drives our appetite and The Rafters fills that void quite nicely. We've stopped in a few times now. No matter what you feel like eating, Rafters has a little bit of just about everything. I'm a creature of habit and enjoy wraps, so the chicken bacon ranch wrap calls out to me every time I'm here. It's delicious and proportionately the right size with a side of fries. Even though Lena Brewing is next door, I've had other local beers here like Generations, which is over in Freeport. Huge place, they could have a convention here and there would still be seating. For covid they've also added a large tent out front for outdoor seating. Be sure to check out the fighter jet parked in the back parking lot and Lena Brewing for a drink too. Cheers read more

I was just driving through town and stopped here and am SO glad that I did. Bailey was my server and she was absolutely fantastic. Best service that I have had in all of Illinois. She made my experience wonderful and would definitely come again simply because of her. 10/10 experience!! read more

The food is good as is the service. The location is very convenient as a lunch stop on our girls' trip to Galena.

What an awesome place and the atmosphere is so very welcoming! Food was plated like a five star restaurant and delicious. Our bartender could not have been more polite and profession to complain the experience. A diamond in the ruff when taking a day trip read more

The Rafters - Haystack Burger - American Near Me - Lena, Illinois

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Pulled pork Mac and cheese.... does it get any better? Seriously this was incredible and cooked to perfection -toasty, cheesy, yummy. Everything about Rafters was top-notch. The service, the menu, the food, the drinks, the atmosphere. We loved it here. We went on a Saturday night, put in our name and had a few drinks at Lena Brewery, came back and everything was all set. The first class wine flight was a great start -$18 with solid choices and good pours. We skipped apps and went straight to meals. Our table ordered a sirloin steak topped with crab (steak was perfect!), the ribs (said to be delicious ), a sandwich wrap (husband loved it which is a rare compliment- lol), and the mac and cheese which was sooooo good. Side dishes included corn bread (wow!!), salads, and fresh veggies. Not sure how we managed to eat dessert but we did. Thankfully we split the key lime cheesecake. Incredible. The server mentioned some of the weekly specials - all you can eat fish fry, all you can eat ribs for $9.99!! Next time we are at our lakehouse, there's no choice of where to eat. It'll be Rafters from here on out. read more

The Rafters - Pulled pork Mac and cheese. - American Near Me - Lena, Illinois

This food was awesome !! The server was awesome, and she was so sweet and helpful! The building was really nice and overall good timing and good people! Definitely highly recommend !! read more

Ok so I'm on the fence with this one. First off the food was Great! I had fried cheese curds appetizer and the haystack burger with homemade chips. Wonderful. Plus the lemonade served in a mason jar was too cute. Our service was fantastic. The girl was friendly and attentive. Problem: I believe it was the restaurant owner to be sitting it the bar. It's 3 o'clock in the afternoon so the place was pretty vacant. He greeted us when we came in and made small talk. Then he went back to watching his game on the tv. He hollered over to what I would assume was an ordering vendor "hey come here" and our waitress turned to look at him and he said "not you, you can sit on my lap". I'm sorry but 100% inappropriate. She did not respond to this. Was pretty much ignoring him. But this was probably a 50 year old man. She was early 20s at most. No one should have to deal with that crap at work or ever! It's called sexual harassment! She was a great waitress and the food was great but because of the owners actions this should be a 1 star. I debated on writing this because I don't want her to get in trouble because she did NOTHING WRONG. Her boss was 100% in the wrong on this one. Grow up. read more

The Rafters - American Near Me - Lena, Illinois

Adding pictures from last night's dinner. The all you can eat ribs are crazy good Wednesday nights!!!! read more

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Excellent unique atmosphere food and top notch service. Well worth the trip. Great menu selection

If you are in the area, stop in! You wont be disappointed. Stopped in on the way to a girls weekend. Delish!

As far as restaurants in the area go...The Rafters is pretty good. We recently had dinner here and most of the group really liked their food. I had the bbq pork sandwich and it was good. The service was very good, we were there on a Sunday night and the dining room was pretty empty. Our server was attentive and kept up on our drink refills and the all you can eat fried chicken a couple in the group had ordered. Like I said to start with, as far as restaurants in the area go The Rafters is pretty good. If you're looking for a good meal and some drinks you'll be in the right place. read more

After traveling for a month, this was definitely the best meal! Everything cooked to perfection, service was impeccable. Steaks were the best we have had.Shaun was a great waiter. Definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

The Rafters - 6 Oz . Filet Mignon - American Near Me - Lena, Illinois

Over an hour wait for burgers. Burgers were overcooked and dry same with the chicken special. Skip this place!

I totally agree with the previous review. An unnexpected found on our way to Galena. Nice local decor, friendly service and good quality food. Happy to have eaten here. I totally agree with the previous review. An unnexpected found on our way to Galena. Nice local decor, friendly service and good quality food. Happy to have eaten here. read more

Everything is just OK here. Seems like the food quality has declined some in recent months but they still have a nice variety that isn't usually found in the area. They used to have a great craft beer selection, but that's mostly been replaced by the Lena Brewing beers that are brewed at the connected brewery. Unfortunately, their beer isn't very good. I've always eaten in the bar area. It's comfortable and family friendly. Service is usually good. read more

We had lunch here today and it was very good. Brisket sandwich w/ potatoes, a pulled pork w/ Mac n cheese, and a burger w/ fries. The big surprise was the cheesecake we shared for dessert. It was cinnamon roll flavored but flavored very lightly. I mean, it was shocking how good it was. Made in-house. Probably the best cheesecake I've ever had. And it was a big slice. Will be back! read more

Great Dinner super close to the KOA campground. The restaurant was lovely, a log cabin feel with architected loft elegance, beautiful painting on the walls. Serving Lena brewery craft beers, our server Garry was kind and attentive, helpful with kid requests. Ribs, fried chicken and brisket were all delicious. Gift store afterwards, what more could you ask for? read more

I had a harvest salad that was lovely. I liked the onion soup. Service was spoty. The space is beautiful. My friend had a wrap, he said it was nothing special. read more

Their prime rib is amazing, but a little pricey. Get what you pay for with prime rib usually though. Beer selection is great and includes the craft beers from next door Lena Brewing Co. I've had almost everything on their menu and have not been disappointed. Their burgers are really good. Also the service is always good and atmosphere is awesome. Very romantic place to take your significant other. The water fall in the main dining room is relaxing and beautiful. read more

I had not been to this restaurant for YRS, so dissapointed in the menu and my meal. Vegetables were obviously not fresh, rice on my plate was cold and the " blackened shrimp" was not blackened it was more like steamed. Definitely not planning a return visit any time soon read more

A short distance from Freeport. Better than your average restaurant. We've had steak, bbq pulled pork, ribs, brisket, and prime rib. Great fries. All was great. They serve a sweet corn bread that's wonderful. Tons of seating. Staff is very pleasant. Fairly quick service. Prices are a bit above your regular steakhouse, but very acceptable. read more

After 14 years of driving to Galena, I finally stopped in. Should of stopped sooner. Fantastic meal, Cheese curds, Brisket, cheese burger. So fully left no room for dessert. There is a reason why The Rafters has stood the test of time. read more