Food was excellent. Our waitress, Emma, was very attentive and friendly. Atmosphere was great and prices weren't bad either. 1 mile away from our KOA campsite so you can beat that either. We will for sure be back! read more

Sunday brunch was quite good. The fried chicken is some of the best I've had, & I was in the restaurant business for years. Better than Honey Butter or even Mother Clucker's in Chicago. Biscuits & gravy also very good. We had the Friday night fish fry and the breaded, English style was also very good. Good enough to come back for brunch! read more

Wow i am totally floored. This place is amazing. Everything from the extra courteous staff and timely service to the top-notch old fashioned and mouth watering brisket to the perfectly cooked, super-tender cod was spot on. Also love the ambiance, decor, and cute shop attached. Love this place. Totally coming back. read more

OMG! We have been driving back and forth between Michigan and Dubuque, now, for nearly two years, and have always passed this place by for one reason or another. Finally, today we stopped for lunch. Simply stated, the BBQ brisket sandwich (recommended by the host) and creamy turkey mushroom soup with wild rice was out of this world. Our waitress was Sam, and she was so very pleasant and accommodating. Not going to pass by without stopping, ever again!!! read more

Another 1st. We decided on the Sunday brunch. A couple of the egg dishes were cold. The fried chicken along with biscuits and gravy were good. The dessert table had a few yummy things. We got up to get our 2nd helping and found our napkins, silver ware and drinks gone. Our coats were on the chair so that should of given some indication that we were not finished. Anyway the food was just ok nothing extraordinary. The restaurant itself is very clean and decorated really nice. Ample parking. read more

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The food was ok, but they had absolutely 0 regard for COVID safety protocols! There were 5 staff members inside the restaurant and only 1 (our waiter) was wearing a mask. 2 people who brought us our food weren't wearing masks, the bartender wasn't wearing a mask, nor was the hostess. Wearing a mask isn't about your own personal feelings - it's about valuing the safety and health of others. Seeing staff members not following COVID safety rules was extremely alarming...makes me wonder what other health code violations there could be... read more

The food here was delicious. I got the burger with bacon on a pretzel bun and it was amazing. One of the best pretzel burgers I've had. Id recommend getting sweet potatoes fries and the pretzel bites. I also got a bourbon mule to drink I'd recommend it! Our waitress Lori was awesome she was super friendly and helpful! read more

The Rafters - American Near Me - Lena, Illinois

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The appetizers were great. There was four of us eating here. I got a burger and it was pretty crispy, not juicy. My dad's order got put in wrong. The food was okay. read more

I love to read the negative reviews, they make me laugh. Being from San Diego, which is quickly becoming the dining capitol, I've been to a few restaurants. Let's start with service. To those who complain about mistakes, whatever. Good luck in life. Kitchen and wait staff, I know it's hard to believe, do have other customers than you. Professionalism here is top notch. I like to smile when I eat, it makes the food more nutritious. Witty wait staff with friendly sarcasm not only makes me feel welcome and at ease, but it also shows they have confidence. Confidence follows competence. I think it is safe to say competent people love what they do where they do it. That makes me confident that my dining experience will be the best. And I have never seen an owner that helpful, scrambling to help out his people make sure things run smooth. The food. I am told a lot of people come from the city that dine here. This is what fresh ingredients taste like. I have literally paid $100 for a cut of filet mignon. That meat might as well have been on street tacos from Tijuana compared to ANY of the beef I tasted here. I didn't like every item on the menu, no one does that's why there is a menu. But the freshness is just worth mentioning again. The setting here is awesome. A red barn on a country road, brilliant! The interior has a comfy, cozy, country decor and ambience with the cleanliness and sophistication of a five star. The waterfall not only provides gentle tranquility while you eat, but it is a wonderful piece of art that sits along a hand painted mural that is simply breathtaking. Finally, the bar's atmosphere is like that of a cowboy saloon with modern subtleties that makes you feel at home as you sip your favorite libations. read more

Delicious house beers and fried pickles. Service was good, not overbearing but attentive. Pulled pork and brisket were smokey and delicious as well. BBQ sauce was sweet but not too sweet. Would definitely come back! read more

This place was amazing. We were on a very short trip and pulled off the road. Cool Midwest barn vibe. Gift shop and the FOOD was amazing!!! We were there for lunch. I had the French onion soup, brisket sandwich and mac and cheese! The smoked brisket was amazing and the mac and cheese was one of the best I've ever had!!! Hubby had the maple blue burger and fries. Said it was delicious! Would stop here every time we come thru this was, too bad that's not more often! read more

From what my boyfriend and I can assess, this may be the "fanciest" restaurant in the Freeport area. And, I shit you not, it is located in a barn. You know what, though? It was charming - a very unexpected find. You have the choice of sitting in the casual bar area, or the dining room, which is a little bit nicer (I'd still call it "casual," though - I wore jeans and didn't feel out of place). We took advantage of the $9.99 menu that they offer Monday - Thursday nights, which is kind of a crazy good deal. I got the one-lb Angus sirloin with a side salad and baked potato, and my companion got a pound of ribs with coleslaw and a piece of corn on the cob. For serious, you guys, two pounds of meat for $20. Insane. (And no, I didn't eat it all that night! My meal had a couple rounds of leftovers.) The salad was unimpressive. Iceberg lettuce, mediocre raspberry vinaigrette. The steak, however, was delicious and cooked to a perfect medium rare. The boyf somehow managed to finish off his ribs, which were very tender. We were full and happy, but not so full that we couldn't split a dessert. It was kind of strange, actually, a chocolate cake thing that had Butterfinger crumbles in it, topped with vanilla ice cream. It was alright, but nothing special, really. Our server was attentive, but perhaps a little too...jokey...for a restaurant that doesn't require you to wear multiple pieces of flair; I would have preferred a little more professionalism. If this restaurant were in the Chicago area, I might be inclined to give it three stars, but since there's not a whole lot to choose from out here, it's a solid four. We will certainly be back! read more

I have driven by this place off of Highway 20 on my way to Galena, Illinois but never stopped. Shame on me. Last night, on the way home from Galena, was looking for a place for my family to grab a bite and, with the pickings fairly slim for anything but fast food burgers, remembered this Big Red Barn and aimed the care in that direction. Glad we did. Concerned that it would be your typical "bar disguised as a restaurant" that you often find in rural areas, my wife went in to check it out. She said it seemed fine so we all went it. Yikes, have to admit.....a bit shocked by what I saw....pleasantly shocked. This barn was a beautiful venue. What a great bar on the right as we walked in. The manager greeted us and sat us immediately in this high ceiling cavernous main dining room with a terrific local artist mural that incorporated an actual 2 story waterfall. Suffice to say, unless you are a total snob, there is nothing about the physical appearance or quality of this place to complain about. Open, roomy, clean, well designed. As for the food, it was Sunday night (and we arrived dangerously near closing time which can be wrought with peril!) and the special was all you can eat fried chicken....I when Kevin, our server, told us it was $9.99 (Seriously? $9.99? When was the last time you had a $9.99 all you can eat anything!?) I was in. My 16 year old ordered a traditional Wedge salad but asked for a few things on it that did not come with it and it was no problem at all. My 12 year old ordered the baked Chicken and Bacon White Cheddar Mac 'N Cheese which she shared with my wife and they split a Potato Thins app. The app was just OK, but the "thinner" potato was a great idea. Instead of simply splitting a potato in half and dumping stuff on it, they cut them thin. The "stuff" was not a great combination but it was tasty and surprisingly light. As for the rest....it was all 5 star. The Mac 'N Cheese was exactly what I have come to expect (hope for) in such an entree. Great ingredients and baked to perfection. No Kraft "N Cheese here, whew! And they offer multiple versions sure to satisfy any palette. The wedge salad was perfect, not watery as can happen, just perfect and presentation obviously was paid close attention to....it was not a slab of iceberg on a plate. And the "off menu" add-ons....she got them all and she got them with a smile. Closing with the fried chicken.....it was some of the best I have ever had. One word of "warning", in this world of "Business At The Speed Of Thought...", this chicken was obviously made from scratch, not dipped, prepared and frozen for use later.....so, it may take a few minutes longer.....be patient, it is worth the wait. Enjoy your meal mates and look at the waterfall! Truly, it was great chicken, not over fried and the mashed potato's and veggie were just the right compliments. Went back for seconds and would have stay (obscenely) for thirds but it was close to closing time and I felt bad being the only people left and keeping the staff from going home! They more than accommodated us. As for the service....it was good. Kevin was on every request and everyone had a smile and pleasant way about them. Again, the pace was what you would stereotypically expect from a country restaurant....a bit slower but just fine. Not the frantic pace of the "Big City" but that is part of what made it terrific. Bottom line? Great food and service and prices you cannot beat. (Dying to tyr the $9.99 Sunday Brunch!). This place is clearly Country Comfort Food and while you might think it would never survive a more urban setting...I think you put this place on the corner of North and Clark in Chicago and you have lines waiting for the comfort of the food. If you are ever travelling in this area....make it a point to stop. read more

Not bad, not bad at all. We decided on this place after much "Yelp!-ing" in the local area and, because this seemed to be really the only decent option, we ventured in. We were immediately greeted by the bartender. She offered us the only booth they had left or asked if we would prefer to sit by the waterfall. Is that even a question? Of course I want to sit near the waterfall. The ambience is countryesque, which, if you're into that kind of thing you'll love. I ordered the potato soup and their famous mac and cheese. The soup was great! It had meaty bits of potato that you could really sink your teeth into. My only complaint is that it came in a shallow bowl. When I think of a bowl of soup I think of my oversized bowls that I have at home. They're almost cauldron sized. So, because I ordered that as my main course I was a tad disappointed to see bowls that the Lilliputians likely used (okay, slight exaggeration). The mac and cheese is made with a white cheddar and had bacon pieces mixed in. My husband ordered the Maple Bourbon Bacon Burger, which by the way, does not come with cheese (he didn't know that when he ordered but they gladly accommodated his dairy request). It's served on a pretzel bun, likely because Lena is close to Freeport, "Home of the Pretzels"? Our drinks came out in cute little mason jars. Our waitress was "mostly" timely. When my husband wanted to add cheese to his burger she was no where in site even though there were only three other parties in the dining area. I had to go hunt someone down. Also when we were finished it seemed to take an eternity for her to notice to bring out our checks and then even longer to finalize our sale. The gift shop is cute. They sell some kitchen items along with some country decor. We came on a day they were sampling some items so we got to try this corn and chutney spread which is AMAZING. I wouldn't head out of my way to come here but I would come back here if I was in the area. read more

Let me preface this review by saying we live downtown Chicago near the Fulton Market District and dining out is our favorite hobby. On our way home from a trip to Galena, which provided a sub-par dining experience, we stopped at Rafters to have lunch. We were immediately greeted by Gary, the owner, who treated us like we were walking into his home. The buffet was amazing from the fried and baked chicken to the green beans and corn. Can't comment on the menu, as we stuck with the buffet. Try the beer - whoa - why Lena is not served in Chicago, I do not know. Given the high quality experiences we are used to, it's surprises even us to give a country buffet such a high rating, but it is well deserved. We are true Yelpers...and almost didn't stop in because of the previous reviews posted. read more

New to the area and checking out the local fare. Called the resturant to make sure we could get a table in the bar and inquired if the Blackhawks game would be on. Game 2 of the Stanley Cup dont ya know. We were assured that it would be on and no issue with the reservation. Half hour drive and we arrive to a fairly empty bar, not so strange when we find out that they do not get the game, WHAT! Seriously game 2 of the Stanley Cup and you just realized you could not get the game. We decide since we made the effort, let's check out the food. To make this very short. We walked out after sitting 28 minutes (yep I started watching the clock), no food, NOT A SINGLE beverage was served. Remember we sat in the bar, BTW my wife ordered water, not a tuff drink to serve. Chances of us returning ZERO. Live well, save your $$$. And yea, spoke to the manager, he didn't seem to give a care. I also get a chuckle out of the off the wall great reviews, obviously employees, relatives perhaps trying to get buisness. 3/4 emptly resturtant on a Saturday at 6:30 PM, speaks volumes. Even see one review from someone from sunny CA who obviously is world traveled, didn't see tofu on the menu. We in the mid-west work to hard for our money. Sleep well read more

We stopped here on the way home from a road trip for a quick bite for lunch. They were serving a breakfast buffet but said the regular menu was available as well so we were good with that. I saw the pulled pork and slaw sandwich and thought that sounded good. Then I saw that it was served over corn bread. Sweet! Sounds yummy! My daughter doesn't eat meat but asked if they would substitute a portabella mushroom in place of a burger. No problem there - all good. The food came out and her burger looked great. My pulled pork had no cole slaw and was sitting on top of what looked like very thinly sliced and over toasted French bread. When the waitress finally came back (service was very slow) I mentioned to her that I had no cole slaw - oh, sorry, she says - we are out of that - and that my bread doesn't look at all like corn bread. Oh, that's Portuguese corn bread, not the kind you were thinking of, is it? No, no it was not. Total disappointment. We both had also ordered homemade chips which were very over cooked and under seasoned. I will give them credit- the pulled pork was good and my daughter enjoyed her lunch quite a bit. The atmosphere of the place was nice. We sat in the bar area mainly to avoid the buffet area crowd. Since this was just a drive by stop I'm not sure if we will ever come back. It's a path we travel fairly often so we may try again, but I am now on to them and their funky cornbread. read more

If you want a top notch chocolate martini, this is the place to go! We've dined here on several occasions and have always been impressed with the quality of the food, drinks and service. The restaurant has a comfortable atmosphere and you are not rushed through you meal. A great place to have a relaxing meal with good friends! read more

Cool place from outside, great service, wonderful atmosphere. Food was really great, I presumed a restaurant on the middle if what appeared to be nowhere would have fried and canned options only. How wrong I was! I had smothered chicken, tasty and fresh. Company had smoky burger, stinky salads for both - big and worth the $2 up charge. Homemade blue cheese was delicious. Can't wait to come back. read more

The Rafters - Food challenge, coming back to partake. - American Near Me - Lena, Illinois

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We stopped here on a Sunday at noon. I had my wife check Yelp for a place to eat before we got to Galena. And this place was just a few minutes away. Good place for lunch. I had the brisket nachos and boy was it good. Just the right size for lunch. My wife had chicken strips even though they where more like nuggets they where so tender. My daughter had a grilled cheese that she liked a lot. On our way back home from Galena we where planning on lunch here again, but it was still to early and they don't do breakfast. read more

We stopped for lunch on our way home from Galena. Great atmosphere friendly staff. They were out of brisket so two of the specialty menu items had to be altered with another near choice. I had the "brisket" nachos with shredded chicken. It was very good but way to salty. They added a seasoned salt to the chips but must of had a seizure when adding it as the salt was caked on each chip and the bottom of the bowl. My husband ordered the smokehouse stack but again had to substitute the brisket with another meat. He opted for pulled pork and raved over it. Over all the food was tasty, the prices were decent, the atmosphere of was good and the staff was friendly. I recommend stopping by. My advice to the kitchen is to take it easy on the salted nachos and keep ample supply of the main ingredient on your specials menu. read more

Excellent food and circus! Loren is great. Ask for the coffee tequila on the rock! Great place read more

Great stop. If you are looking for somewhere along the way from Galena back to the city, stop here. The service was sincere and timely. The food was tasted like it was made in the family kitchen; fresh and simply delicious. We had fried chicken, ribs and pasta and all were amazing. I would go back for just the fried chicken and ribs alone, they were worth talking about. Even the simple green beans were fresh and perfectly prepared and seasoned. We had one minor incident happen that was no ones fault, and the staff was amazing and handled it flawlessly. We will be back the next time we are out in this neck of the woods. read more

Stopped in on the drive home from Dubuque to Chicago- as many know there are not a lot of options for food especially on a Sunday closer to 2pm. From the very start, we were greeted by friendly staff. My daughter and good friend enjoyed the buffet, while the husbands enjoyed the burgers on pretzel buns! After our meal, we stopped into the little red barn shop and enjoyed exploring all the treats and trinkets offered. Overall, the experience was a great one and we will definitely be back! 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

Stopped in here before visiting Lena Brewing. Overall I was disappointed. We sat in the bar instead of the dining room. Service was slow despite the lack of people dining (though I think that was because the server was handling both the bar and the dining room). I had the Tuscan chicken salad, the chicken was tough and flavorless. The dressing was too oily and the spices in the dressing did nothing for the flavor. My husband had the Carolina burger it was cooked perfectly as medium rare, which most places don't do. I tasted one piece of the BBQ pork on the burger and it was fatty. I probably should have had a burger. read more

This place had some pretty great fried chicken, and was all you can eat on Sunday for $10. Service at the bar was very good, even though the bartender was clearly overworked on a 12 hour shift. It appears to get busy at the usual rush times, I wouldn't fault them for that. Expect to wait if the lot is full... The place itself is fairly unique for the area, and i'd return again to eat on the way to Galena or Rockford. The craft beers from the brewery next door are hit or miss, but they have a decent variety here. Worth a stop. read more

Nice place but my ribs were a tad overcooked and the service so - so, maybe still getting up to speed with reopening?

Friendly wait staff. Great food. Brewery great as well. We had dinner and brunch on Sunday. Two younger kids, two adults: everyone was pleased. read more

Brunch buffet is awesome! Food was excellent and staff was nice. The only thing that was tough with little kids was how crowded the place was, but I would expect them to be busy with the service and food as good as it was! We will definitely be going back! read more

A restaurant with a lot of character. Great food menu. The brisket is one of the best I ever tasted. Reasonable prices. Large selection of locally crafted beers. Cute gift shop attached. read more

Ok this turn off was so worth it! We picked a great day to stop the special was pot roast - I LICKED my plate!!! Had a beer flight- loved it! And for dessert Homemade CHEESECAKE!!! Oh my... if you have the chance STOP!!! read more

Came to The Rafters for a wedding and my mom and I had ordered drinks at the bar exclusively for the wedding. We ordered two glasses of moscato and she said "that will be $12". Price came to use as a shock because we were unaware that the drinks were not included with the wedding. I wish the bartender had warned us that only beer was free. I pay with my card and when I had got the bill back $17 was on the bill. That's quite a big difference from $12. So instead of automatically informing me the reason why the bill was charged another $5, I had to ask her. Her excuse is that they had a different bottle of moscato that day and she thought it was the same price. I honestly thought they should have honored the price that she gave. Another reason for the 2 stars is because of the Shrimp scampi. $18 for shrimp scampi. Which was 5 pieces of shrimp that looked like they got it from the frozen section of smiths and cooked it. Shrimp was on top of spinach and there was a small side of veggies. Yeah not worth $18 and I ended up getting the kiddie plate. Why not a one star? Because their gift shop was actually really cool. Cool selection of coffee beans and the cashier was nice. read more

We were on our way to Galena for my birthday and decided to stop in here for a snack and a few cold ones. I am so glad we did! We met some very nice people and tried some wonderful beers. They had a lineup of around 12 beers on this day. They offered flights so you can sample everything. The staff was very friendly and willing to answer questions as we sat at the bar. The brisket nachos and the Carmel Coffee Pecan Stout were my absolute favorites... a must stop if passing through. Beautiful facility, very clean, friendly people, and most of all a fun place. Rafters is the name of the restuarant. They invested some money into this place planning on it being a staple in the community for a long time to come. We will now be stopping everytime we pass by. read more

This place is kind of in the middle of nowhere so we weren't sure what to expect but everything was delicious! The burgers are great and the fried cheese curds are incredible. I highly recommend stopping here! read more

I love this place. We drove up just for a late lunch Saturday. Lexi our server was PERFECT! We both enjoyed burgers my wife loves the haystack burger. The French Onion soup was delicious and the Cheese cake is alway worth the drive. read more

We were ready for a Sunday pig-out session, as we had been up late the night before and didn't eat breakfast. A white castle slider would have tasted like heaven. We drove by the Rafters, and I said oh I was just starting to read the Yelp reviews on that restaurant, so we did a u turn and went back. Big mistake. The lot looked busy so we thought......good sign. We opted to eat in the bar area as the main dining room felt cold, dark and empty, plus they were having the all u can eat buffet in there. The menu selection was decent and there were enough offerings that seemed to take a rafter's spin on an original. Some sounded good others just made you go hmmmmm. I spotted the pork tenderloin sandwich pretty much off the bat and my heart was set on it. After watching a Food Network show highlighting this fried meat, 4x bigger than the bun, sandwich, I thought it would be the perfect meal. My dining companion ordered the home made chicken salad served on wheat berry bread. Well the plates arrived and they looked super fun. The fries were piled high in paper lined metal buckets and the ruby red tomato and lettuce looked very fresh. But when my eyes wandered to the pork cutlet, I knew I was in for a huge disappointment. I didn't even have to take a bite, as my eyes told me everything. This sad, thin, rigid and dark brown strip of meat was severely overcooked. And it was cold to the touch. I didn't even taste it. Immediately, companion offered up his half of his sandwich as the server was no where to be found. At least this looked a 100 times better than mine, but after I took a bite I almost cried. Absolutely no flavor. One note wonder. Anything...salt, pepper, chives, green onion, lemon zest, dried cranberries would have been an improvement. I hung my head and realized that my growling stomach would find no relief here. The fries, had potential, but sadly the fry cook must have taken a smoke break as these too were completely overdone. The server finally arrived and reached for my companion's plate commenting "you must have really liked your sandwich." Then she looked over to my plate and realized his other half was there and my sandwich remained untouched. She just said "oh". She did ask if I wanted anything else, and she did take the meal off the bill. We, however, just wanted to high tail it out of there. Miles down the road, I got a hot fudge pecan sundae from Culvers. Finally something to relish. read more

It was a very nice place inside and out. We were told about the gift shop in the back and decided to take a look. I told the bartender to watch our drinks while we were looking at shop. Since the bar was empty I didn't think it would be a problem . When we returned ten minutes later our spot was cleared. So much for a half a drink for $5. Needless to say I won't be back read more

Nice place to unwind. Good service. Awesome ribs . Easy access for parking and into the establishment.

The fried cheese curds were awesome. I ordered the steak oscar, but they were out of filet. I went with the strip, and they were very accommodating with making it Oscar style. The flavor of the steak when it arrived was meh at best. My wife's medium was more like a well done. The baked potatoes were not cooked and hard. We asked for the parsley red skin ones and they came as we were finishing the meal. Would only go there for drinks or to meet people for curds. read more