This establishment has been preserved well as it is is very old (established 1871). Although I did not care for the vibe of the place I do admire the historic preservation. Walking in through the beer garden it reeked of w e e d. It was very quiet there as it was a weekday evening, except for a male screaming in the beer garden as we entered and a few other times as we were inside the bar. Inside the floor mosaic tiling is neat and so are the ceilings. I also like the big vintage cash register which I assume is originally from the bar when it opened. The ceilings are high and beautifully restored. We did not get food. Our two vodka club sodas were $14 total. They were served in clear plastic cups. The bartender smiled at us and was polite but she didn't say much. We couldn't stand how the place smelled so we quickly paid, finished our drinks and left. read more

Beautiful Bar, just outstanding preservation of History. The owners gave a bit of a tour showing some of Amazing features of the historic tavern. The Bloody Mary was delicious. Drink menu with great drinks. They feature the TripTych Brewery for their craft beers. The patio was a pleasant surprise. They are Pet Friendly, they brought our dog water and asked if he could have a beef stick they use for the Bloodys. Will Definitely be back. read more

Was the worst experience I have had. Was in and this blonde bar manager she said she was was so rude and was not a good bartender to my group. She was not wanting to serve us because she said she didn't like us but she was able to do shots and drinks at the end of the bar which wasn't looking good because she was getting drunk. Some manager she was. Would not come back because of her. She shouldn't be a manager or a bartender at all read more

We come here pretty frequently and we have had the worst food ever today! For a grand total of 35.00 without tip My BF had pulled pork sandwich took a bite and there was no MEAT all thick MUSHY Fat he put it down never touched it again . My buffalo chicken sandwich was like a mystery meat patty I called it the crabby patty because it made me very crabby that I was paying that much for a "fake chicken sandwich" when we told waitress she just said I'll let the owner know. Haha we still payed full price for not eating haha what a joke! We left very dissatisfied! Posted a photo of my chix sandy read more

Zeller Inn - Mystery meat - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

See all

Stopped here for lunch on a Sunday. We wanted to sit on the patio, as the music inside the bar was insanely loud. It took a waitress so long to come greet our table we almost left. Then, it took so long for our drinks we almost left. The service leaves a lot to be desired here. I ordered a salad and sweet potato fries. My meal was delicious. My husband enjoyed his burger. A friend ordered a Caesar wrap and it had crutons in it. Kind of odd? Who we're assuming is the owner/manager, came by and greeted us. He said we were "lucky" to be trying out their new menu. Odd. Lots of oddities here. No stars for service. Three and a half for the food. read more

Zeller Inn - Farmers market salad - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Too bad there isn't a zero... take "food" out of their logo unless you consider "Jack's Frozen Pizza" from the grocer served right on the cardboard... a very poor Barfare food substitute... find somewhere else to go.... Very rude manager read more

Hello world. I saw so many atrocious reviews from years past so my friend and I had to check it out because we love risks. We were super impressed. This Friday night bartender is super cool, her name is Arianna. Big fan. Super cool historic architecture. Vibes are good! 10/10. Come on down! read more

Cool decor with a fun textured pattern on the walls. Tiny weird outside bathroom. The quirks add up, but the sum is quite positive. Nice place to stop in for a drink and a bite to eat when the weather is nice. The patio has a quiet, relaxing tuck in on a not so busy street with plenty of parking. Our food was good, made fast, and delivered to the outdoor table with easy to access drinks at the bar for a Sunday afternoon. Prices were reasonable and service was friendly. The only thing that would keep me out of here is a long wait on a cold night, but they have a semi-enclosed patio that should make that a non-issue. Next time I'm passing through starved rock I'll stop in for a bite! read more

Extremely dirty and unfriendly staff. For how empty the bar was the bartender sure took a long time to pour my drinks.

Best service ever! Jess and Charli are awesome bartenders with great customer service! I definitely recommend sellers for your go to spot!

The most horrendous, rude service I've ever experienced. I entered the patio and was told to take a seat anywhere. Then, I was promptly ignored for 20 minutes. I finally flagged someone down (on my third attempt) and asked for a menu. It didn't come. I flagged another person and finally got a menu. I got my drink and ordered my food and another server (who's table it must have been) came over and asked if I wanted a menu. Forty-five minutes after I arrived I got my Zeller burger and fries . . . no utensils, no napkins, just the food. After my first bite, I asked for my check in fear they may close before they payed attention to me. I think it's borderline criminal not to tip, so I did. When I tried to tell one of the servers (who I had tried to flag down initially, but never interacted with, except when she grabbed my check) that the service was terrible, she told me she just started her shift, even though she'd been there the whole hour it took for me to get food. I stated that and she said she was sorry for me. I'm in utter shock. The employees and owner should be embarrassed, but I doubt they'll take the time to read this review because they're too busy not helping customers. The cook did an OK job for a $15 burger/fries/ice tea. read more

Definitely the best bar in Ottawa and probably the best in the area. People here are full of jokes and bad gas. I mean both, it's like stink comes out both ends non-stop. I once sat next to this girl who was a riot but she kept pooting and it was hard to laugh with my mouth open. I was crying that stuff was so funny but I also couldn't breath. I have never been around such a group of hot girls who let them rip like steel workers. The whole place doesn't smell like a truck stop or anything but the girls in there are straight up gassy. Maybe it's the water there, I don't know. I bet the water is kind of hard and maybe a bit sulfur. I am going to go there again but I'll bring a gas mask and maybe some x-ray goggles . read more

My wife, kids, & I went there to eat after hiking at Starved Rock ... We found the place online in Ottawa IL (great little town), and were hungry after a long day of hiking. My son has a dairy allergy, and dairy can lurk in hamburger buns, so we asked & the server didn't know (no problem), so she went to check. My wife and daughter went to use the restroom and the boy and I waited. When the wife came back, she was very upset - the chef, or more likely, the cook was mocking my wife TO HER FACE about "cat milk" being in the buns & how we shouldn't take our kid out to places. Ummm - what?!? When my wife asked the cook if that was his (bad) attempt at humor, this joker doubled down & continued to insult my wife. I asked for the check to pay for the drinks we ordered & the server brought the check for the apps we ordered but hadn't been delivered. I paid for the drinks only, and that wasn't a problem. I tipped the server well (it wasn't her fault), then went to another restaurant called Bash. They were very nice, and we spent our $140 there. Avoid This place, go to Bash. read more

We were walking down the street minding our own business when we noticed a sign promising tenderloin and fries on special. Well, being a tenderloin aficionado, I felt like I had no choice but to drag my family in to see what this place was all about. We walked in, it was early and we were the only ones in the place. What interesting character! Tiffany style lights, tin ceiling and walls, perimeter lights around the ceiling and other appointments that give the appearance of merging an aged interior with a massive outdoor seating area, games and the all the fun of a modern day good time. The inside seating is limited to the bar and one row of tables unless there was another room we didn't see. We walked in with two children and instantly the TVs switched over to cartoons! CARTOONS! I honestly could have cared less but the kids went wild. It's their new favorite place! They would have bought the T-shirts if they only had their piggy bank along with them. On to the food, and pay attention because this is where it gets important. We had the mozzarella rolls for an appetizer. They were great. Why? Well it had a crunchy outside and a gooey inside. And that goo was CHEESE!.... OK, I'm sure there are better out there but they were much better than most ... and with having young kids I feel confidant enough to say we have become experts in all things fried cheese. The red sauce was sweet sauce with hints of sophistication and overall a nice consistency, if you imagine really hard you will find your imagination in Italy, with a robust Italian woman cooking.... Or maybe not... But regardless the sauce was enjoyable. I had half of the tenderloin and half of the Wisconsin burger. Both were great. The tenderloin was thin and crispy, flavorful and did not disappoint. We inquired and were told it is made fresh locally. It was worth getting again. Delicious! The Burger was likely indicative of their other offerings and for the money I don't know that you can beat them. The patties are robust and moist, bun fresh and the lettuce crisp. Pickles were, well... pickles... Kids had lemonade, the cups didn't have kids lids but the kids managed well. Grilled cheese and mini corn dogs for the kids, portions were sizable and the kids devoured them so this critic has to give it a thumbs up. Service was quick and they were extremely nice. For just deciding to stop in as we were passing by, we were really pleased with the service and food. If we come back to town, I'm sure we would try to come back. read more

No food. Atmosphere was good and architectural features were great!! Service was good. Online reviews and information needs to be updated.

Very cool old building, with large beer garden. Handmade mozz sticks - These were decent. I've had better homemades. Wisconsin cheeseburger w/fries - Above average burger and fries. Garlic buffalo wings - These were really yummy!! Will order again next time for sure. They also have some sort of signature red rock drink. My husband ordered thinking it was beer, but it was more of a fruity beer served with ice. I ended up drinking it, and really enjoyed it. It was really different. P.S. We were just there last week, so they must have reopened recently. read more

Stopped in with a friend after a hike at Starved Rock, what a beautiful space. The bartendrix was very friendly and filled us in on the history and kept the beer coming. Can't wait to go back and I've recommended the joint to friends. read more

Delt with the most rude, bartender ive ever met. Its Thursday July 14th at 11:15 pm. I didnt catch her name. We ate new to the area and decided to visit this bar. After patiently waiting to be served not once being acknowledged. We ask the bartender what the specials were. To which she rudely shrugged her sholders and said very condescending and snarky "uh dollar beers" as if we should know that and then turned her back to grab drinks. We decided at that moment to leave , as we are leaving she says "soo what do you want? ?" This is unacceptable we wete preparing to spend MONEY at this bar. Simple, you don't talk to people like that. Ill be sure to post this on the facebook page as well. read more

A historic site, the bar is the oldest running bar in Illinois and over 140 years old. The perfect place to refuel after a day at starved rock with reasonably priced and delicious fare. Beautiful mosaic and mahogany bar. read more

Came across this little gem in Ottawa after watching my friends play a rousing game of tennis. Ordered the special: Margarita chicken quesadilla with bacon. Biggest quesadilla I've seen. Served with black beans and guacamole served in a hollowed out avocado. Delicious! Draft beers $2. Beautiful patio and mosaic bar. Highly recommend this place. read more

Great food, awesome wings, nice outside patio, great prices and awesome service. Small inside bar and the pool table is outside . Good selection of on tap beers and even have bottled cider. read more

This was an old historic hotel that has been taken over by a local family. They kept the original bar with all the original mosaics, etched and stained glass and an incredibly beautiful back bar. The front courtyard dining is great. Located one block from the courthouse it's quite close to the river area. I had the bleu infused hand made burger and fresh cut fries....delicious. My wife had the "Pillow Pockets" with mashed potatos and anduille sausage, also delicious. Wide selection of Beers and well as a great Margarita. With a lack of good restaurants in this are the Zeller Inn is sorely needed. We highly recommend. BTW, live music on the weekends in the courtyard read more

We had a great experience this past Saturday afternoon. My girlfriend and I were craving a couple large, loaded, bloody mary's. I had seen on Facebook the new, monster, bloody's they offered that are topped with a cheeseburger. Not knowing they were only a Sunday special, we sat down at the bar and ordered two. The bartender checked with the kitchen, and they were able to get us our two bloody's, including cheeseburgers even though they were not prepared to do so due to the day of the week. Great customer service!! I'll be back next Sunday. read more

I came here for the bloodies. They are kick a$$. I also ordered the mini burger for a extra dollar with my bloody. My GF ordered the deep fried cauliflower and a strawberry vodka and lemonade. She was very pleased with her drink and food as well. With the great drink specials and food we will definitely be back. read more

Zeller Inn - The picture pretty much says it all. Cheers. - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Yelp says it's supposed to be open, but there's a padlock on front gate on a Saturday afternoon.

Open again for a while. Hope it works out here. I never ate here but always used to love coming here to drink. The only downside is that the place has always been overpriced and crowded on weekends. read more

Awesome Tacos. Fun Atmosphere. Great Folks. Very clean! Dartboard and Jukebox.

Food was decent but service was mediocre. Maybe go there for just drinks, they have a nice sized patio.

I tried the Zeller Inn on Monday evening with my Mom. I found it OK, not great. Nice to have a restaurant in the area with such different offerings (panninis) however my Poblano Chicken pannini was missing the "poblano." I felt there was no flavor. The fries, however, were great. My mother had the Po"Boy and enjoyed it, although she had to remove it from the bread (it was about 3" high) to eat it. read more

Rude service! Totally ignored last night. Walked in to four other people in bar. Everyone else was outside because of the band there. Bartender didn't even look at us and was serving a few rounds of people that came in after us. read more

Taylor, Christy, and Lucy were so much fun. Our first time there and most definitely NOT the last!!! Great bloody marys!! read more

Zeller Inn - Came in for a Birthday Bloody! Taylor, Lucy, and Christy were THE BEST!! We will most definitely make it one of our bike stops!! - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Saturday afternoon. Tiffany makes a great loaded bloody Mary with clamato. I highly recommend it! One of the best I've had...not a pre-mix!

As we walked around Ottawa looking for a place to eat. We passed by ZI twice and decided to go back because of their patio. As we sat in the warm sunlight. We looked at all the refreshing glasses of ice left on our table from the last patrons. For 10 minutes. The waitress of which there were two, kept flying by. But didn't think it was necessary to say hello or drop off a menu. Finally a server stops and says. Let me get these out of your way, and takes off with menu's under her arm...... Right! So as we were working on our tans, we watched patiently as the 4 other tables were being taken care of. THEN! Our server comes up and apologizes for not getting to us sooner. She asks if we want to see a drink menu and we had enough time to figure that out by ourselves. I wanted a Tito's and lemonade. Her response was. What's Tito's and we only have generic liquor. Seriously! I did ask if they had Absolute and she said yes. Well than, that is not generic. She also asked if we were going to eat and if we wanted menu's. Yes. We would like to eat at some point today. I walked in to wash my hands I found a long bar that was empty and a narrow hallway that let to the toilets. I said hello to the cook as the pick-up window was next to the can. As I am walking out I hear. Hey! Are these Absolutes yours? Pick-um up! Can it get any better than this? Clearly, it can. I see the waitress come out with our menu's and she's headed straight for us. Until she see's something shiny and goes in the other direction to help two new customers that just sat down and gave them our menu's. Hmmm! Another 10 minutes pass and I did try to flag her down, but she pretended not to see me. When she got to our table I said we no longer needed the menu's but we sure in hell needed another drink! Actually, we had a half an hour before our favorite feed bag opened down the street. We got them and then asked for the check. She didn't hesitate with dropping off or picking up the money. As I say to telemarketers. Click! read more

There is a reason I prefer this stays anonymous for the girl who tried to compliment ...

We stopped for the famous Bloody Mary today with the burger on top but was told that the kitchen has been closed for a year!!! You would think this would be listed somewhere on their website!!! It was a 45 minute drive there so it was very disappointing. However, we did have a very good Bloody Mary minus the burger! read more

Always great service and food every time I'm in! Their lasagna rolls are awesome and they have the best bloodies in town! I also love the variety of craft beers they have on tap. Bartenders are very friendly as well and there's always a friendly atmosphere. The bartenders are always quick and helpful but never overbearing. read more

Order the Apple and bacon glazed chicken with sweet potato gnocchi, you will not be disappointed. It is such a comforting meal on a cold night. Yummy! read more

best blue cheese bacon burger in Ottawa.

I went here for lunch with my cousin who was visiting Ottawa and we just wanted to find a local place to eat. We sat outside on the patio which was very nice. The waitress was very friendly and gave fast service. I ordered the chicken quesadilla that was huge and delicious!! I could only finish half of it and had to take the other half home. My cousin had the ham and turkey club with sweet potato fries and she loved it! We ordered a Burrito to go with beans and rice and that was also very large. The prices are very reasonable and for the amount of food and how really good everything was it was very inexpensive! We were very pleased and will definitely come again and also I plan to order carry out from here in the future. read more