We were served at the Back Door Lounge at Starved Rock State Park today (Thursday May 7th) and everything was just excellent. The food. The service. The latter was provided by Megan T. Even though she was the only person working in the bar area, and was running to keep up, she was just excellent. Kudos to her and the entire staff at the Lodge. We also had coffee at the Cafe and that was very good too. Thank you. read more

Meg is the best host. She has consistently been a great asset to our hiking community. We plan our trips for when she is bartending and serving. Thanks for her amazing service. We could go to any number of places to eat and drink after our hikes but we choose this one because of the great food and Megs service. Its beautiful and breathtaking. read more

Back Door Lounge - The best bartender ever! - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

The service was excellent, the young man who was our serves was fantastic, attentive, kind, and polite. I believe, if memory serves me well his name is Kam. Cheese curds are always yummy. We were going to share fish tacos and pot roast but I like more my tacos so did not share. These were fry fish tacos which are okay, even though I prefer grilled. Food is mediocre and the patio and view are wonderful. A safe bet when we go hiking at Matthiessen or Starved Rock read more

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End your hike here. Especially beautiful in the summer and fall, with outdoor seating views high up over the Illinois River. Previously having only enjoyed a few cold beers on their patio, we recently hiked Starved Rock on a really rainy day. We came in to get dry, maybe get the Starved Rock Amber, then ended up ordering dinner and absolutely impressed by what could easily be a tourist trap of low expectations. Their craft beer handles and options were ten deep, not bad, especially if you're going to stay in the Lodge. Having eaten horribly over the past two days on vacation, I opted for a salad- what?! It was out of this world, trust me. But of course you've got your burgers, soups, a pasta option. My dining partner liked their dish as well, and wow a place called the Back Door Lounge has good food and a few yuks *even though their name is because of the outdoor patio back door. Or enter through the side dining room from the Lodge. Sure, I'll still chuckle at the name, but for a bar restaurant in a remote State Park? RESPECT! Definitely check it out after your hike. read more

The menu is simple, promising things like a sandwich of a "char-grilled chicken breast" with "homemade chips" and cole slaw. And yet the menu is a lie. Our chicken breasts were rubbery and had a disturbingly uniform texture. If they were ever charred or grilled, it must have been a distant memory. The chips were not homemade, just a bag of Kettle Brand potato chips, which are perfectly fine but not what I was hoping for. There was no cole slaw, but instead a little tin of potato salad. Again, the potato salad was perfectly fine, but I'd been hoping to put the cole slaw on my sandwich, especially after seeing how indifferent the chicken breast was. But who puts potato salad on a sandwich? I don't mean to nitpick, but if the menu had said "rubbery chicken breast sandwich with potato salad and a bag of chips" I'm not sure I would have ordered it! It's not all bad. The service was well-meaning, especially on a busy day, the setting is lovely, and the fried cheese curds were fresh and very good. Plus I realize that the lodge occupies something of a monopoly position if you are getting lunch in Starved Rock State Park. Still, next time we're hiking down here we may just drive to town for lunch. read more

Cool hidden bar in the Starved Rock lodge with drinks and food. It has some great scenery. Back Door Lounge is perfect for lounging around. Good place to rest after a hike. The menu is better than expected and kind of upscale. As the name implies, it's at the back of the lodge. It's around the way you hike to get to Starved Rock. This is the place we came out from the trail. Good place for a rest. We needed to drink and eat something. Has a nice rustic bar and a big patio. They're also dog friendly, and many had their four legged friends chilling out there. It's about $9 for a cocktail. The Fox Valley Mule is 1800, ginger beer, lime, mint, and muddled watermelon. Good drink. It was sweet and tangy. Both of us got the 3 Grain Veggie Burger. It's about $13, so it's not cheap. This was a big burger though, made with black beans, brown rice, bulgar, corn, and quinoa. For sure hit this up while at the lodge. It's good for those not even staying at the lodge, so no need to get a room. The bar is pretty cool, but the patio has the best views of the lake and whatever. read more

Back Door Lounge - Fox Valley Mule And 3 Grain Veggie Burger - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Gorgeous place to grab a drink outside and enjoy the beautiful nature of Starved Rock. Picturesque view from any seat. It is so peaceful here. The drinks are the same menu as the lodge's Restaurant. Pretty decent selection of wines and beer. Sangria and other fancy cocktails on the menu. My wine was $9 not horrible. Our server Lexi was a very sweet and bubbly person. What a glorious day to be here enjoying the overcast weather and 80 degrees. My parents and I sat outside and the worst that happened was the little black beetles were landing on the table and our shirts. Haha read more

Back Door Lounge - What a chill and gorgeous place for a drink - and Lexi is a great server - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

The service was horrible she took so long to serve us and to give us our food you. You guys should also put a sign outside saying what table you guys are serving because we waited almost 10 minute to be served and didn't know you guys weren't serving, like how would we know the tables you guys are serving or not read more

Shout out to Megan T. who goes above and beyond to help you get what you want. Even though the veranda was so extremely busy her customer service and quick response was such a delight. We had outstanding service and the food was very good. Thanks Megan you're amazing. read more

Megan and Heather were friendly bartenders. Enjoyed our stay and would definitely visit again. Good place for a beer and burger after a hike. read more

This is the second mother's day we have gone to this place. The weather was so nice each time so we sat outside. We really like the food here and the very relaxed atmosphere that comes with eating outside. The food is very good - I specifically like the cheese curds as an appetizer and I always do the "build your own burger" option. When they are busy, you will wait a while for your main entree, but the appetizers come out with little wait. If you are in a big hurry, this isn't the place to eat. If you want to eat outside, have very good food, you love the outdoors and you want to just relax while you wait - this is the place. Our server this last time was a guy named Hayden. He was very attentive and never made us feel rushed at all. He is an excellent server who we will ask for next time. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to try this place out. Enjoy the summer! read more

Neat little bar tucked in the back of the conference center that's been my go to for a couple years. After winter hikes I go to the bar and grab a bite and in the summer I sit on the patio overlooking the river eating one of their burgers. Much of the food isn't something to write home about- the chicken in my salad was dry and pretty flavorless. My personal favorite is the fried ravioli appetizer, although be careful if the cheese is too hot as I have burned myself from the dripping cheese before. read more

Back Door Lounge - Caesar Salad - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Read the menu from my room in the Lodge. Decided to go to the Veranda and order a salad and nachos for dinner. I'd specifically asked that my salad be served first. Well, the "nachos " arrived first, the salad arrived five minutes later. The menu in my room stated that nachos were tortilla chips, tomatoes, onions, beef, and cheese. The "nachos" that we'd received were; a large plate of POTATO CHIPS, covered thickly, with enormous amounts of Gorgonzola cheese along with chunks of cold, cold chicken. Probably the most horrible/gross meal I'd eaten since prison in Uganda. The entire Starved Rock Lodge is extremely poorly managed. read more

I'm sorry but Sarah is the slowest bartender I've had in a long time...sorry not sorry. 13 min for one drink, no customers. it was a loooooooong pour, if I needed an extra in a show for a bartender, I'd hire Sarah. read more

This place exceeded my expectations. I have eaten in restaurants located in state parks before and they were average at best, but this was actually very good! I ordered the rueban, and it was great! The meat was good, not one ingredient overpowered another and the bread actually had a rye taste! My girlfriend ordered the hamburger plain and I had a bite of it. It was not overcooked like mist places do it. It was tender and juicy with a nice charred taste without being burnt. We were only here on a trip, but if I loved near here I would definitely be a regular. Pro tip: make sure you order a specialty drink from the bar. read more

Back Door Lounge - Burger and home made chips - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

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Given that you're pretty much in the middle of nowhere, this cabin across from Starved Rock is a good place to grab dinner. With a fish fry in the back of my mind, I went with the deep-fried walleye, and was rewarded with flavorful fish within a crisply fried and seasoned batter, sitting on top of completely useless lettuce. I guess it keeps the fish crisp? The cole slaw was pretty standard but creamy, and the green beans were nicely seasoned. In addition, for ~$18 it was a lot of food. I thought about taking some for leftovers, but didn't end up taking any. Considering this is the only option within a 10-15 minute drive... it's not a bad option! Service was timely, and there were dogs on deck. Plus you can't beat the views! read more

Back Door Lounge - Fried walleye - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Super friendly staff, great place. Off in the community of Lasalle. Lots of space for friends. Easy parking right out front.​

Love the view, service, and food. It's great coming here after a hike at Starved Rock! :)

Small bar with a big patio outside. Very adequate selection of draft beers and super friendly service from our bartender Megan. This is where to wind down after a day of hiking in Starved Rock state park! I did not eat at the Lounge but the menu appeared to be the same as (or a subset of?) the main dining room at Starved Rock Lodge, adjacent to the Lounge. read more

Beautiful place to watch the sunset, but some trees could use some trimming. We got primavera with chicken. Pasta was dry. I didn't enjoy it, but my husband thought it was tasty. I found it pretty bland. Service was pretty poor. Drink was empty for quite some time, and the replacement wasn't brought until my food was. Bugs were bad. Some tiki torches or something would be helpful read more

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We were attending a small wedding here and were spending the weekend. It as off season and pretty empty. Sunday afternoon we had a small group for drinks in the bar. Our tab was over $160 and we tipped over 20%. The waitress was nice, service was a tad slow but not horrible. Here is where it gets bad; a few hours later we come back in to have a drink or two before the wedding. I greet the same waitress friendly "we are back again" and she asks if we are going to eat. I inform her that no, we are just going to have a couple of drinks before the wedding. Her replay is "You are free to go up to the bar to get service" and walks away from me. The place wasn't half full and see her leaning up against the bar doing nothing more than one. There was a table next to us that was just having drinks and she happily brings them their check and had given them service. It was an insulting and bizarre experience. read more

Used to love this place,! Cornbread nuggets, chicken sandwich, tenderloin were great!!! I looked forward to our trips here. This trip it was awful!! Menu is bland bar food and not good quality! Plus? Rude waitresses. Sadly, will go elsewhere next time read more

Was just here trying to get a quick bite after a great hike. The layout was super confusing so I sat at an open table near the door to the lounge. Eventually a grumpy hostess came out and started putting the sun umbrella on my table down and informed me that this section was closed. There were plenty of open tables but apparently they can't be bothered to serve them and you must wait for someone to leave. I was so confused and turned off by the rude hostess. read more

Not sure why the low rating? We have never been dissatisfied with the food or the hard working staff here. Burger and a brew on Monday nights are epic!! The views and the causal company you meet is like no other in this region. So grab a beverage and come sit by a fire like no other read more

From what I understand, the back door lounge is the bar and grill part of the larger restaurant Elements at Starved Rock Lodge. They both share the indoor seating, bar, and outdoor patio seating. They also have very similar menu items. My husband and I ate here for lunch today. It was a very limited menu and a little pricy for sandwiches that come with a snack size bag of lays potato chips, but we were pleased with the taste of the food for the most part. My husband ordered the barbeque pulled pork sandwich ($9.95), which again, just comes with a small bag of chips. It was a pretty big sandwich, but nothing special. I actually think they said they use sweet baby rays bbq sauce on the pork. Not really all that unique. My margarita flatbread was awesome though. It was a 10" pizza, very filling, fresh tomatoes and basil, delicious mozzarella...loved it! The back door lounge is a great spot to hang out and drink because they have an awesome bar and patio seating that overlooks beautiful Starved Rock. Not sure what their dinner menu looks like (it might just be the same dinner menu that Elements uses) but they should really add more items to their lunch menu...maybe some wings, tater skins, mozzie sticks...or give people something other than a bag if chips with their sandwiches if they are going to charge 10 bucks. Just sayin'... read more

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The food was great here! And the service was great too! Thanks Mira! Beer selection also was pretty expansive. The salad we had was delish, along with the Mediterranean flat bread, buffalo wings and the chicken sandwich. Perfect views for after a long hike, as well. read more

Back Door Lounge - Illiniwek sandwich with the garden salad. - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

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This place is about as uneven as it gets. Let me explain... The view - we sat outside on the patio and overlooked Starved Rock and the river. Beautiful view..five stars..no doubt about it. The menu & service - Nose dive. Our waitress was a dingbat. Edith Bunker reincarnated. She couldn't produce a beer menu, wasn't aware of the sauces on several dishes, didn't know if fries were available as a side, etc etc. The menu has all but about 9 items on it so I failed to sympathize with her lack of knowledge. She also took her sweet ass time doing just about everything. My buddy almost started gnawing on my arm while we waited and waited. The food - Since the menu is short and sweet the options were limited. For one reason or another I went with the hot dog and chips. The dog was huge but there were maybe 8 chips in the small basket. Oh..the hot dog came plain even though I asked for the works. Dingbat waitress at work again. Look, honestly, I'd recommend that you check out the place, especially if you've got a nice day on your hands. You can't beat the view and it's a great place to put your feet up after a hike. Hopefully you dodge Edith though. Cheers. read more

So this place IS located at the back door of the actual dining room at the Starved Rock Lodge UNLESS you find your way to the outdoor decks from the trails or the approximately 130 step staircase from the Visitors Center. You won't walk far after you reached the top of the stairs!!! Lol! We have made stops here before and after hiking and in all 4 seasons. Our 2 most recent visits were something to write about. The view from the deck, lots of green, sitting above the trees,in sight of the River, song birds, soaring hawks, pelicans, on the river, peaceful scenery, the chatter of family and friends enjoying the same scene. Plan for sunset it will be a bonus you will enjoy. Add a good craft beer, an MGD or Long Island ice tea. The food and drink, substantial. My husband rated the wings a 10 ordered them 2 nights in a row! Juicy burgers cooked any way you might like it! My fav is medium rare and it was good. Sweet potato fries. Crisp salads. Blue gill? fish tacos, try em you'll like'em. You will have to discover your own favorites. Did I mention they have daily specials. Stay for dinner they will bring out the dining room menu. A shout out here to our waitress, Ashley if it's after summer don't look for her, she's heading to Ireland for school but great service from her and all the others! The state park and it's lodge are our go to place when we have a day or two off during the week. We like that we don't have to go far for food, drink and entertainment! read more

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Solid 2 stars... We have been coming to this joint for years, but never for lunch, and I won't be coming back...disappointed.... Ordered the burger and was informed they only cook them well done...I ended up with a hard, charred, dry, prefab patty.... I also ordered the strawberry fields salad. Everything was fresh and flavorful but it was smaller than I would have expected for the price. Ambiance is hunting lodge and prices are higher than food quality or quantity requires. This joint does not make the list... I recommend heading to Utica as there are ample choices there for better food choices! read more

We stopped by after wine tasting not realizing it was the eagle watch weekend, it was extremely crowded. I can't say enough about our server Doug, He was very personable and attentive. We didn't have to wait to long for a table. I had the meat loaf special sandwich and it was amazing. My husband had the portobello and thought it was very good. Great Bloodies, sangria not so good, read more

Back Door Lounge - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

I've been coming here for years. Food is always so consistent and is always great. Megan the waitress rocks!!! Jennifer is great too. They both always greet with a smile. Service is stupendous. Please give these two waitress a raise and the accolades they deserve. That's the reason we always keep coming back. They treat you like family. Angie the manager is pretty cool too. They need to bring back Henry's hard orange soda and Pabst Blue ribbon salted caramel beers back! Cause I'll return everyday for them alone. read more

So this place is pretty cool. It's the only bar/lounge place inside Starved Rock Lodge. It has two bars, a patio with an amazing view, and live music. Got to come here twice while camping at Starved Rock and wasn't disappointed. 1st visit: went there for dinner and after hiking all morning, I was craving a burger. Don't judge me. Had it medium and idk if it was my endorphins or what but it was insanely delicious ha. Paired the burger up with sweet potato waffle fries and the Starved Rock Signature Ale which is very recommended! 2nd visit: the following day after another mid day hike, there was nothing more that I wanted than a freezing cold Starved Rock Signature Ale. Since the end of a hike was right at the beginning of the bar (mmh, how convenient) I decided to quench the thirst with a cold one. Took a seat out back in the patio enjoying the view and it couldn't have been any more enjoyable! read more

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What an amazing venue for a Saturday evening burger and cocktails! Especially after walking up the 100 steps from the river below to get there. We had been hiking all day and were super ready for a seat and a beer. This place offers both along with amazing views of the surrounding river and countryside. I had the turkey burger with carmelized onions and my friend got the chicken salad wrap. I also tried the Starved Rock Ale, which was smooth and on the sweet side. I really liked it and my guy loved his red, white, and blue champagne cocktail. We will probably come back and hopefully stay in the lodge next time. There was live music coming on at 8 which we were sorry to miss. read more

Back Door Lounge - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

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This place is located in some rural Illinois town. I was fortunate enough to attend a conference there in November. Yes, central Illinois in November. Lucky me. This bar is located all the way through the restaurant near the back door of the restaurant. Fitting. When we first got there we thought it was a neat bar. Cool CHICAGO sports memorabilia, cold beer, some local beer, and a full menu. We sat down for dinner and were taken care of rather quickly. I ordered the fried chicken, and a local beer after asking the waiter what he recommended. Well, turns out he was a vegan therefore when he recommended the pasta without meat I had to take over the ordering. The fried chicken came out hot, and crispy. It wasn't a KFC fry, it was a pan fried chicken. It reminded me of my very own mom cooking fried chicken at home minus the yelling, smacking, and occasional spankings. The chicken was juicy, and perfectly cooked. I had a few different meals here and everyone was amazing. The service was great and the beer was cold. I'd recommend anything from the menu here. read more

Back Door Lounge - New American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

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My sister and I just finished hiking and decided to try the back door lounge for a beer and some food. We got a table with an amazing view, the park was breathe taking and then we waited.... and waited... and waited... The thing that bothered me first was it was not at all busy. Our waiter had only three tables that was us included. Second we were never said hello to. We sat there as others were given greetings and menus. Our waiter finally arrived surprised to see us and quickly got us menus. When he asked us for our drinks I asked him for the draft selections. He didn't want to give us the whole list, like we were wasting his time. The menu even says please ask for our draft selections. Finally we got our beers which were nice and cold. We were very surprised to see them served in cups that were earth friendly, meaning compostable made of corn. Very nice very touch and decision there. And then we waited and waited for us to order... mine you it's still not busy! The food we had was disappointing. I had the burger and my sister had the brat. They tasted like something you got in a school cafeteria. Both had a very weird over cooked spongy like texture At the end of it all we once again waited and waited and waited for 20 mins to get our check!!!. We were there for almost two hours... most of it was waiting on a waiter that really wasn't into his job. To finish, we probably will not eat there again. We might stop by for a beer and the view. Oh and when you walk by the cooking station outside you will finally notice why the food taste over cooked and spongy... Everything is pre cooked and sitting in water, only to be taking out for a flash cook on the grill... yep never again... read more

We seated ourselves and were pleased to see table spread apart and staff wearing facemasks (although our waitress wore hers under her nose). We were greeted promptly and our order was taken. An hour later still no food. We questioned the waitress, she said they were "really busy." We left. It was ridiculous! read more

Perfectly fried walleye, spicy sweet potato fries, tangy cole slaw in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Just do it! (If you can't find it, ask at the lodge registration desk at Starved Rock. It really is around to the back door.) read more

This little bar grill is located just off the main dining room of Starved Rock Lodge. Rustic. Comfortable. We live in the area and visit it often. The food selection is limited to "bar food" and the bar doesn't have the most extensive selection. (Though I think they keep some of the higher end alcohol hidden). The service can range from good to poor depending on what day it is. Today, Easter Sunday with beautiful weather, the place was packed with locals and with people from all over the world. It was very hectic. That being said, the service was excellent and the company wonderful. Sean, our bartender, was excellent! He was dealing with tourists from Europe, Asia, locals and families with tired kids. He was attentive, friendly, and never lost his step. Kudos Sean!!! They need about 5 more guys just like you. read more

After hiking, I was ready for some food and beverages. They had tables set up outside so I was ready to enjoy some lunch and the great weather. The lunch menu is kind of limited, but they had (drumroll please) GLUTEN FREE BUNS! I was so excited because I usually have to get no bun or a lettuce wrap which doesn't always work out. Anyway, it wasn't on the menu so I ordered no bun and the server told me they had it. Score! First we had some fried pickles. Yum! Then hubby and I had sandwiches (chicken and burger) which came with chips. We also had a beer and a hard lemonade. Our server was very attentive and it was a fun afternoon. Most of the lunch crowd was gone by the time we got there, so it was pretty quiet. I would like to see what it's like at night outside. I bet lots of fun! read more

Ya know, for a place that could easily be a tourist trap, we left pleasantly surprised with the quality of our meal and service. I guess I should make a special note that we came in the dead of winter during a snowstorm, so we were the only patrons in here for a good 1/2 hour, then 2-3 tables trickled in. I'd imagine if they were busier like I've heard it is at Starved Rock during milder months, that your experience could greatly vary from the one we had, but as far as today, January 1st, 2014, at about 3pm goes, this place is better than A-OK for a lounge in a state park lodge. First off, our server was Nolan and Nolan was a damn gem. Attentive, suggestive when we needed to be swayed in a decent beverage selection, and just generally a whole hell of a lot friendlier than the average person who gets stuck working a customer service-oriented shift on New Year's Day. Big ups to Nolan. He deserves it. Back Door Lounge, despite what you might think at first glance of the name, is not a gay bar. It's just a regular old bar located inside Starved Rock Lodge that you can get to by walking through and across their restaurant, or by entering through the lodge's back door. Clever, eh? Inside it woodsy and casual lodge-like. They had a pretty decent beer selection including a number of the craft variety. I got the Bell's Winter White and my dining/drinking companions got the Ranger IPA -- both on tap, along with 10 or so other beer options. They carried a ton of hard alcohol and at one point I saw the bartender making what looked like a mini martini sampler. Their food menu is limited with just a few pub items like burgers and nachos, but what we had, like I said, was surprisingly good. I mean, if it weren't inside a state park with nothing else around it besides giant, jagged rock formations, I wouldn't be rushing back, but for what it was it was excellent. In addition to our beers we ordered a veggie burger with cheese and sweet potato waffle fries, a salmon burger with sweet potato waffle fries, and a side of regular fries with a side of their gorgonzola cheese sauce. The veggie burger was decent. It was still a pre-made packaged burger, but it was a good one. No Garden Burger or Morningstar here. The salmon burger was also a pre-packaged burger (it might even be the same kind they sell at Costco), but it was moist and delicious - not dry like every single time I've ever had or made one. The burgers run from $7.50-$9.99 and in some cases cheese will run you an extra dollar, and they have quite a few different cheese options to choose from. The burgers come with house-made potato chips or you can sub for fries by adding an extra dollar. It's a bit of a price gouge with the etxras and upgrade, but I have to say as a person who detests sweet potato fries, these were probably the best sweet potato fries I've ever had and my Dad, who's apparently a connoisseur of the sweet potato variety, agreed. If you're at Starved Rock and it's not the madhouse I've heard it to be in warmer weather months, this place is totally worth stopping by, at least for a beer. read more

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