If you're visiting and want a more relaxed vibe, I definitely recommend visiting Berta's Tap. Definitely a popular local hangout and the outdoor patio gets PACKED at night. Food and drinks are very reasonably priced. 4 stars because very few people here follow any of the CDC guidelines and there was a birthday party being hosted inside on one of the nights that we visited and ZERO people had masks on. Also didn't appreciate one of the locals coming up to our table and getting uncomfortably close to my face while proceeding to ask me if he could have the rest of my fries ... dude, we are in the middle of a pandemic ??? Staff is great and very friendly, but I do recommend you come early, hide in a corner, and leave before the locals come if you're worried about Covid lol. read more

See all

If I could put negative stars, I would. I got ID'd for getting waters after 2 drinks over 3 hours. My boyfriend asked bartender if they did they started IDing for waters. He got kicked out right after asking. Sorry and pathetic bartenders who obviously hate tips (I didn't need to tip for waters but did since they were obviously busy for the holiday). I would say hire new bartenders but it seems like they all hate their lives working here, so actually keep them. Got ur charger btw #cooked Instagram.com/jxckbullock read more

Terrible, rude and RACIST service My coworkers and I are all minorities, as soon as they heard us speak spanish they treated us so differently Terrible experience read more

Service is always great. I'm handicapped and ride a scooter they're always helpful getting in or out of the bar. Their burgers are great. The only thing I would like to the cooks are to add salt and pepper to the burgers. read more

Recently came here after some colleagues invited me out to a fundraiser. We sadly didn't order any food since we stopped in pretty late. Their food menu did look appetizing. Very few hard Cider selections sadly but the bar is absolutely beautiful old school vibes, tall ceilings, great out door patio in the back which makes for a great gathering / event space. Locals here are absolutely great too. Solid recommendation worth checking out. read more

The food here is sensational it is a delight for the taste buds I made my own berta burger and it was delicious, the service here is also quite wonderful they try their best to tend to you needs and are fun to be around, the ambience here is amazing its relaxing and full of kindness, honestly it's a 10/10 for me. read more

Berta's Tap - My burger - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Servers are friendly and decent music. Food is terrible. I had their chicken Philly and it was not good tasting. The chips were staled. My buddy had their bacon burger and the bacon was so hard that he couldn't eat it. Beer selection is limited. I'd go somewhere else if you want good food and beer. read more

the older bartender gets offended if you ask to change the TV channel Major game is on and they have college women's badmitton on all the TVs. Same bartender gets mad if you order beer number two too soon after beer number one. She illustrates this by going back and checking on every soul in the place plus the mouse before doing some other miscellaneous task and then she MAY get back to you it's small town at it's finest A) it's not asking you to be thick skinned to change a channel or pour a beer B) you get better tips when you do that sort of thing C) I left a 10 dollar tip at the Beach House who, in comparison, scrambled to put on the Bulls game read more

This a good hangout place, always people here either playing machines or drinking. I will not say anything about their food since I haven't tried it maybe someday I will but to hang out and get to socialize this is one of the places to try. read more

Love the bacon beer cheese burger. Onion rings always delight. Always clean and staff is super friendly too.

Overcrowded. Terrible service. Rude bartenders and obnoxious clientele. Might be s good time for the college coed crowd just looking to get wasted? Other than that I just can't see myself attempting to spend any money here. I say attempted because we walked in and we're not served for 15 minutes (the young ladies served the young men of course, 2+ rounds) and when we asked if we could get a drink, the bartender literally suggested we go get one elsewhere! (True story!) Didn't order food do I have no comment there. But " ambiance ? " was a joke. read more

Absolutely, positively best place in town! Great food and great service! Go grab a seat at their newly renovated outdoor bar! You won't be disappointed read more

Berta's Tap - Outdoor bar - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

See all

We were a regular. Went there yesterday, 12/10/23. Walked in and like 2 times before, we sat there waiting for service. Looked like 1 guy was cooking and no bartender or server. He didn't bother looking up. We got up and went to Court Street Pub. We'll think twice before coming here again. Too bad, the burgers are good. read more

We found this place on Yelp after hiking at Starved Rock. Truthfully the bar at the park was too crowded to get in so we checked out places in Utica and found the same situation because there was a wine festival going on. We picked Berta's in Ottawa at random and struck gold. The service was great, the locals were friendly and the burgers would be worth driving back for. We will definitely be back in our next Starved Rock visit! read more

Has darts, gambling, the best cheese dip and chips! Brooke is literally amazing. So sweet and happy to help! We have only been here 15 minutes and love it. read more

Great bar food, especially the wings! Good beer and atmosphere! Really good service at Berta's.

Maybe I was expecting too much based on the really good reviews, but felt the food and service were average. Steak mini tacos were missing anything that was identifiable as steak. Burger was good. Kind of a nondescript place. I hate to say it, but... meh. read more

I use to live in the town and went to this bar all the time. This time though I was welcomed by a person that ended up being the bartender and most sociable person in the place. Matt was amazing I cannot wait to visit again! read more

I got a pretty simple BLT sandwich for lunch & a cup of ice water on a weekday. It all cost about $6 when tip & tax were included. Good, friendly service, and I could see the bartender actually fry up the bacon & make the sandwich on the nearby grill. I was pleasantly surprised that there was a nice, hefty amount of lettuce, bacon & tomato on the sandwich -- certainly satisfying. It comes with additional crinkle-cut fries. I'd have ordered a beer, but I stopped here during a long trip in which I was the driver. Ideally, I'd have gotten an Italian beef sandwich, but I'm watching my weight. Also appreciated that I could choose from among 3-4 different types of bread. Berta's is about a 5-10 minute drive off of I-80, but if you've got the time it's a nice, homey, family run place that's a welcome alternative to fast food. read more

It's been two months since I dropped in at Berta's, after hitting a gun range nearby for a day of shooting. Let's just keep it simple: great, fast, friendly service...five-bottle domestic buckets for $10 on Sundays...the patty melt was perfect...football was on every TV. If this was my neighborhood bar in Chicago, I'd be here every week!! read more

Awesome patio bar area. Owners are very involved in making sure your group is having fun. One of them even jumped into a corn hole game that needed one more player....warning....do not bet Perry at cornhole, the guy is a bean-bag tossing savant. Will go back anytime I find myself in Ottawa. read more

Best place to be in Ottawa! Friendly owners, comfortable atmosphere and great outdoor patio!

Rude bartender - didn't greet and was short. Additionally she was just rude as heck. Thank

While staying in Ottawa for a cold weekend getaway and hiking at starved rock, my husband and I decided to explore Ottawa a bit more. We have started staying in Ottawa the past few years but never truly explored what it had to offer. We were looking for a place to have a drink and maybe a bite. We saw Berta's had good reviews and decided to give it a try. Although this is definitely the type of bar where most people seemed to know one another, we were warmly welcomed by staff and guests. We sat at the end of the bar in front of the coolers. I was very impressed by the beers on tap and in the cooler. The bartender came by and offered us a menu. The menu was not extensive but we chose the sampler which inlcuded all sorts of delicious fried treats. If you are looking for something healthy.. you should probably eat before. But if you are looking for delicious, yummy fried food youre in business! We will definitely come back here next time we are in town. read more

We were heading back to the city from Starved Rock and decided to take the scenic route and grab a bite and a drink. We happened to stumble upon Berta's mostly because it appeared to be the only place in Ottawa that was actually OPEN on a Sunday. It looks like your typical dive in and outside but it's anything but. Ordered an appetizer platter of cheese sticks, mini tacos and fried cauliflower, ALL amazing. We shared the chicken, bacon and ranch wrap and it was great! All fresh ingredients and fresh off of the grill. To top it off, the staff was all super nice, the bar was full of regulars and everything was fantastic. If you're ever looking for a bite to eat after trekking 5 miles at one of the local state parks or just happen to find yourself in Ottawa, mosey on over to Berta's, it's worth it. read more

true old fashion bar & grill great food friendly service good prices & 16 oz PBRs in the can. In downtown Ottawa IL, a beautiful small town. Check it out. If driving on I-80 it is less than 2 miles out of your way and well worth it. read more

The food here is so good and cheap!. I wanted to say reasonably priced, because that is also correct. However, bertas is cheaper than McDonald's and cooked to order right in front of you. Great daily specials like chicken salad, turkey burger, Rubens and patty melts. Seriously you can beat this place for lunch. As a matter of fact you can't beat it for dinner either! read more

Great local pub and grill. Food is good and staff is friendly. Also has an outdoor patio which is great to sit out on in nice weather.

Good bar food. Very good cheeseburger and homemade pork tenderloin. Beer was cold. Definitely a local bar, but very friendly people.

The bathroom is disgusting. It was the middle of the day and looked like it hadn't been cleaned in days. Definitely wouldn't eat here.

This place makes you feel like family! Come in they know what all 3 of us want for lunch and what soda goes to whom. The bartender/ cook is great and even if she is swamped does a marvelous job! read more

Not a great selection of craft beers, but a nice menu of bar food. Can get a little loud later at night, but earlier, it's great. Recommended. read more

Bertas is a great hometown bar! Locally owned and operated. "Cheers" like atmosphere. Home of the Berta Burger. Friendly bartenders with an outdoor patio. read more

We came through Ottawa one evening and found this place on yelp. As they said, great food & friendly staff. Chicken bacon ranch sandwich, and Mac and cheese nuggets were exceptional! Sat in outdoor patio. Very nice! read more

Great food and atmosphere. Have eaten here a few times for lunch and the bartender is always pleasant and gets your food out as quick as she can. read more

One of my favorite places in town! Super friendly staff, awesome food and great prices. The Berta Burger and the pork tenderloin are favorites. read more