Carol's Corner is a true local dive with a loyal, working-class charm. It really is the kind of…read moreplace that feels especially at home for the night shift crowd winding down. The atmosphere is unpretentious and familiar, built more on regulars than reinvention. Service is consistently good, and the food is surprisingly strong for a spot of its kind. It's a dependable three-star destination that delivers comfort, familiarity, and a better meal than you might expect.

One of East Dundee's favorite Irish bars!! A fully stacked bar. Bartenders waiting to fill your…read moredrink. They have daily specials, check their FB page for each day. This is a local pub giving all your local pub vibes!!

East Dundee's favorite little "dive" bar. Located in the heart of Downtown East Dundee. Located on…read morethe corner of River street and Railroad Street. A couple stairs down and you are in a "Cheers" style bar/atmosphere. Come as you are, no one is stressing about your hair or outfit!! A fully stocked bar, and fun bartenders waiting to serve you! They have bags or chips and frozen pizza they can cook up in a flash for those late night cravings.

Calendo's is another dive bar in East Dundee. It doesn't have much more than drinks but that's all…read moreyou need to get here. Longtime favorite with a lot of history that's fun to look up. Cheap and super strong drinks that will get you buzzing fast. They get a few regulars mostly but there's usually enough room for a few outsiders. Has a mix of Irish and Italian themes going on inside. It has St. Patrick's Day stuff up all year almost, with a big Irish selection such as Guinness and Jameson. They however have an Italian name. It's about $5 a pint for most beers. There's not much you can even call food. It has some pretty limited choices. They only have potato chips and pretzels. It's about $1 each. The service has been pretty fast even if it hasn't always been friendly. Almost like a basement. It actually has steps you go down from street level. This gives it even more of a dive bar feel because it feels like you're going into hiding or something.

I love a good dive bar but Eaton's has probably been the weirdest dive bar I have ever been to…read more After getting carded, the bartender made it very clear that they only accept cash, how old school! But I didn't care, cash is all I had. I have been to some seedy bars but Eaton's was straight up scary! I was afraid to touch anything in fear I may leave with a disease. Décor: The set up was super simple, mainly made up of a colossal bar that took up most of the place. There were some booths and couple of tables along the walls, but that was about it. The walls are made up of wood paneling and exposed brick, while the ceiling was made up of some antique moldings. There are only 2 restrooms, 1 men's and 1 women's, that don't have paper towels. They have that revolving towel in the machine that just rotates the same sheet over and over, nastiness. There is a pool table stuffed in one of the corners of the bar along with a couple of slot machine-like arcade games, very fitting for the casino town. The Crowd: Like any dive bar it doesn't exactly attract many posh patrons which is why I like them! If I wanted to hang out with preppy brosef's I would go to a club. Service: A-ok, not too welcoming when you first enter but after they card you & order a couple of drinks they seem to warm up a little. Liquid Courage On Tap: Bud, Bud Lite, PBR Originally I was going to order something in a can or a bottle, just to protect myself from any herpe that may be floating around waiting to infect me, but when Berto noticed they had mason jars we were drawn in. 24oz Baller mason jar of Bud for $4.50? I'll take my chances against the herpe! I think it's safe, I'm pretty sure alcohol sanitizes anyway. Right? Eats: I'm not gonna lie, I could have munched on some bar food but the looks of this fine establishment terrified me. I'm sure if you even ordered food they would have a hard time starting up the grill because it didn't seem like the sorta place you have dinner and a few drinks. They have a corn dog machine that looked like it hadn't been turned on in years. Eaton's offers a variety of bagged chips and nuts. There are also 2 liquor store like fridges filled with pop. I have to mention the pickled mystery items in the life-size cloudy jar on the bar. It was very Moe's Tavern. Sounds: Other than the drunken banter of the regulars it was karaoke night. I am always up for karaoke! I did notice the line was fairly large but I put in my request anyway. I have to give props to the KJ, he didn't waste time with filler, he got everyone up n' out and before I knew it it was my turn! Parking: It's downtown Elgin, so all street parking. Overall: Eaton's, you really freaked me out at first glance but after getting to know you I think we may have something here. I will keep a mental note to always bring cash and to eat before my outing in tackling another mason jar!

This is a dive bar with no pretense what so ever…read more This is your classic rectangle bar designed for efficiency. The bar tender can spy everyone at a glance and so can you! The building façade is probably intimidating for the squeamish. Eaton's has no problem with that, nor do I. Cheers!

Dutch Inn West is a true dive bar in the best, most unpretentious sense of the word. It leans into…read moreits no-frills charm, offering a laid-back atmosphere where the focus is less on polish and more on simply enjoying the moment. The experience is straightforward but dependable -- a place to grab a drink, relax, and settle into the kind of environment that hasn't tried to change with the times. It's a solid three-star spot that delivers exactly what you expect from a neighborhood dive. If you want to run into friends that you haven't seen since high school; this is your place.

This is another establishment in the Elgin area that has been around for years and years and years…read more I have a nice outside patio. There's plenty of parking. It's in a more quiet area. Fish fry on Friday.

I keep coming back for the Detroit style pizza. It is really good! Also good, the salads,…read morepotstickers, mozzarella sticks, burgers, fries, wings and pretzel bites. Their sauces and dressings seem to be homemade and all really tasty! It is just sometimes service isn't so good. Sometimes the food is meh. The beef sandwich was dry, the chicken fingers overcooked and Cuban sandwich ok. I just wish they were more consistent. I joined the rewards program and have taken advantage of that. They also have lunch and happy hour specials.

YAY you have Kegan now! He's a great bartender! Got the pizza again, so good. The fries are so…read moredifferent and really GOOD! Never change them. Loved the cocktails. Have Kegan take over the cocktails, he comes up with some really good ones! Will be back!

Used to be haunted, now that the ghosts are banished it's a 4'fer rather than fiver. Ask for…read moreSkeet's Treat & thank me later (have 20 cash ready)

This is a small bar that has a better outside patio and is in the isolated art that is hard to…read morefind. This seems like a biker bar and has a very world look as it is right in the middle of woods and isolated property and many people may think driving through up to this bar that this is someone's home. The bar was about your typical small dive biker bar that has been around for apparently a very long time

We always call it "Barnacle Barney's" because it's tucked just off the bike trail along the Fox…read moreRiver -- the perfect little escape stop! Bandito Barney's Beach Club This casual retreat-style bar and restaurant has everything you want when you need to forget reality for a few hours. The food is great, reasonably priced, and the atmosphere is fun and relaxing. We had the broasted chicken with a couple of beers, and everything was excellent. The service and staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. We'll definitely be returning every time we're in the Chicago area!

Bandito's is a well known bar in the heart of Dundee. They have their signature drinks along with…read moretheir signature cups (which you can take home, ONLY if they are empty. They have numerous bars throughout the establishment. Lots of items on the menu to choose from, the Mozz sticks being my favorite. They are homemade and give that Mozz cheese pull you get from other restaurants. Their fireplace in the lower level is running daily when the weather is cold. When the warmer weather hits, this is a go to for live bands, great drinks an excellent vibes!!

Came here on a Friday night. It's a pretty chill, casual spot with couches to sit and kind of has a…read morelate 2000s vibe. The bartender and server who greeted us was really friendly and let us sit in the "VIP" section, which is a raised area near the back with more sofas. The couches in the general area were all filled. There's a bar and a few high tops by the bar as well. They have a huge selection of martinis with decent prices. I'd love to come back to try more, especially the dessert ones. They also have live music on Friday nights, and luckily we got there just in time before they started. Tonight was a jazz band and they were great!

Came here with some friends after eating at El Patio down the street, great Mexican food there by…read morethe way. After we ate, we decided to try the Martini room.it definitely has a cool bar and vibe. Tons of places to sit and sip. Our waiter was very attentive and came around just in time as I was finishing my drink each time, I tried about 4 Martinis which I know is a lot. I heard they have a special during the week too so definitely check them out. I tried a the strawberry shortcake/cheesecake which I did enjoy. The banana foster wasn't exactly what I expected a little artificial. The starburst and jolly rancher martinis were good. Overall a great place to stop by for drinks in downtown Elgin!