Kettlestrings is a great local bar with solid food and a welcoming neighborhood feel. It is a smaller space, so when it gets busy it can feel a bit tight, but we went around seven on a Saturday night and were able to get comfortable seats at the bar. They carry our favorite beer, Allagash, which was a nice bonus! The food was very good. Cheese curds to start, yum! I ordered a burger that was cooked perfectly and full of flavor, and John had the chicken sandwich, which he also really enjoyed. Everything came out fresh and well prepared. The corner location was quiet when we visited, and while it is winter now, the outdoor seating looks like it would be fantastic in the warmer months. I also loved learning that Kettlestrings is the name of the founding family of Oak Park. A thoughtful, well done neighborhood spot that we will definitely be back to. read more

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Poor service on dine in Ordered carryout next visit & got a nearly raw chicken sandwich read more

Kettlestrings Tavern - Raw fried chicken sandwich - Bars Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Nice quiet outdoor area; avocado & Brussel sprout salad paired well with a burger. Drink menu had lots of refreshing options.

I had a drink at the bar on Friday and was ignored by the bar staff for an hour. I was planning on having dinner but they didn't seem to care if I had water or needed anything. I did inform the bartender that maybe next time they should at least ask if someone needed anything. Very disappointing. read more

I had a burger here- The Oak Park burger, that blew me away. The truffle fries were tremendous and my server was smart, attentive, and helpful. The ambiance was nice. I also enjoyed my mocktail tho it was a lot of money for juice and ginger ale. read more

Kettlestrings Tavern - Oak Park Burger - Bars Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

A native of Chicago, I have been residing in the Southwest for some time and was craving a quality burger. We had nearly planned to dine at Cooper's Hawk (CH), but instead chose this establishment after passing by it, as it appeared to be quite peaceful and inviting. My friend, her children, and I--forming a party of four--were all eager to try the fried cheese curds. They did not disappoint and provided sufficient portions for all of us. We placed our orders: the 12-year-old selected the house salad with chicken, which was generously-sized; the 10-year-old ordered chicken tenders with a side of fries, which was plenty for him. My friend opted for the bourbon-brined chicken sandwich with a side of fries and reported that it was delicious. I ordered the Oak Park burger, which was absolutely divine--juicy, flavorful, and satisfying enough to fill me without needing to consume all the fries. I am pleased we chose this restaurant over the overpriced and somewhat overrated Cooper's Hawk. I also enjoyed a couple of Old Cubans as part of the experience. The atmosphere was exceptionally relaxed; the background music and the TVs playing football allowed us to converse comfortably, creating a warm and cozy environment. If I did not live in what I consider the somewhat dull state of Texas, I would certainly return. I am hopeful to visit again soon, as I am already dreaming of that enjoyable experience. My gratitude goes to the chef, the young male server with glasses and curly hair (apologies for forgetting your name), and the female bartender that evening, for providing a warm, cozy, and memorable night along with a delicious dinner. read more

Kettlestrings Tavern - N/A Shirley Temple and an Old Cuban - Bars Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Every time we would drive by Kettlestrings, it always seemed so lively. I am so glad we finally decided to drop by. Service was very friendly, helpful, and patient. They have high and low-top seating options. The aioli on the burger was delicious, our waitress said they had several different types of aiolis, and I am excited to go back and try the rest and some of their salads. Wings had a great flavor to them. read more

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Superb experience!! -- loved the ambience, warm welcome/atmosphere, service, food & beverage menu. Each individual in our trio ordered a craft beer -- WIN! WIN! WIN! (I had a fabulous Porter.) Brussel Sprouts for the table were over-the-top delicious ... Shrimps Po'Boy, Burger, & Salad orders were 'spot on!' Only regret: I'm only here for a quick weekend (visiting from out-of-state). But my ppl live in the neighborhood, so they'll continue to be great patrons & I'll make you 1 of my 1st stops when I'm back in Oak Park/Chi-town. Well done! Grazie. read more

Stopped in this corner bar for a quick drink. Not quite a dive. Food looked amazing but only had a tasty mango beer read more

Kettlestrings Tavern - Bars Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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Food was greasy and as you might expect from a tavern that specializes in bar food. I went for brunch and was happy with the great taste (though it's hard to mess up a standard breakfast). My eggs were slightly overdone and I wish there wasn't a puddle of grease on my plate that seeped into the pancake. Our waiter was a bit transactional, but he still delivered on our order. Overall, I do like Kettlestrings. Maybe just go for the dinner ambience instead! -AT read more

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I didn't have much expectations the first time I came here. But, my family has ended up here on a weekly to biweekly basis. Very convenient. The staff is warm and friendly. They get that when we order mac and cheese for our small children, that bringing it quickly really helps us enjoy the overall experience. The drinks are solid. I recommend ordering the truffle fries, "extra crispy." You can't go wrong with their burgers or salads. I have not been disappointed. read more

Burger was solid. My daughter enjoyed the cajun pasta with shrimp. Other daughter was pleased with kids burger. Bruschetta chicken sandwich was a bit too cheesy. read more

Kettlestrings Tavern - Kettlestrings burger with raw onions - Bars Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

I had the fish n chips and it was excellent. The fish was very flaky and not too overly bread or greasy batter. I sat outside on the patio during lunch hours, and the service was prompt. The restaurant has excellent Al fresco dining with several tables setup right next to the restaurant and a few stretching into the quiet side street. Ample space for a lovely spring day. Will be back! read more

Kettlestrings Tavern - FISH & CHIPS - Bars Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

The food is fresh and tasty at Kettlestrings' where they are serving up classics to perfection. Some of their classics have a creative spin to them, so the menu is appealing to a variety of tastes. Their salads, burgers, and fish are spot on. Brunch is yum! The atmosphere is comfy and the staff is attentive and friendly. read more

grabbed a late night bite at this tavern and wasn't disappointed. I walked in and was told to sit anywhere. It was fairly empty in the establishment and we were served waters and menus almost immediately. Apparently it was BOGO 50% off for starters and that was a blessing for us. We chose the wings, cheese curds, soy ginger tofu wrap and truffle fries. Our food arrived in maybe 20 minutes and that's probably stretching it. It was very appealing and super tasty for tavern food. The best dish in my opinion was the jerk tofu wrap followed by the truffle fries. The truffle on the fries was a super generous portion. Nice crunch to them just the way I like my fries. The wrap was fresh and the tofu was actually seasoned and done right. They allow you to make your own wraps which is good for a $16 dish. The lettuce used was incredibly fresh and super big as well as the jalepenos. I love great quality produce used in foods. It makes everything better. I will be returning as I learned they also do brunch. read more

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I have been here a couple times and it's a pretty good spot. I didn't realize they did brunch, which is what I went for most recently. I loved the Bloody Mary. I got it spicy. It was so good. I wish it came in a larger glass, but maybe that would be too dangerous. I ordered their special Reuben Burger, which was a burger with corned beef and sauerkraut with thousand island dressing. It was pretty delicious. The fries that came with it were just average - pretty bland. Previously, I've ordered the Blackened Salmon salad, and I really enjoyed that one. The servers here seem really absentminded sometimes. At our most recent visit, she was clearly distracted and not making eye contact with us when we were giving our orders. read more

My family and I enjoyed this eating establishment. We started with the Brussels sprouts and the pretzel sticks. The Brussels sprouts had some nice orange flavor which complemented the other flavors well. The pretzel sticks were very good. I had the biscuits and gravy which is my favorite breakfast and it was good. We also had the fish and chips which were nice. The avocado toast was very good and very large. The waitstaff was awesome and friendly. This is worth going to for some food and drinks. read more

We thought the curds, the pretzel sticks, and the patty melt were solid, along with prices, service and the cocktails here. The fish & chips wasn't memorable, but the fries were solid. For a family friendly spot that you can do for about $100 for a family of four, we were happy with Kettlestrings and you can tell folks that live nearby hit this place a ton. Looking forward to coming back to try out dinner on the patio one night! read more

Came in on a weekend early with the family. Happy they have kid menus! We got the pretzel sticks to start and some grilled cheese for the kids, a burger and the avocado toast. People starting filling the place by noon in pairs and singles. The food was excellent and service was very attentive as well! Definitely adding this to the list. read more

Great food, service and want to go back real soon. Fish and chips were just what my belly needed.

Delicious food!!! Service was good!! And the vibes were pretty much upscale tavern. Food is pricey but accurate for the neighborhood. Beer is not cheap (6-7 dollars/beer) read more

Kettlestrings Tavern - Modelo, Buffalo and BBQ wings, and the TRUFFLE FRIES - Bars Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Great neighborhood spot with wonderful outdoor seating. Great burgers. They have made the interior a lot more inviting lately. Family friendly. 10/10! read more

I don't know not my favorite dinner spot in oak park. To be fair it was a Tuesday night and it looked like they had two guys doing all the front of house work and to their credit they were very kind. The fries were delicious, but I had the steak sandwich which flavor wise was good but texture wise not really. They asked me how I wanted it cooked and I asked for medium rare and they gave me me well- which would've been fine if they hadn't asked for what I wanted. I found it to be really tough. We put in an order for doughnuts which they forgot, but in the end were really tasty. We were there almost 2 hours and I really wouldn't want to be there that long again. It's a pretty limited menu salads and sandwiches only. Its on a nice corner if you want to sit outside and just have a beer it's not a bad spot. I guess nothing terrible- you'll be treated well and the foods not bad there are just too many other really good options in the area. read more

Kettlestrings Tavern - KETTLESTRINGS DONUTS - Bars Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

This place always has consistent good food and they are so amenable when we bring our kids. Good vibes here.

WOW! Incredibly rude and disappointing. Although we were a big group of 8, we got uncomfortable looks walking in. We found an empty couch spot but were missing a chair for 1 person. We asked for the empty chair at the bar and were told they were going to "hold that spot for a single person who MIGHT walk in." Just seems rude to not make your current patrons feel welcomed. Over priced. Rude service. Judgemental staff. The bartender with the mullet attended and gave us the hardest time. Will NOT be back and NEVER recommend to others read more

Great burgers, cheese curds, and atmosphere. Good if you are in the mood for a louder, nicer burger place. Wide ranging menu of all different types of burgers and all are superb. read more

Good place, good wine, so far from this city one of the quality one. Salad portions is good, and fresh vegetables, differ than regular American classic salad, more creative and good portion for the price Fish fresh Wine read more

The food is hit or miss. When you order delivery it is universally unfortunate. The service isn't great either. We brought a large group and more than 30 minutes after arrival had not received a single drink or appetizer for our party. The environment is dry. They basically play elevator music. We asked if we could play music on the patio since we had a large group. Servers said yes and then the manager came out reprimanded our group. We took our business elsewhere after not being served. read more

Reliably good food and very attentive staff, even when it's very busy. We have been to Kettlestrings many times and have not been disappointed. read more

Best burger I have ever had. Everything here is sooo good. My Dad got grilled salmon here on time and it was delicious. The service is always so nice and there is this one guy behind the bar sometimes that is the best. The place is clean and the prices are pretty reasonable for the amount and quality of the food. Also the drinks are great too, lots of beer on tap and great cocktails. read more

First time ordering from Kettlestrings this weekend. At first I was a bit perplexed as I tried to order for delivery from one of their partners but got so many error messages that I decided to see if I could find a helper to pickup for me. Thankfully I found someone willing to go out in the snow. We ordered the Oak Park burger, cheese curds, wings and chicken tenders. Everything was quite good but I think the standout was the burger. Two thin patties with basil, cheese, tomato, etc. delicious. It had such an interesting flavor with the basil - I thought this was an interesting and unexpected touch. Not greasy and not overly huge (but still a nice portion size). I got to try zero wings so I assume those were tasty, too. The cheese curds were good but a tad too greasy for me, though good flavor and a nice crunch on the outside. Chicken tenders were ok, nothing super special. The fries were delicious - not greasy, perfectly crisp but also chewy and tender. Very nice fries. Overall, I would say the burgers are amazing and so are the fries. I may branch out and try some other items next time and eventually would love to eat there in person! read more

Ordered delivery and was given a 60-90 min window. After 100 minutes I called and they said "yeah it's been ready for a while" to which I said "that's great so why didn't you deliver it as ordered?" I heard them talk to a manager and sounded like an uncomfortable conversation and then "we can get it to you in 30 minutes." I thought that meant they'd remake it since it was sitting out and they're a 5 min drive away. Nope, it got here cold and cheese on the burger was hardened, 2 hours after I ordered it. read more

We have gone out to eat very few times since COVID-19 and picked Kettlestrings because of their outdoor seating. It was a great choice. Made reservations for outdoor seating and we were seated right away. Great food, drinks and service. We especially enjoyed the cheese curds and wings to start. The only thing not pictured was the burger our son got and inhaled (it was excellent). read more

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My wife & I had dinner here on a Friday evening. It was busy, but not packed. The room had nice energy. A good mix of families and couples. We split the fish & chips entree and the house salad. Both were very good. My wife enjoyed her margarita. I had a vodka martini. My drink was good. The only negative comment I have is regarding the size of my olives in the martini. It had 2 tiny olives. I would think for $12 you would get 2 queen sized olives! Overall, we enjoyed our dinner & will come back again. read more

My first time here, it's during COVID. We reserved patio seating and enjoyed burgers and brews on the sidewalk. They have a great selection of beers and liquor. I had an English Ale, and the server was able to explain it perfectly. Their appetizer and salad selection is not shortlisted at all. If they run on a limited menu, you wouldn't be able to tell because it offered quite variety. We had the Brussel Sprout salad which was delicious and I had the Oak Park Burger. Two thin patties with some fries were delicious! It's not your typical burger. It had this fancy Basil aioli which meant I didn't need to add any other condiments! The service was great and friendly! It was such a beautiful day, I felt like I was on a mini vacation! For some brews, burgers and great service, come here! read more

Contemporary eatery smack in the heart of Oak Park. Classy scenic spot perfectly placed. Indoor classic Chicago bar seating along with tables against the windows, and outdoor patio seating where two flat screens are mounted for viewing w/ the best streaming options Hulu, CBSN, Netflix, ESPN to name a few. As a foodie the menu selection is easily accessed with a camera scan; new camera scanning technology pairs well w/POS Systems e.g., SpotOn, Square, Toast, Vend, lightspeed are some of the best Midwestern Point of Sales Operating Systems. Now for the food, simply delicious food made to order, served with H20 in a glass bottle and plasticware, best option during COVID. The drink selection needs an upgrade of Top Shelf. Great environment for game night or to watch the latest news updates. Love this place, the drink selection earned this post four stars, yet the customer service made up for any of my concerns. Please swing by when in near West Chicago, Oak Park is a hop-skip-and-jump away. R/ read more

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Brussel sprouts and burgers! Really the only place we go now when we're craving a burger, because it's that good.

Alright so I guess I'm a regular.... Just had the fish and chips the other day - oh my gosh! Wow! The fish is perfectly breaded and the fish...soooo damn good! Melted in my mouth like butter! It comes with malt vinegar which was good - kinda wish they have tarter sauce but I think they are trying to stay true to the classic dish. My boyfriend ordered the Buffalo wings, which he loves! They are nice and crispy and the Buffalo sauce is delicious! And their blue cheese sauce is homemade. Delish! They just released their fall menu so I'm excited to try some new stuff! read more

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Adult food was good, kids food was terrible and the service was horrendous. We made a reservation, showed up and took a table outside. Server took our order, beer came out; a tad warm, but we ignore the warning signs. Wait for 30 plus minutes, no sign of our server. The other server who was outside, came up to the couple behind us and told them that since they are getting busy, they are implementing a 75 min policy for the table and although they were FINE for now, they might have to leave soon. What?? Finally our food comes, all at once, the appetizers after the main course. We still put away the warning signs, because we were desperately trying to have a good time after not going out for so long. Ordered another beer through the bus boy, as our server is still no where to be seen. Anyways, we finish our food and are packing up the leftovers. My 7 yr old did not eat her Mac n cheese as she did t like it but we chalked it up to just her being a kid. However i tried it at the end - and it was bad. Firstly, it was clearly Mac n cheese from a box. Secondly, there was NO cheese!! Thirdly, the noodles were soggy - like drenched in water. My sons burger was also super well done and dry. So when the new server comes for the final sweep, I tell her that the max n cheese was inedible. No apologies, in fact she visibly clenches up. She gets the bill and the max n cheese ($7.50) is not taken out. I ask her why and her response, "oh, you want me to take that OUT?". Uhh, yes, I'm not going to pay for something inedible. She comes back out and says, that the manager will discount the max n cheese by 50%, because get what - we ate "half of it." Are you freaking serious!! They want me to pay $3,75 because we took a few bites??? This place can suck it. Complete pricks. I've never left a $0 tip in my life until now. Don't go here, especially if you have kids. They don't deserve it. read more

Had Biscuits and Gravy and a Bloody Mary from Brunch menu. Great food and drinks. Attentive staff. neighborhood bar feel. Great place to celebrate Father's Day. read more