This is the first time Yelp led me astray. Service: Server was friendly and helpful, although it took a while to get our bill. Beer: I tried the sampler. Usually I like a couple beers in a sampler, and this was no different. I liked the beer. Belgian, lager and the special were my favorites. I would recommend them. Food: here's where our experience was lacking. The pretzel trio was a good appetizer although the pretzels weren't particularly amazing. Deviled eggs were gross... Flavors were off and the breading wasn't cooked through all the way. My husband had the perch and the fish itself was probably good but it was overly breaded in what he describe as "cheap Betty Crocker boxed breading". For $18, we expected way more from that dish. Unfortunately, we won't be returning. read more

Very accommodating with gluten preferences. I had an open faced "Hot-Head" burger over a bed of Truffle Fries and it was delicious. The pomegranate Margarita was sweet as they come. The rest of the gluten free alcohol options were average with options like Redbridge and Cider. The server brought me a burger with a bun at first, but it was likely my fault for not speaking up more audibly. Would rate 5 out of 5 if the owners picked up a package of Udi's gluten free buns, it'd make a world of difference for your obviously burger - centric menu! read more

Let me start off by saying I have never given a 2 star review for any product or place- even for the 99cent ipod case look-alike I got in college that disintegrated in my hands after opening it. My husband and and I live in Chicago so we're used to the occasional bad service and truth be told we still go back to those places just because the food or the atmosphere otherwise is good enough. I honestly can't say that about this place. I have never had a waitress snap back at me before. It wasn't just at me but other members of the party. I was flabbergasted, shocked and offended, especially when we had come to celebrate a happy occasion. The thing is even with the right amount of chairs we were already sitting on top of each other. Additionally, I was surprised our waitress brought out a cracked beer glass to our table. It actually broke at at the table. Another horrible gesture was the waitress's refusal to split the bill after she got upset our party was bigger when prior to this she promised to be accommodating. I guess I don't blame her because without combining our bills and forcing us to pay gratuity for a large I personally would have left her no tip. I don't want to generalize to the whole staff because one of the other bellboys was really helpful My only regret is that I didn't talk to the manager onsite that night cause I didn't want to hold up the group. emailed the manager By the way, count on parking at the amc. There's not enough on-site parking for the guests. A 2 and not a 1 cause the food itself was alright and some of it unique but if you really good beer and American food there are so many other places in the burbs to go to. I wouldn't ever come back here for the experience we had. read more

I love this place! It's always lively and the service is stellar. The drinks are delicious and the beer is the best around. The food is fresh and made from scratch which is apparent from the taste. It's great for families, date night or an evening with your friends, they definitely made sure to cover all of their bases and succeeded in doing so. I'll be back time and time again! If you haven't tried this place yet you're missing out! read more

We had a wonderful Birthday party with 18 people last night at The Lucky Monk. It was a complete success and everyone enjoyed the food, beer and especially the great service! Ryan was our server and he was very organized. He did such a good job with the six little kids in our party. Crayons and stickers kept them busy. Small appetizers of carrots and cookies with milk kept them happy. Ryan patiently explained each of the house crafted beers and everything on the food menu. This is a family friendly restaurant and we all loved it! Thanks to Ryan and his many helpers! read more

Probably one or the best burger joints in the suburbs. 10/10, had a great time and place looks great. They have an interesting burger, where the left over barely from their beer is molded into a Patty for a vegan burger. It is surprisingly delicious and 10/10 would go again, better than any unique food joint I've had. I'd drive to Barrington even from the city to give this burger a try. read more

Three visits, three great experiences with the food. There were a few issues with the ambiance of the restaurant but let's get back to those at the end of the review. First things first, the food: Burgers: Amazing burgers that crumbles into your mouth when you bite into it. I'd ask for them medium for the best textures. - Hot Head: It's supposed to be spicy but I could have used a little more heat on it. I did like the chipotle ketchup which added a tiny hint of spice. - Green Chile Queso: A weird combination turns out to be my favorite burger so far. The roasted green chiles actually add a nice kick (maybe even more than the hot-head) and the pork shoulder+pineapple makes this taste like two meals in one. You might need a fork and knife for this one. I just wish there was some kind of sauce to accompany this burger. Truffle fries: Holy cow. Definitely my favorite thing about Lucky Monk. Full of flavor and taste like they have been freshly cut/cooked. Fish 'N Chips: The texture of the fish is ridiculously soft. The batter is a nice crispy golden brown which adds a texture to the whole dish. I just wish the fish had been seasoned a little. Margherita Pizza: Thin crust, check. Fresh ingredients, check. Perfect balance of dough, sauce and topping, check. A great pizza although it may be slightly overpriced. Beer Braised Short Rib Pasta: Short ribs were delicious but I wasn't a huge fan of the pasta. But then again, I'm not a fan of pasta in general. The short ribs are packed full of flavor and are reason enough to try this dish. S'mores: If you like marshmallows, order this dessert. If you like any other part of the s'more, you might be disgusted by how much marshmallow is in one dessert... So the food gets a solid 4.5 stars. As for the ambiance, here's what went wrong each of the three times I went: 1) Seated outside: the waiter stopped by maybe once after we ordered our food. It took forever to get refills or additional napkins or condiments. 2) Seated in the restaurant area: apparently they have live music on certain nights and I chose to go on one of those nights. If you are looking to have conversation, don't go on one of these nights. We were seated in the area furthest from the musician and we still couldn't hear each other over the music. 3) Seated in the bar area: We were seated in the back corner and it was right next to a window that I thought was open because the draft coming from it was freezing! Overall, a great place to grab some food and hang out especially since it's open pretty late for a suburb location. I'd recommend any of the dishes I've ordered or to try something new! read more

First of all huge shout out to Taylor and Ruben amazing people you won't find better service than this. Taylor was quick to take our orders and get the food Out to us. Ruben the manager is an outstanding guy, brought out the cake just in time and made everyone feel comfortable and made me feel like I was a long-time customer, and even more than that, I felt like I was family. we had a surprise birthday party for 14 people and it couldn't have went any smoother. The food was great I highly recommend the steak tacos. Everyone else said their food was great they ordered a margarita pizza and a classic burger and a couple of other stuff and there was no complaints, nothing but praise from every single person. Once again shout out to Taylor and Ruben, highly recommend going here for any of your events or just stop by and have a quick burger and I will definitely be going back! read more

Met my wife here (when it was Brass) so The Monk will always have a special place....the BEST beer Sampler I ever had, cozy environment, friendly people, good food....it's in our once a month rotation! read more

The craft beer here sucks asshole. You are better off drinking miller lite...how sad is it that I'm even suggesting that? The food was pretty good. We ordered the cheese curds, fried pickles and smoked wings which were all delicious however the craft beer here tastes like piss. We had the craft beer sampler and literally there was a lighter beer (forgot the name) that tasted like it had actual piss in it. Do not come here for the beer, I would only suggest the food. read more

Service was good and the food was good. Nice clean atmosphere. They have a really big bar area with enough TVs to catch the game without worrying of a bad view. Just didn't think anything was great. read more

The beginning of the service was amazing. We made a reservation for 4 and we got seated right away. We had an additional guest so a total of 6 people and we got moved immediately to a bigger table. The waiter was helpful with telling us which beers were on tap and what was popular. He was really funny and nice!! We ordered our food after a little bit of waiting. The appetizers came out promptly. We ordered the calamari and the cheese curds. I definitely RECOMMEND the cheese curds! After some time we were able to order our meals. The waiter was busy but it did take a little too log to get our food put in. On top of the wait. We had to wait even longer for our food. Okay, so my short rib tacos were great! The BBQ burger was good but it was slightly overcooked and dry. It needed a bit more sauce. My friend ordered the cheese pizza. The portions were quite small. Here is where it went downhill. We were waiting for a LONG time for our meal as is. But the pizza didn't come out. The manager came out and told us 30 seconds. It's took TEN MORE MINUTES. Now don't get me wrong. I understand the food industry. I work at an upscale pizza restaurant in Los Angeles and I know how it is. But still... It just kind of sucks because I had higher expectations! Our waiter JAKE was super accommodating. He was very upbeat and helpful. He told us exactly what was happening so it made it better. Overall the manager and Jake made things much better. The food was good. I'll come again next time and give them another chance!! read more

Loved the fish and chips. The tartar sauce was amazing and the cod was perfect. Called to make a reservation because the wait is usually long. read more

We had our holiday luncheon today and I cannot tell you how wonderful it was. Our server, Wesley, took excellent care of us!!!!!! We have a large party and a variety of accommodations that needed to be made and he was efficient, timely, and courteous. The food was excellent!!! The atmosphere is elegant. I highly recommend this restaurant for holiday parties, get together's, as well as casual lunches and dinners. Thank you Wesley! read more

We had a table of 6 and Wes was our server. The burgers were great, but my wife was disappointed with her salad. She asked for dressing on the side and it never came, so we asked Wes to please bring it. He forgot so we asked again & he forgot a second time. By this time we were all most finished eating our burgers. People make mistakes but this was nuts. Finally he brought it and LUCKY for him we still left a 20% tip, but I feel if you don't consider your clients you don't deserve the job. I suggest the Luck Monk find some employees who actually care about their customers. Also the beer was great but I needed to order 3 of them to get my fill. They bring the beer to you in small taster size glasses. Apparently whoever make the decisions on serving sizes is mixed up. The burgers are impressively large and overwhelming but the beer mugs are small and skimpy. Go figure... Owen Scheppman read more

During an excursion thru Barrington/South Barrington, we stopped at The Lucky Monk. It was pretty early on a Saturday evening (6:00-6:30) and the place was chock full of Barrington-ites. We managed to get seats at the bar and tried their house brews, which were pretty good. The food, on the other hand, was pretty abysmal, or maybe we ordered the wrong things. We got the Trappist Trio, which was 3 huge bowls of fried items: pickles, fries, and cheese curds. It wasn't bad, it was just bland. I wish we'd gone with the whipped goat cheese, or a salad. Everyone around us was eating burgers, which should have been a clue to order that, rather than the Wild Mushroom Risotto...HUGE mistake. The description of the risotto on the menu reads: "parmesan, wild mushrooms" and that's it. you can order short rib or chicken, if you like, to top the dish. I don't know what possessed me to order risotto at a burger and beer place. It was indeed very busy that night, but, I waited a ridiculously long time for my food to come out, so long that I assumed they'd forgotten about it. When it did come out, I was immediately disappointed because there were stewed tomatoes in the risotto. I'm admittedly very picky about risotto, but I think that if stewed tomatoes are part of the dish it should be listed on the menu. Am I wrong? I never would have ordered the dish had I known it was going to be served that way because I HATE warm, cooked, mushy tomatoes in risotto. To top it off, this dish was just so utterly bland and tasteless I found it hard to believe they added any seasoning or herbs. Blah. The bartender was really nice, felt terrible that it took so long to come out and that I didn't like the food, which accounts for the 3-stars. The bartenders were really nice, especially given the throngs of people. I guess this is a decent place for the area, mostly due to the beer, but hope there are better options in Barrington. I wouldn't go back unless I happened to be in the area, and if I do, I'm getting a burger. read more

I'm never disappointed at the Lucky Monk. I always make sure to make a reservation because they can get slammed, particularly on game days. I love the cheese curds, and everything else I've tried from the burgers/sandwiches to the pizzas were all good. Making a healthy choice here is challenging because they have so many good fatty choices, oh well! read more

Pretty awesome. Food is delicious and beer is great. Cajon Chicken, and Tacos were all equally amazing. Highly recommend.

Food, drinks, and service have been good every time ive been here. Their ipa is delicious and have nice seasonal selections as well. Very large patio area away from street noise. The one thing I couldn't stand on my last visit was watching just about every employee leave the patio to the parking lot to smoke and use their phones. I wanted another beer at one point and watched about 6 employees walk right past my table(first one by the door) and go straight to the parking lot, that really pissed me off. All in all, it is a real good place. read more

Grilled shrimp tacos were fabulous. Waitress was pleasant, made good suggestions, and was very attentive. I can't think of anything that could have been done to improve our experience. read more

My experience here was pretty good, but I want to go back and try more of the appetizers and beers. This is a typical microbrewery, they have a ton of beer to choose from and some really interesting menu items. I was not that hungry when I went, so I went for the mini fish tacos, which were really good. My mom had the steak tacos which she claimed were not that great. My dad had a salad.. We did not take full advantage of the menu because we just stopped in for a light simple dinner. The burgers looked amazing though, and some of them were really interesting and different. Would def go back. read more

So incredibly disappointed with my experience at the Lucky Monk. Right out the gate it was evident that the pretzels were frozen and the beer cheese soup tasted like nacho cheese. I had the pork chops and they were so dry it was almost inedible. I don't have much else to say about this place considering how underwhelming it was other than having good service, our waitress was very nice and attentive. But overall, undeserving of the 4 stars it is. read more

The burgers are amazing! Loved the waitress who was super attentive and had all this knowledge to let us know what kind of beers they have and what we should totally try. Of course the sticky donuts are my favorite! So warm and so sweet. read more

If you're looking for a good brewpub-type place with OK beer, good burgers, and decent prices this is a great choice. We came here for the first time and were generally happy with the food. We started with the trio appetizer which included fried pickles, truffle fries, and cheese curds. The fried pickes (as many other have pointed out) are probably some of the best I've ever had. The cheese curds, while salty, are also delicious and a perfect accompaniment to the beer. Truffle fries and also the fries that came with the meal were OK but VERY greasy, actually to the point that I had to stop eating them because they were so soaked in grease. The burger I had was VERY tasty and their burgers are huge. Again though, while delicous my burger which only had cheese and onions, was so greasy I started feeling sick. Not that it wasn't one of the tastier burgers I've had in a while... it just felt like if I took another bite I'd have a minor heart attack right there at the table. The beer here is OK. If you are a beer snob, you probably won't be impressed. The service as others have pointed out is ok but I can see why there are so many complaints. Our waitress was very nice but seemed overworked and having a tough time keeping up. She still managed to always turn her frustrated look at the computer to a great smile when she came over to our table. I did see one waitress who literally stood at the bar for 10-15 minutes doing nothing until a manager had to come over and talk to her. I could also notice that the service was slow. Our waitress was doing her best but I noticed one elderly couple looking very annoyed and they waited way too long for their food. We will come back probably to have some beers and appetizers, but likely not again for dinner. Unfortunately this is the best of the bunch in our area. read more

Chopped salad was good. Bbq wings were ok. Pizza was good, the only thing was that we ordered sausage pizza and the sausage was spicy. They should put spicy sausage pizza on the menu. We had to ask for water. And our waitress seemed in a hurry all the time . not much conversation. read more

Eh OK. Had the fish and chips they weren't amazing by any means. Also had the fruit loops drink which was a bit too orange-y. Other people in my party loved it. Had the burger, fish tacos and patty melt. Very crowded & loud read more

Food is very good and is a great place to hit before a movie at AMC 30. Lots of great apps.... Don't look too much into it, it's not Gibson's you Fucking beatoffs. Enjoy read more

This was my second visit to the Lucky Monk and I was not let down. I got the hot head burger and it was so juicy and delicious. Along with that I got a sweet tea mojito and a howler of some beer to go. Our waiter Dan ( introduced himself as Dan with the red hair), was super nice and attentive. Definitely will be returning more often! read more

Went there for my better half's birthday with his family. I wasn't expecting much (mostly bad chains in this area- not good restaurants way out here in the burbs) but I was pleasantly surprised! They make home brewed iced tea and lemonade which we had. Really great service, friendly, clean, and good food. We had meat eaters and vegetarians in the group yet everyone was happy with their meals. I'd go back again and was glad to see they're even doing some organic choices as well. Not many but hope they add more organic fare soon!) read more

First time here and we loved it. We started out with the beer sampler and the deep fried egg- wonderful appetizer. The beer sampler was a good way to taste the different beers sine I really don't know that much about beer. We were a party of four and all ordered different burgers with different sides- the patty melt was the biggest hit. Sides were ( in order of faves). Fries with gravy, deep fried pickle chips, cheese curds and Parmesan truffle fries. Our waiter was super great and we had a good time sharing all of our food. Will definitely return. read more

Lucky Monk - Patty melt and fries with gravy - American Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

See all

Going to keep this short, sweet, and to the point. I don't write a whole lot of reviews but I find myself just having to after eating here at The Lucky Monk. The atmosphere of the place is terrific and appearance is very nice but once you take your seat all of that begins to fade away. The waitress was good but the food I couldn't serve at a homeless shelter. I can not recommend this place and be able to sleep at night I am sorry. If you are just going to sit at the bar and watch a game you're going to be just fine just don't order any food. read more

Great place. My wife and I go all the time and have never had anything but a good experience. All the food is exceptional and the beers are pretty good. We do carry out from time to time and it works out really well. The pretzel trio is one of our favorites. The whipped goat cheese is awesome and so is the rueben, the roasted chicken, and all the burgers. Really you can't go wrong. read more

Great atmosphere, good service, really good burgers and got to love the beers. Good place to hang out and watch a game or sit down more formally for some good food. read more

We were pleasantly surprised by this place. It was decent. I'd definitely be back because I'd like to try the spent grain burger.

Went there on the 'sampler' plan. Beer sampler was fun and most were drinkable. Cheese curds appetizer - eat'em hotl; Sandwiches were good; never met an onion straw I didn't like; truffle fries - not sure what the fuss is about. Wanted to do desert but couldn't find room. Will be back if I get to the area. Thought it was a good value. read more

The pizzas and flat breads will make your heart sing with their perfectly flavored, perfectly crisp crust and gourmet toppings. The atmosphere is classy enough to host your clients and fancy out-of-town relatives yet casual enough to feel comfortable. The patio is warm and inviting with a central stone fire place. The prices are awesome. Really, you can't go wrong at the Lucky Monk. read more

Meh. The ambiance is nice, the band played awesome music. I really wanted to like this place but I couldn't. For one, we had to freaking Valet our car because their parking lot is the size of my living room. Are you kidding me? When you see this place and the vast amount of space around it, and the tiny parking lot, it just makes no sense. The food: Thank God I ordered the Hummus - which was a winner. The other appetizers were entirely too fried and sopping oil and disgusting. The brews were okay..we sampled them and we did like 1-2 of them. The apple crisp..what I waited all night for, turned out to be a dud. The crust was so buttery and gross, it ruined what could have been a first ballot hall of fame winner. Do people actually like this food and finish their meals? Beer + Oil = my summary of this place. It just screams obesity. Again, Thank God for the Hummus. read more

Went here last night. I give it 5 starts because of the Sweet Potatoe Fires. WOW. So good lol. I want to go back to get more!! The burger was also exceptional. I got the Bourbon. HUGE portion. I only ate half! read more

The food was amazing. We had the tomato fondue for an appetizer. I had the Bourbon Stout burger and my husband had the Patty Melt. Everything was so good. The service was a bit slow but it was Friday night, so probably to be expected. We'll definitely be back. read more

I've been to the Lucky Monk twice, and while neither time was terrible, I've had better. Today's visit left a particularly bad taste in my mouth. I've got to give them credit- their pretzel appetizer is delicious. The pretzels are big and beautiful and warm and the dipping sauces are okay. Though the beer cheese doesn't have much flavor. Whatever, my issue isn't with the pretzels. Order those and you won't go wrong. I ordered a burger. Usually a pretty solid bet, right? I don't think I've taken this much issue with a burger since I grossly overpaid for a cheeseless one a few weeks ago. And I'm usually pretty easy to please when it comes to my burgers. First of all, the burgers comes on this little round piece of wood, of which I just don't see the point. I get that it makes them seem more impressive, but it really just takes up room on the plate. Second, the damn thing was piled so high that even when I put the lid on and pushed it down, it was almost un-eatable. Yes, un-eatable. In the sense that when I picked it up it completely fell apart in my hands because there was too much stuff on it. But both of those are minor offenses, the most glaring error of my burger was the fried egg on top. And by fried I mean hard cooked. The point of getting an egg on your burger is to have the lovely runny yolk drip all down the middle, and that doesn't happen when the yolk is a dry, solid, sulfuric puck. I hate hard cooked eggs. A lot. And if that wasn't bad enough, the burger itself was overdone. And the caramelized onions were underdone. The whole thing was just a mess. An overdone, underdone mess. Also, our waitress forgot to take boyfriend's dad's order and then later brought boyfriend a drink he didn't ask for. If there's a next time, I'm sticking to the pretzels. read more