Niko&#x27;s Tavern

I thought I hated smash burgers. Harts has changed my mind. I swear the Lou (without pickles) but…read moreadd sautéed onions is the absolute best burger in the suburbs. It is flavorful, juicy and slightly crispy edges. A perfectly soft bun. This is how a smash burger should taste. We also love the vibe, salads and tacos but I keep coming back for Lou. Only downside, no onion rings but the sweet potato fries are good here also.

Wow! So glad we stopped here for lunch. I ordered the Garage Burger which has sautéed onions,…read morebacon and cheddar and bbq sauce. My wife had the their famous "Lou Burger" The smash burgers are still juicy but crispy on the edges. Paid a couple of extra dollars and upgraded to the Parmesan truffle fries. Probably won't do that again. If you get a chance to try this place out make sure you do!

Bar

Garage Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

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Ice cold beer

Cruisin

4.4(202 reviews)

4.6 mi

Best place to hang out in Gilberts, which is a small village but it has a few bars. Cruisin' has a…read morecar theme going on. It has crap tons of 1950s and other car memorabilia, on the walls. Family friendly too with offerings for kids. The place gets pretty busy weekends as there's events and live music. A surprisingly nice looking bar considering it's also pretty casual. It's clean and looks kept up pretty well to be honest. There's the main area with the bar, lots of tables, along with another room with more tables. Has lots of drink specials to look at. It's about $10 for some of the fancier cocktails, the ones that take a little more effort to put together. Best one of these we had was the Black Cherry Mule. This has black cherry vodka, good stuff. It's about $11 for appetizers. We got the Pretzel Bites, which are good for sharing. Entrees here are pretty meaty. There's burgers, fish, and that kind of stuff. For sure we could come here again. It's located on Galligan at Higgins. They have live music and other fun things.

Great roasted chicken and fish fry. Service was great. It's a bar and restaurant. I liked the…read moremeatloaf and gravy. The Saturday specials are good too.

COOL DECORATION

Sirloin and shrimp with sweet potato and Cole slaw. Way past my initial expectations.

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Copper Barrel on State

4.3(174 reviews)

3.7 mi

We've been here several times and every time it has been great food and friendly service . I love…read morethis place Gracie was amazing !! She made us feel so welcome and joked with us . Having a fun time , good service and great meal is what going out to eat should be about . We cant wait to go back to try more !!!

We had an excellent dinner experience at Copper Barrel on a Saturday night. There were four of us,…read moreand everyone left happy. We started with the goat cheese app, I've had this before and it is yummy. The bread is perfectly toasted yet soft for dipping. I ordered the fish tacos in corn shells. They were flavorful and light with a tasty side of black beans and rice. I believe it was $14.50. Two people ordered the salmon, it got compliments and the cornbread was a winning side, so were the fries and green beans. The salmon was $19. Lastly was a brisket sandwich with crispy onion straws, again, a tasty plate for around $15. Our server was exceptional, friendly and attentive. The restaurant was getting busier as we left, but at 5pm we had a very pleasant experience; food came out quickly and we were not rushed.

Interior

Dinner salad with Garlic dressing

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Bar section

Old Republic Kitchen + Bar

3.8(635 reviews)

7.5 mi

The bands are 5 stars but the waitress we had - 1 star. We've had that same waitress 3x before,…read moreugh, and she was attentive for the actual order and we just had ice teas. She brought the teas, a male worker brought out our food. Had to flag waitress down for refills which took 20 minutes to get. We got there at 6:30 so not super crowded. Finally got the refills and then the m.i.a happened. Into the night we flagged her down for another ice tea refill. Not everyone drinks alcohol. Never got it. The band now ended and we wanted to leave. Waitress no where to be found. I had to get up and get another waitress and manager to check us out. I told the manager she never came by us after food and about 15 minutes into the band set. We saw her behind the bar waiting on people. Bringing drinks to people but ignored us and would disappear. And yes we ordered no alcohol but our food bill was still $60. We had no luck with her, never got the 3rd ice tea refills. Her tip reflecting the terrible service. This is the story the previous 2x we had her and there were 6 of us at both so the bill was substantially more but we'd have to go to other waitresses for service. She's awful as a waitress. Old Republic you can do better. We're there a lot, our group all bought the wristbands back in January. We love that and the bands but with this particular waitress, service sucks.

We celebrated my granddaughters graduation And ordered the…read moreshrimp elote tacos And they were very good!! Loved them And loved the music on top of that beautiful vibe . Definitely coming back

Thin & Crispy Republic Pizza!

The Wisconsin Slammer

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The Little Havana Cuban Sandwich [tuesday special]

Blue Line Bar & Grill

3.4(9 reviews)

5.9 mi

Absolutely ridiculous credit card policy for a concession stand and at the restaurant. Blue Line…read moreBar & Grill enforces a $7 minimum just to use a card on top of charging a 3% credit card fee. This is both for a quick concession stand purchase and at their a sit down restaurant, which is less of a problem. The concessions stand snack counter at an ice arena prices are already inflated, but If I want to buy a $4 iceee or a $3 soda while watching a hockey game, I'm out of luck unless I carry cash or buy more than I need. It's completely unreasonable and feels like they're just taking advantage of customers. Do better.

First off, the amount of money and traffic this place has to bring in should be high and fairly…read moregood. Observing the other reviews, I'm not the only one talking about the credit card minimum price amount. Pros- food is decent but the prices are very high. Cons- transactions made with a card have a fee. I also understand businesses have to do this or they lose out. Usually $3-4 dollar minimum. This place charges $7 dollar minimum. So while I'm sitting there a lady wanted a candy bar. That's it and had her card but didn't want anything else. So she's out of a treat to eat while she watches her grandchildren play hockey. The amount of over charge on just a hotdog is robbery. I asked for a hotdog and how much they cost. $3.75. Not bad. Was thinking maybe to get a Chicago style instead and the majority of places that make them charge maybe1-2 dollars more. The worker behind the counter says $8 !!! They explain that it's because of all the toppings and all. $5 dollars more for a small amount of toppings that make the Chicago style dog?? Out of all the times I've came here for games, tournaments, etc. it makes sense why I see the majority of families with food from outside sources.

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Outdoor seating

More Brewing

4.2(342 reviews)

3.0 mi

This place is EASILY my favorite brewery in IL…read more I have been visiting More Brewing for several years now and I have never once left without being totally pleased with what I drank or ate. The Food They have a very diverse and inclusive menu. We are able to go with adult friends and/or our children and everyone is able to find something that suits them and they always seem to speak very highly of what they ordered. Their Pretzel is amazing, they have some of the best Cheese curds I have ever had, decent pizzas, Huge salads, and plenty of vegetarian options. I would be more than happy with their food even if they didn't have amazing beer. The Beer I have yet to try a beer from More Brewing that I didn't enjoy. Even the styles i typically do not enjoy. I think this speaks volumes to their brewers and the amazing work they are doing. I am an IPA fan and theirs are just better than most I have had. They even released a Malort Collab and it was unbelievable. If you're simply in the market for delicious cold refreshments, they have you covered. Staff I personally have never interacted with anyone that worked here that wasn't very pleasant to interact with. Everyone has a very chill, happy energy. The vibes here are always great and that goes a long way for someone like me. Merch If you're into Brewery swag, they have a cool storefront with excellent quality shirts and glasses. I will say, their glasses do not hold up well to traditional dishwashers so expect to handwash if you don't want lose the decals they apply to their glasses. I already tell everyone I know how much i love this place and how they have to try it, so the obvious next step was to tell the yelp world!

We chose outdoor seating even though it looked like a construction site, with crappy tables, WORST…read moreCHAIRS EVER! (so uncomfortable!!! not good for a bar that wants to keep people drinking) AND there were ONLY 2 other tables occupied (between 12 and 1!!! that has to mean something.) i went inside to check it out and only 3 tables were occupied. ok....FIRST- mas nachos....when i order from Bartlett MORE, the sauces are hot and it works. These were cold (now i wonder if they are SUPPOSED to be hot). The Italian beef eggrolls were also COLD (my granddaughter didnt tell me until today when i was collecting information from my guests). She said when she warmed them up at home they were good. :/ The Korean wings got a good review. The Nashville hot Chicken was not as good as Bartlett location, ALL fries were limp and should have been SO MUCH BETTER considering only 7 tables were occupied. The vooDoo fries were so undercooked it was sad as FRIES can carry the day lol. i cannot say i would recommend. we all felt our SERVER WAS GREAT, i brought my puppy and he asked if she needed a bowl of water). he was attentive and SO PATIENT/tolerant (had 2, 90 year-olds, 2 early twenties, one of them vegetarian). The 2 90 year olds didnt order anything. They said they moght have gotten a dessert but the 4 selections were all pretty much the same, gloppy. The Black Bean Burger was deemed "really good" and the Tuna Poke bowl review was, "it was good. The tuna seemed fresh." Both items may have been appreciated due to the margarita flight that was ordered to accompany. I recommend the Bartlett location. its smaller but they might have their sh*t together.

Taken by Ashley Hamm Photography

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The hazy

Burgers N Bites

4.2(5 reviews)

6.8 mi

So confused. Walked in here expecting to find a restaurant was in the mood for a good burger and a…read morekabob. NO such luck. Its a nice little market featuring imported foods from the subslcontinent but no restaurant to be found. Inquiries didn't really provide any answers. Perhaps the solution will be found some other day behind door #3?

Food is really tasty, and fresh! The folks are super friendly and helpful. Only issue is it takes…read morea little long to get the food. Take out only as the kitchen is in a convenience store.

Burgers N Bites is committed to providing 100% Zabiha Halal meals.

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Pub 72

3.6(103 reviews)

4.5 mi

I don't usually make bad reviews, but here it goes: Prime…read moreRib Saturday Special, arrived at the start 5:00pm. Ashley our server not very attentive at all. Not asking us for refills, forgetting our salads, got Caesar dressing instead of creamy garlic. She brought the salads during dinner and that was the last we saw of her until the check. Now quality of the food: my wife and I ordered the same size steak, mine was definitely not a 12 oz. ( not that I was jealous). Ordered it medium, both were rare. The loaded baked potato's were kind of under baked. Instead of soft, very chunky and slightly warm. We ordered the sautéed Brussel sprouts which seemed a bit under cooked and possibly boiled for the additional amount charged. Been here a couple of times for the special but this time it was a big disappointment and will think next time in taking this special.

Pub 72 is a dive-style bar that knows exactly what it does well -- and leans into it. The…read moreatmosphere is lively and unpretentious, with great service that keeps the experience easy and enjoyable from start to finish. The wings are the headline here -- arguably the best in the county. They're fresh, massive, and packed with flavor, the kind that make you rethink what a bar wing should be. For those who appreciate a good dive with standout food, Pub 72 is a gem

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Chick-N-Dip

4.1(110 reviews)

3.6 mi

so I've been coming here for a while and not much has changed over 20+ years: of course there's a…read moredifferent person doing the food for cash exchange; still have wooden picnic tables under the canopy out front but w/o window service - orders and payment and pick-up are handled inside; dining room has a dozen or so tables and seating with a little padding (more for appearances than effect) started with a small cherry dipped twist because the chickens are cooked to order and take about twelve minutes; the fries are skinny hot, crisp, and fresh; slaw is chopped and vinegary instead of sliced -n- creamy and I can't help but like it because it's a little sweet; chickens are smallish but broasted; so crispy and crunchy, tender and moist, and comes with a soft roll and instead of a biscuit because it always has... getting to be late in the day and late season and there's a chill in the air. lots of carry out but nobody hanging around. sign on the wall says they haven't picked a closing date yet but it won't be too far off now. seems everyone has something better to do besides hanging around eating chicken but I can't for the life of me guess what that would be... unless maybe ice cream?

You can call ahead and order your broasted chicken. We usually do a dinner. They have a vinegar…read morebased Cole slaw that is delicious. Only cash, which keeps the costs down. Pricing is very reasonable. Not really an eat in kind place but we bring insulated bags to keep food hot on trip home.

Chick n Dip!!(keepsmilingphoto.com)

Broasted Chicken!!!(keepsmilingphoto.com)

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French Fries!!(keepsmilingphoto.com)

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11 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Ken B.

7 years ago

Walked in to Niko's Tavern 6-30-19 to order some food to go. I ordered and waited for my food at the bar and the Bartender was very friendly and asked me if I wanted a drink and I ordered 1 beer as I was sitting by myself when a gentleman who seemed to be mentally challenged asked to sit next to me which there were two open seats next to me and I said no problem. He then proceeded to ask me some questions and become very rude and I responded by telling him to leave me alone. A few minutes later my food came along with the bill and as I left I relieved I wanted more gravy for my meatloaf I ordered so I went back in the Tavern and asked the bartender if I could get some more gravy and she said no problem. That is when two customers tried to start a confrontation with my about how I tried to start a fight with someone who was mentally challenged and I replied he was being rude and all I wanted to do was order food and leave they then proceeded to both surround me and start to push me trying to get me into a fight it was almost a violent situation which transpired. The owner came over when he saw there was a problem and asked me what had happened I explained it to him and as I was talking to him one of the two men who confronted me earlier pushed me very hard and was about to throw a punch at me. I then told the owner he needs to govern his establishment better. What makes me disappointed is not that I was assaulted by two of the customers but the fact he did nothing to the two customers who assaulted me right in front of him. When you lay your hands on someone it is assault plan and simple! I used to like this place but after my most recent experience I can say I will never go back there ever again. Just Pathetic read more

Lola T.

4 years ago

Seriously Niko. Bald headed guy cooking stuffing face with food. Lettuce hanging out of his mouth. No gloves. Sam bartender daughter running around....in kitchen.... Behind bar. Is this a day care or a restaurant!??? read more

Jackie L.

6 years ago

Nikos tavern clearly doesn't care about their guests or employees as no one wore a mask. Follow the guidelines, they are there for a reason! Get it together nikos, it's a global pandemic! Shameful! read more

Melissa K.

8 years ago

This establishment added gratuity to my card after I signed my cc slip and tipped cash. Then failed to respond when I attempted to contact them about the matter. They are thieves read more

Megan S.

Elite 18

339

5 years ago

The food was great and very large portions. The staff was good. Not necessarily the best place for an impatient toddler but that's probably our fault. read more

Jarred N.

8 years ago

Can't believe it took us 3 years to find this place. Excellent food, great service, this will definitely be a regular place for us.

Kenny D.

8 years ago

We went to dinner here for the first time. The food was good and the service was excellent. We will definitely be back!

Thomas

4 days ago

Food was delicious, service was excellent, restaurant is comfortable and welcoming. Will definitely be back.

Kevin C.

2 years ago

Order take out and was charged a 6% container fee!!! Won't be ordering from there again.

Karen R.

7 years ago

How do you screw up a hamburger? Not good at all and overpriced.

Richard A.

6 years ago

The food quality is going south!

Niko's Tavern - bars - Updated September 2026

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Great roasted chicken and fish fry. Service was great. It's a bar and restaurant. I liked the…read moremeatloaf and gravy. The Saturday specials are good too.

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It is so important to support local businesses and this is one of them!…read more I went here based on other Google and Nextdoor reviews (the yelp reviews did not do this place any justice) on the way home from Galena and this place did not disappoint! This is a no frills local pub but the two bartenders were friendly and the food and cocktails were great! I am not sure where they get their pink lemonade from but it is delicious (of course the Absolute citron made it taste better). The taco special on Sunday for $1.50 each was very good with a choice of ground beef, chicken or steak. The sour cream and rice or beans are a little extra. The BLT 1/3 burger with bacon, lettuce and tomato with added cheddar was fresh, delicious, and fantastic! The fries that cost extra very good too and freshly made. I will definitely be back next time I'm in the area!

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Sammys Bar and Grill

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We've been there a couple of times and got really good service and delicious food! There is lots of…read moreseating. Don't drive by! It's worth a stop!

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Rookies All American Pub & Grill

3.1

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Not my typical place. But seems to be popular. They have…read moreplenty of options, but at the end of the day it's bar food, I didn't have anything to eat, but friends like the food. It's your typical sports bar, plenty of TV's and a scrolling electronic banner with scores, which is pretty cool Prices seem good and service was OK, nothing bad, but nothing special. Could be a little more engaging and friendly. Typical for this kind of place. I believe they also host karaoke, but don't have the details. Might come back some time for some food and update my review.

I've dined in and had take out a few times here. Vibe is good, family friendly, amazing staff,…read moreEsmeralda is the best bartender ever. She's awesome. All the apps are delicious, but the cheese curds are my fav. I do love the chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce. The steak and shrimp was so yummy and really love the salad. They have everything on the menu and I love that, coming from other similar places, this place has everything. Where other pubs lack. Can't wait to keep on coming back.

Parkside Pub

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Located in the downtown heart of Huntley is this gem. They have a great outdoor patio with full…read moreservice. They have a great menu with daily specials including homemade soups. We stopped in for a couple of beers and sat at the bar. Service was friendly and quick. We ordered the voodoo shrimp and white cheddar cheese curds.

I have tried this place three times to give them a benefit of a doubt…read more Cooks do not wear gloves when they make food A cook was eating, cleaning his fingers with his tongue and I hope he washed his hands prior to making food after his break. The entire place needs TLC to attract new customers. I won't come back because it's not clean enough for me or my friends.

RK's Bar & Grill

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First time visiting RK's Bar & Grill and won't be the last time. Prior to stopping at RK's, my wife…read moreand I had left a bar in South Elgin that had no concern for customers and it showed. RK's was immediately different upon entering! Greeted by the bartenter Laura and she stayed connected to us. Made sure we had what we needed and was great! The kitchen was closed for a remodel. The free popcorn was appreciated. Looking forward to the reopening of the kitchen to try the food. Drinks were excellent! The 2 piece band did a nice job and were engaging with the patrons and not just playing music. A shout out to the Staff at RK's and to Karri for responding to my email about a left behind jacket. I was able to pick up the jacket the next day. A lot of places would not care or make the effort. I really appreciate RK's Bar & Grill! Looking forward to the next visit!

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Diamond Jim's Gas Grill

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Diamond Jim's has been a favorite in East Dundee for awhile. A beautifully refurbished interior bar…read morethat is serving up all of your favorites with a fully stocked bar. They have a beer garden/patio with an outdoor bar and live music on the weekends. They have an upstairs dining and bar area as well, that can be rented out for parties. We stopped in for a quick beer and an appetizer. Sara was our bartender and she was quick, friendly, personable and we adored her. We ordered the Italian beef egg rolls, they were delicious.

No greeting as you walk in, so we just sat down. You are given a menu. It's a dive bar, so I didn't…read moredare ask for anything special. Bloody mary was really good and when I mentioned that, zero reaction. Alridy then. I will keep my compliments to myself. I seriously regret tipping $20 bucks. UGH She did ask if the food was good though, once. We had the flatbread the night before at Foxy's and whoever brought it by was really sweet, so we assumed the following day we would get the same service. Heck no. Anyway, will say the food was good. But due to the ambiance and service, will not be returning. I mean I could just go get the same food somewhere else, with better service and actual good cocktails.

Niko's Pointers Saloon

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Checked out this pretty busy bar and grill in Marengo. It often has things like live music going…read moreon. Niko's Pointers Saloon is one of several bars in the downtown area of this small town. A lot of room for groups. There's a surprising amount of space. Basic menu items to get. It's got better drinks than food to be honest. There's actually some pretty thoughtfully made up cocktails especially for seasons. Also lots of the beers. The cocktails include the classics and modern stuff. A lot of beers on tap along with more in bottles and cans. It's about $6 for a basic cocktail like whiskey and whatever. As for the food it's mostly meaty. They even have the salads topped with bacon so it's not good for plant based people. It's about $11 to get the Beer Nuggets. These are pizza dough rolls fried and served with marinara sauce. Actually it was better than expected. The menu also includes plenty of meaty choices if you like things like fish and pork. For sure it's one of the most popular restaurants in the area. It's located on State Street at Prairie. There's plenty of TVs for watching games or whatever.

My friend, partner and I ended up going here because the restaurant we started with was closed…read more When we arrived my expectations were high but I shouldn't have gone in with any. There were only two people working the bartender and a waitress. We waited like 5 minutes of not longer to get a greeting . It took like 5 more minutes to get seated. We grabbed menus to get an idea of what we might want to eat. I went into the restaurant part looking for an employee. She was wiping down empty tables saw me but never acknowledged my presence. The bartender saw us standing waiting to be seated and also didn't acknowledge us. I didn't understand why it took so long to get seated there were only 3 people at a table and the rest of the restaurant was empty. There were a few people at the bar. When we finally got seated the waitress asked if the table was dirty we said yes but she didn't wipe it or anything. She was saying that she had like 35 boys come in to eat and messed up the whole other side of the restaurant. She got us our drinks and then asked if we were ready to order. We said Please give us a few minutes to decide. When she took our order she was nice. When we got our food my friend ordered the Niko burger the bacon was rubbery and not even half cooked. She poured A1 sauce on the side and it was very watery it wasn't thick like normal A1 sauce should be. My partner ordered chicken fingers the meat inside was good and had the crisp on the outside, I ordered an Italian beef sandwich it was good but only had meat on half the sandwich and didn't melt in your mouth. I was only given a very small 2 tablespoons side of au jus. The waitress got us our refills but wasn't attentive like I would expect considering we were the only people in the restaurant. Is it a place I would go back to? Probably not. I was disappointed considering it was downtown Marengo. The ambience was wilderness and forest themed the restaurant was clean but the women's bathroom was not.

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