We had a free night in the Chicago area and found this ridiculously AWESOME tiki bar, Kahala Koa…read moreTiki Bar. The selection of drinks is downright encyclopedic, and the drinks were outstanding. In addition, we ordered a plate of bacon-covered water chestnuts, and they were so effing delicious!! I mean, they were a serious revelation!! So we ordered another plate. The atmosphere is amazing. The family that owns this wonderful tiki bars has put some serious work into adorning the place with amazing tiki decor. And this has to have taken YEARS to do. The outside of the building does not say, "Hey!! I'm an awesome tiki bars!!" But step inside and you are transported to tiki land extraordinaire. And then there is the staff there. They are so friendly, attentive, and helpful, and just very authentic and genuine. I CANNOT WAIT to return to Kahala Koa Tiki Bar the next time I'm in the Chicago area. The place totally rocks!!

This was a spur-of-the-moment choice but ended up being very fun for drinks and dinner!…read more I LOVE tiki bars and my husband noticed this one in the area near where we happened to be on Google maps, so off we went! We had about a 15 minute wait for a table but it gave us time to peruse the menu in the car. They offer many classic tiki cocktails, a page full of seasonal drinks, a page of "Designated Driver" mocktails (nice to have an option for something other than just a Shirley Temple!), Polynesian appetizers and entrees, and then Lola's Pizza. For drinks, I got the seasonal Gingerbread Painkiller and my husband got a Green Flash mocktail. (Pro tip on the seasonal drinks: check the regular cocktail menu to see how many skull and crossbones are listed under the regular version of your drink, if applicable, to see if it's a super strong one!) Mine was creamy and spicy but quite powerful. Props to our waitress, Makayla, who checked if anyone at the table was epileptic, because normally the "flash" part of my husband's drink is a strobing LED ice cube; I actually am photosensitive, so it came in the drink in non-strobe mode and just glowed an alien green. She said this was the first time it had actually paid off to ask, but I'm glad she did! The food was tasty: I ordered rumaki, an old-school appetizer of bacon-wrapped water chestnuts that you don't see very often these days, and he got loaded fries. We also got a small Lola's Pizza, which was very good, with a crisp but also chewy crust. The atmosphere here is pure tiki, with a fountain, swag lamps, bamboo, and Hawaiian-influenced Christmas music playing for the season. Lots of big groups here; everyone seemed to be having as good a time as we were! What a laid-back gem in Arlington Heights! We'll be back. Mahalo!

I went to The Greggory for my first time on Saturday and it was absolutely phenomenal. I started…read moreoff with the Sakura to drink which was very refreshing and tasty - as someone who typically likes Lemon Drops, I really enjoyed it. We ordered the Pop Over Rolls to start off our meal and they were some of the best rolls I've ever had. I really liked that they had a hint of cheese and the butter was also delightful. To eat, I ordered the Summer Corn Ravioli and it was one of my favorite pasta dishes I've probably ever had. I did get it without the mushrooms as I typically am not a fan of mushrooms but the ravioli was perfectly cooked and the flavors were simply divine. My party also ordered various meat dishes that they all raved about as well. We did order the brussel sprouts and asparagus to share - I enjoyed the asparagus but did not try the brussel sprouts given they had bacon in them. We didn't order dessert BUT did get a fantastic vanilla cake with raspberry sauce for dessert that our server brought given it was my mom's birthday dinner. The cake was SO delicious and I was very happy we got it! To top it off, our service was amazing throughout and it was an overall wonderful experience. Thank you, The Greggory team, for a great first experience! We cannot wait to be back!

Highly recommend this place. Their steaks and chops are phenomenal. Had the lamb with Israeli…read moreRisotto: absolutely phenomenal. Wife had the Dover Sole. Absolutely amazing, and they debone right at your table. Also had the crab pasta and had a good taste of our friends market Wagyu steak. It was like butter. Keep in mind. This is not going to be cheap though. If you're gonna go to this place, expect not only excellent service but not your McDonald's prices. Saw a couple of the next table come in and order a hamburger and fries. Seriously? You come to this place for a burger and fries? (Lol). I'm sure the burger and fries was excellent, but this place is not known to be a burger joint, even though it's on the menu but again, to each his or her own. I wouldn't come here just to have a burger. There are many other places that do that. Step it up a little. Come here for a higher tier of food caliber. That being said: Our server was excellent. The manager along with the chef / the wine "professor"- (he was excellent as well- extremely knowledgeable, and paired our bottle of wine perfectly with all our meals) along with everyone else who came by to check on us. But our server was absolutely attentive and great. He wasn't pushy and he was very easy-going but very astute and had all the attention to detail. So hopefully we made his night when we came to the tip. (we weren't slouches, nope.). I wish I remembered his name, it wasn't a typical name, but he was outstanding. That being said, make sure that you pack away a couple "bones" when you see the check- also make sure that you tip your waiter for the outstanding job that they do. So don't skimp on that either. So again: It isn't cheap, but a place like this shouldn't be. We had a great experience overall- Also, this isn't your T-shirt and shorts type of place. You have to dress up. No schleps.. Capeesh?!!? leave your sandals at home. Which it should be. This is an experience, not your local In-N-Out Burger joint. Excellent and tasteful decor- excellent service highly highly highly recommend.

Madcats is an unassuming lively music venue in Downtown Palatine. Every weekend, various types of…read morebands play with drinks served. If you want a table while watching your favorite band, come early and grab a seat! It fills up quickly. Good is served and service is fast! Delicious options and great drinks at a decent cost. You won't be paying high prices for drinks. It's a lively place, sound quality is also great, and the staff is friendly! We like coming here when we want to hear great music. Madcats is a great addition to Palatine!

Madcats opened in 2021 and has had many live events…read more We recently went to see a Fleetwood Mac cover band that did really well. The place is small and was full. I could tell that people truly enjoyed. There's even a small dancing area up front. The food and drink are decent. The servers work hard when it's busy - yet manage to keep friendly. The only downside is that there is a section where you can't really see the stage (about 1/4 of the inside area).

Barista Tara is a rockstar!! I visited CoCo & Blu the other day and inquired about latte art. I was…read moretold that the amazing artist who'd once made my drink had moved out of state, but that everyone else there could make hearts and flowers. Enter Tara, who said she'd try her best to make something special. She delivered an adorable bear on my drink! She said she might be able to do better, but I loved her effort and enthusiasm. My friend and I headed outside to enjoy our drinks on the patio. Several minutes later, Tara came outside carrying another latte. She had PERFECTED the latte bear and gave it to us for free! She made my entire day. Thank you to Tara for the amazing art and for going above and beyond in your customer service!! I can't wait to go back for my next coffee and hope she's working when I do.

The place is super cute with old tables and high ack chairs. The old world charm of mismatched…read morefurniture and mismatched plates is amazing. The coffee felt very average and what is up with such high prices? Who pays $17 for a simple veggie sandwich? Family of 4 ordered a drink and sandwich each and we ended up paying around $120. That's dinner pricing.

Definitely love this bar, I'll be your bartender here at H…read moreBar. I'm excited and ready to serve you, come and join me for some specialty cocktails

Hyatt really hits it out of the ballpark with their bartending staff. From New York to Bloomington…read moreto Chicagoland, we've had the pleasure of spending wonderful evenings learning from people incredibly passionate about their craft, and Don is no exception. The enthusiasm he has for what he does can't be manufactured. He's a rare gem that no bar should be without. Forget about dogs and Dolly--is cloning people a thing yet?

View, food and service. Check, check and check! Come check it out, you won't regret it.read more

We celebrated our anniversary at this establishment, a place I've been hearing about for quite some…read moretime. Since it was a special occasion, we finally had the opportunity to dine here, and I made our reservation through the Resy app. When we arrived, we were seated quickly. The first thing that really caught my attention was the atmosphere. The restaurant was converted from a church, and I absolutely love how they preserved the original character of the space. The high ceilings make the restaurant feel open and spacious, while the beautiful stained-glass windows add so much charm and personality. For appetizers, we started with the Shrimp Saganaki and Lobster Maki Roll. Of the two, the Shrimp Saganaki was our favorite. We enjoyed the presentation, flavor, and texture, which were all right up our alley. The Lobster Maki Roll was good, but in my opinion, the lobster-to-rice ratio was a little too heavy on the rice. For my entrée, I ordered the Brick Chicken, which was served as a chicken quarter leg. It was cooked perfectly--the skin was crispy, the meat was tender and juicy, and the garlic sauce complemented the chicken beautifully. For dessert, we ordered the Banana Sticky Toffee Pudding served with vanilla gelato. It was phenomenal and the perfect way to finish our dining experience. I also have to mention the service. Our server was welcoming, attentive, and made us feel comfortable throughout our first visit. The restaurant went above and beyond to make our anniversary even more memorable by surprising us with complimentary champagne and dessert with a sparkling candle. That thoughtful gesture truly made the evening special. Overall, the atmosphere, service, and food were all a hit for us. We had a wonderful anniversary dinner and left with a great experience. They've definitely gained another loyal customer!

We had the absolute RUDEST experience with someone checking us in for a lunch reservation. We had a…read more12:30 reservation- walked in around 12:32. When we told our name for our reservation we were told it was going to be about 10 more minutes- even though the restaurant was half full. I was super confused because the entire bar was open and there were at least 10-12 open tables. The person checking us in goes "what you've never had that happen before?" - referring to having to wait for a table - SO incredibly off-putting and condescending. I told her she was being rude and she got defensive and giving us all these excuses- that the kitchen was backed up, etc. We immediately walked out. We were fine with the waiting but the way this employee handled things was insane. The way this should have been handled, and how it's handled in hundreds of other restaurants we've been to is: offer to sit us at the bar or ask if we want to get seated and then tell us there's a back up. or even say "I'm so sorry" Like at least show SOME hospitality. I emailed the location to say all of the above, and they did offer to send us something in the mail, but I will not be accepting. There are so many businesses in this area, go somewhere else that appreciates you as a customer.

I'm a big fan of this concept with comfortable seating in a spacious restaurant, plenty of parking,…read moregreat presentation, friendly service, and attractive decor. Compared to similar restaurants in this space, I prefer to go here with friends for its generally quieter atmosphere and overall vibe. Maybe the biggest complaint here is that the food preparation can be a bit inconsistent between dishes, and between different meat types. That is, that the output can range from delicious to somewhat average (and sometimes overcooked), depending on what you order. For example the birria was super flavorful and served with very crisp tacos and a delicious consomme, but the cilantro-lime rice and refried beans felt like an afterthought. The smoked pork belly quesadillas had a great flavor and just about the right amount of fattiness that was short of perfection due to the pork being overcooked. The tres leches cake also had a great creaminess and flavor to it, but parts of the cake weren't really soaked in the milk at all, which created an inconsistent experience - depending on where I took the bite. On everything I tried though, the presentation was excellent and there were enough great things about each dish to overcome some of the shortfalls. Overall though, I feel with improved execution on ensuring that all elements of the dishes are equally good in terms of texture and flavor -- there's a lot to love about Ancho & Agave. But even in its current state, it's still an enjoyable spot to take a group of friends for tasty food in an impressive looking spot.

We came in for the tour on a Sunday and it turned out to be a private tour with Amanda. The tour…read morewas more of a conversation and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Amanda's energy and passion was outstanding. The tour was about 45 minutes and includes a tasting flight. Since I do not drink bourbon, they allowed my to substitute a drink. There were so many options that I was interested in trying, but after discussing what I like with Amanda, she suggested the Lavender Haze. The lavender syrup is made in house and was sweet, with a floral taste . The drink was excellent. They have open mic nights and live music. They are expanding into the adjacent space in the next few months. It was interesting to hear all of the logistics involved in moving equipment into the new space. We will be back !

Located in a small strip center ,this distillery is a real gem located in Lake Zurich…read more Staff and owners are super friendly that serves great cocktails and has live music . Unfortunately they do not offer food options but you can bring your own. They make their own Bourbon,Gin ,Vodka and Rum which pairs well with their huge selection of crafted cocktails. The prices for the cocktails are slightly more than one would expect but then again you are not paying any cover charge to hear live music and frankly,they are sooo delicious. We tried the Blood Orange Mai Tai which was a daily special,Banana Rum Old Fashion and a Classic Old Fashion. Can't pick a favorite because they were all our favorites! Tastings and Tours are available. Support local business and check out Copper Fiddle Distillery.

This is a charming little restaurant and wine bar in downtown Long Grove, Illinois with a beautiful…read morefront lawn seating area and a charming patio. The service is excellent and the food is delicious. I would highly recommend a stop here if you're in the downtown Long Grove area for some light shopping and fun. Sean was an excellent and attentive server with great recommendations!

Decent date night stop. We visited on a Saturday evening…read morewith a group of 6 - had a few different places we could sit. The staff was prompt and welcoming upon arrival. Corked has an extensive wine list as well as a great cocktail selection. We tried to order some snacks along with another drink and that order got completely missed/forgotten by our wait staff. This happened twice as our evening progressed. The cocktails and dessert that were delivered were excellent. Definitely would try to visit again to be able to enjoy the lawn and fire pits.

My hubby and I were looking for a place with good drinks and decided to try this place. We parked…read moreand almost passed by the place because its like a small little bar with very little signage. It was before 6pm so we were able to find a seat. I think they have seats for only 25 people so prepare to stand when it gets busy. Our bartender was Edward and he was really nice. I ordered a Tiramisu Martini and then a Porn Star Martini. They were both good, but I preferred the Porn Star one. We also ordered a Smash Burger, which was actually from Holt's, connected to this bar. That burger was tasty - brioche bun & onions = yum. The chips it came with were crunchy. The Bacon popcorn was good but way too salty for me. Im glad we found this little bar and plan on coming back in the future.

Amazing atmosphere and quality drinks. When I come into town I always love coming hereread more