I was really excited to check this place out after seeing their cocktail menu online, and in some…read moreways it definitely lived up to the hype. The drinks were excellent--well-balanced, creative, and clearly made with skill. There was also a live musician performing during my visit who was amazing and added a great atmosphere and really elevated the overall vibe. Service, however, was a mixed experience. One of the bartenders (a newer female bartender) was very friendly, attentive, and showed a lot of potential--she made a great impression despite seeming a bit new. Unfortunately, the other bartender completely brought the experience down. He came across as rude, disengaged, and honestly like he didn't want to be there at all. I understand it was a busy night, but there was very little sense of urgency from him, and wait times felt longer than they should have been--even factoring in the crowd. That said, I do understand everyone can have an off night, and given how good the drinks and atmosphere were (plus the positive reviews I've seen elsewhere), I'd likely be willing to give it another shot. Overall, great cocktails and ambiance, but inconsistent service keeps it from being a top-tier experience--for now. I will be happy to update following a repeat visit.

Nate is the best! My boyfriend and I stopped here on a family trip and had the best time :) Nate is…read moresuper knowledgeable and sociable. Highly highly recommend the cocktail "children of the corn". Perfect drinks and perfect vibe!!

Best watering hole in Sterling. Selection is the best in Northern Illinois, vibe is conversational…read morecool, and the staff is awesome. If you want to feel like Norm on Cheers the first and every time you walk in, stop at the Rusty Fox.

Good wine, great old fashions with ton of variety, and the owner makes sure the service is right on…read morepoint!

Perfect bar! Great and kind owner, always doing barrel picks, always getting the good stuff! Love…read morethis bar! Good hearted people always helping out others!

Love this place. I'm a huge fan of whiskey, and love trying the rare stuff when available. Barrel…read moreSociety has a very large selection, great pricing per dram, and a store towards the back of the building which sells various bottles and beers. Service was solid too. One of the gents behind the bar was very attentive, and liked to geek out on whiskey as much as I do, so it made for a good time. One more thing regarding the selection - everything I picked was in stock, and I don't take this for granted. A number of bars in Chicago boast a huge selection, but your heart gets broken quickly when the barman repeatedly says the selection you've made is out of stock. I'll visit again when I'm in that area if Illinois.

Checked out this pretty cozy local brewery and distillery in Batavia. Grainology is a terrific use…read moreof an old building in the historic downtown. It adds a certain charm that newer shiny places can't match. Has a pretty good variety in the draft list. The prices are pretty good for being local and making smaller batches of stuff. A lot here to drink. It's both a brewery and distillery, which is an interesting process. This means you can get something with hops, or something less filling and smoother. Has plenty of room inside if there's not some party going on. It's about $6 a pint. A way to be charitable is to pay a few more bucks to get the Ability Amber. This is an amber ale, of which the proceeds benefits Project Mobility, which gives bicycles to disabled children. This has notes of plum and raisin. Has a kitchen but food is limited. There's often a food truck out front where you can get things like chips for $2, lobster rolls, and more. Good place to get locally made beers and liquors. It's closed Mondays. They often have food trucks.

They seem closed. I hope they open again soon, since the outdoor spaces looked great! Their…read morewebsite implies they are trying to reopen but everything is shuttered. I had a chance to go more than a year ago and liked their beers. Now I wish I had gone more often.

To be honest, I hadn't heard of McCarty Mills before. We were looking for a new place to try, as…read morepart of Aurora's restaurant week, that had a good beer selection. The food offered, as part of restaurant week, the beer selection, and service were all fantastic. I'm very glad we stopped here and would definitely stop again!

It's a small place. Variety of beers in cans and on tap. The service was good. Place is cute…read more Definitely locals go there. Not a variety of food-pizza and like 2 appetizers.

Stella's Backstreet is my favorite weekday chill bar with the friendliest bar tender and great…read moredrinks!

AMAZING drink selection!!! Any and every flavor you can hope for with the coolest bartenders! Super…read morecute dog and goldfish, too!

First time experience here. I met two friends there…read moreprimarily to see a solo musical artist called FiddleRock, but also to socialize, eat, drink, and be merry. The restaurant/bar is on the second floor of the building, located on the south side of the Illinois river between two marinas. We sat on the deck and had a meal and drinks. The view was great from the deck, overlooking the river, especially this time of year (summer). We all had Mexican style food, and all agreed it was very good. The drinks were cold and reasonably priced, and our server was adorable. The other staff we we interacted were also very nice. After eating, we moved inside and enjoyed the music, continued socializing, and of course, enjoyed more drinks. Both food and drink prices were very reasonable, in my opinion. I plan on returning. I just wish it wasn't so far away from me!

Worse place ever sat there with no crowd just wanted a burger and a beer we waited for over an…read morehour and still no service but the one beer when we first walked in. We finally had enough of waiting with no updates on our order or even seeing a worker so we left. Glad we did the kitchen was totally disgusting. Never go there again

Great food! Great waitress really lovely, personable and attentive. The only downside was there was…read morea family sitting behind us allowing their children to scream and I mean at the top of their lungs. This was a rare mother daughter date and we were the only 2 party's in that section of the room. I really wish the staff would've asked them to quiet their kids as it made us leave sooner rather than later. And I understand having kids in public but the family truly did not care and encouraged the laughing and screaming.

had lunch at the lodge for the first time. The atmosphere was pleasant and felt like a lodge themed…read morerestaurant should feel. Service was also good. Had the Scotch Egg appetizer and was surprised how substantial they were - and they were almost meal sized. They were really good. The dip wasn't my favorite accompaniment, but it was ok. Then I had the German Sausage Platter with one each of their three types. Decided that I wasn't as thrilled by the Bratwurst. The Knockwurst was better and the Thuringer was best of all. The sausages came with a variety of sauces, so everything was good. In fact, my final judgement was that these were some of the best sausages I've ever had, including some I've had in Germany. So feel safe recommending the Lodge if you have an urge for some Bavarian food.

Forno left an extraordinary aftertaste in our memories! My husband and I met some friends here for…read moredinner, and everything from the food to the ambiance was outstanding. The atmosphere is intimate and cozy, with just the right volume of music to enjoy conversation. The service was excellent, attentive yet unobtrusive. We started with the Fire Roasted Meatballs, Burrata & Prosciutto with Fig Jam, and Ciabatta Bread, all of which were fresh and flavorful. The Eggplant Parmesan and Potato Croquettes (with prosciutto cotto, mozzarella, and roasted red pepper aioli) were also incredible. For the main course, we shared two pizzas: * Burrata & Honey - A perfect mix of San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, soppressata, hot honey, and chili flakes. * Diavolo - A bold and delicious combination of San Marzano sauce, fior di latte, soppressata, ricotta, and chili oil. The grand finale was dessert, and the Tiramisu cake was absolutely divine--light, creamy, and the perfect ending to our meal. Overall, Forno is a gem. The restaurant is the perfect size, the food is top-notch, and the experience was memorable.

We were In town for a motorcycle event and wanted a good pizza. Forno seemed like the best option…read moreand did not disappoint. In fact this place exceeded all expectations. Great service, food, and atmosphere.

Love this place. Great spot to stop for a couple of cocktails. Have a diverse array of things on…read morethe specialty drink menu, and serve some small plates as well. Has turned into a semi-regular stop when we're out and about

I've been to The Alchemist multiple times because my boyfriend loves it, even though I've always…read morethought it was just alright. We usually sit inside, but I wanted to sit on their patio. We came about an hour before their kitchen closed. For some reason the service was just bad this time. Our waitress took a long time to come and check on us, forgot to bring us our drinks, forgot to bring our food to us (the waiter serving the table next to us brought it... he was doing a great job and kinda wish we had him instead lol), and took forever to come pick up our check. Just overall felt like we were questioning where she was the entire time. We got the focaccia bread with side of vodka sauce, togarashi fries, tenderloin skewers, and oysters (forgot to get a photo). The food was good and the cocktails were refreshing. My favorite was the focaccia with the vodka sauce. The fries were also crispy and flavorful.