When I'm on town for work I stay in Peru, but decided to try some local flavor over in Utica. Skoog's is every bit of a down home local establishment. Wings with honey BBQ were delicious! I also had the super nachos and they were as good as you will find anywhere that has stacked nachos. Worth a try if you're looking for a small bar atmosphere with good food. read more

Nothing exciting. Stopped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The service was ok. The food was less than enjoyable. Nachos were blah at best. The beer was flat and the burger, although substantial in size, was minuscule on flavor. Fries and coleslaw were unpleasant in flavor. Side note, when a patron asks about the flavor of a beer, answering with, "it's dark" doesn't hit the mark. Go across the street to Canal Port for good food and proper beverages. read more

We've been here on Sunday evening after a hike. I had Jazzy grilled chicken and it was good though our order arrived little late(they were good enough to take that off the bill) but other than that everything else is good including customer service. Try their very own Kamikaze sauce - THE BEST. read more

Ok so other reviewers rave about the wings- listen to them! I'm one of those people who likes wings but I often prefer boneless wings so I opted for the less messy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. I followed another yelper's recommendation and asked for extra sauce which was needed. The sandwich was great, but I sampled wings from friends and OMG so good! I totally wish I had ordered them myself, especially loved the signature Kamikaze wing sauce and the Garlic Parmesan sauce. Learn from my mistake- if you like wings at all, order them. You will not be disappointed. Side note, do not order the nachos. They were just meh and nothing get to excited about. read more

Great food. The pork tenderloins are good. And the friend chicken and mashed potatoes are good also. The service is great. And just a good atmosphere read more

Came here after getting engaged. Got the wings, they were good. Fiancé got the chicken tenders, they were better. Good beers also.

Been coming here for a while now and still has the best service, and the greatest burger in the Illinois Valley!

Just a very nice place to hang out, and get a bite to eat, ppl r so gr8 there nothing better then a fall ride on my harley and go there for a bite to eat Beer if you rather, Just DO IT you will not be disapointed. Enjoy your week read more

I would probably give 0 if I could. I had eaten here on a previous trip to Starved Rock and found the food to be pretty typical diner food. Because of this I figured it might be a fun, laid back type place for my family to go after our wedding rehearsal. I tried contacting them about setting this up (because it was too big of a party to just walk in - we had about 23 people) and they made it pretty clear that they could care less whether they had our business or not. They would take my name and number with a promise to call back when it wasn't so "busy" and I would never hear back. I even went so far as to stop in for lunch on one of my many wedding planning trips - but apparently the manager I needed to talk to wasn't in. So guess what? They took my name and number and promised to have them call me! Never happened. Finally, I went to visit their website again and possibly shoot them an e-mail they could answer at their convenience - and their website was down, not paid for, moved, or basically just missing somehow.. I got a real "We are only about the locals and we don't need you out of towners" vibe. I stopped short of begging them to accept my hundreds of dollars...Great business model. read more

this restaurant is not "one bit" handicapped accessible, not even the entry, can't get a wheelchair nor walker in over the threshold, toilet is very low to the ground, no handicap railing, and room is too small, a wheelchair walker will not fit inside of the room.. food was okay. but I won't be returning.. Sherry Mascal Princeton, IL read more

Skoogs has been a long time favorite of mine. There is a great variety of food for a small bar. The service has been consistently good and the food is always delicious! Thursdays are rib night and if you love tender juicy fall of the bone ribs Skoogs may be the best place in the area for them! But don't think this is a one act pony...no...The burgers are all top notch and the boom boom chicken sandwich is awesome! Try it with a fried chicken breast if you like fried foods...their breading/batter is great and adds a delightful crunch to the sandwich...and oh yeah...fork out the couple extra dollars for the onion rings! read more

We live downtown Chicago but skoogs has become our standby place when we visit starved rock. It's the perfect small town bar-great low key service, good beer selection and cheap food....and plenty of it!! I still crave their spaghetti-the sauce is amazing. It comes it's garlic bread and a salad...and the plate of pasta feels like enough to feed a family of 4! I'd definitely recommend making a stop here after a day of hiking. read more

A little on the rundown side. The food is fantastic ! It definitely makes up for the service. They don't check on you and they seem a little pit off if you ask for something like refills or mayonnaise however, I would definitely fo back for the taco salad, it is amazing. read more

We stopped at Skoog's one night while camping in Utica. It was terrific. Best fried chicken ever. My husband had a perfectly cooked burger. It was crowded (a Friday night) and we ate at the bar. Our server was super friendly. I recommend this little place if you are in Utica! read more

We stopped in our way through town. Cute place and friendly staff. The fried chicken was phenomenal! My son had the buffalo chicken pasta and really enjoyed it. The fried pork cutlet sandwich was HUGE! And the 7 layer chicken salad was large and tasty. The prices were just right, and the atmosphere was laid-back and family friendly. I would return if I was in the area. The homemade creamy garlic dressing is a must-try. We didn't have the wings- but as we left I saw another table with them and they looked really tasty! Bring a big appetite or be ready for leftovers the next day. read more

Skoog's never disappoints with their good food and friendly service. Kamikaze wings is DA best!!

My wife and I had the best wings we've ever had here at Skoog's! We came to Starved Rock for our wedding anniversary and were so pleasantly surprised to have such an amazing dinner. Wednesday night is their wing night, so there is always a long wait. If you leave a name and come back in 40minutes, you'll see what all the buzz is about!! Service was friendly and quick, though they do cook everything fresh so it takes a while. Again, worth the wait!! read more

Nice place! Very clean and very nice servers. The food is reasonable, large portions and best of all delicious. The burgers are fresh and juicy. Will be back to try other entrees in the future. read more

I'm sure for the tiny town in which this place is located it is a 4 or 5 star establishment as other reviewers have indicated. however, when compared more objectively it's really nothing to be excited about. the atmosphere is clean and the food is extremely average. read more

Tried the sweet red chili wings and the kamikaze wings. This may be blasphemy, but I enjoyed the red chili wings more. I'd recommend either. The cup of chili was also delicious. read more

My favorite Utica restaurant. The wings, the Skoogs burger, the ravs, the salads... yes everything here is delicious! The service is just as good as the food. read more

Friendly people, Fantastic Foods, Oh mien try their wings...i had to bring back some to CA with me when i left.

Great food! Great service! Highly recommend the Kamikaze wings and the Italian Roast Beef sandwich.

Food was very good! Huge portions. Friendly staff and accommodating for kids. The only downside was no changing table in bathroom. I would definitely recommend this place to friends and will be returning when we come back to this area! read more

Nice location in a airy prt of downtown Utica. Came on Labor Day around 3pm, full but not overly so. Great wait staff. Sandwiches are HUGE--plan on taking some with you. Try out the wings; the kamikaze sauce is wonderful. They're jumbo, so six would be enough for a lunch. Not far off the highway and will definitely be back. read more

Had the Slim Chicken, excellent, with a salad. Ice cold Newcastle on a warm summer evening, nothing better!

Good atmosphere, service, and food. HUGE portions! Definitely worth the price (and more). We will certainly be going back when we are in the area. read more

We were staying at the Starved Rock Lodge for the night and after looking up reviews we chose to eat here for dinner. We were not disappointed at all. Our waitress was friendly and gave us honest opinions on our food choices. I had the ribeye steak it was mouth watering and cooked to perfection. (Our waitress had explained when we had asked about the cut of meat that the owners use the same cut that is used at their steakhouse restaurant in Lasalle.) My husband had the 8-Layered Grilled Chicken Salad and was very pleased. I am normally not a person who would try a local restaurant choosing to stick with the chain type places. I am so glad I stepped out of my box it was delicious. read more

My family comes out here from Lombard 2 or 3 times a month. If your looking for a place with the best chicken wings. try Skoogs. The food here is excellent! The ribs are great on rib nights and so are the specials. Great food at great price. Iwish we had a Skoogs out here .Id be in there eating daily. read more

Stopped in for early dinner after hiking. We had never been there before so decided to give it a try. Cute pub, clean and contemporary. The hubby and I both ordered the Italian beef sandwich with cheese and peppers. Kind of peppery along with the peppery aus jus but very tasty. Came with homemade slaw and fries. Very good and would go back again. read more

Large portions at reasonable prices. Food quality varied from very good to average. Service was good, and we enjoyed the atmosphere. The French fries very burnt and tasteless. Entrees are only served Thursday through Sunday. However, they were kind enough to cook up select entrees for us. I'm glad they did - the smothered chicken was really good! read more

Great local pub in the middle of downtown Utica. A must-visit establishment when visiting Starved Rock. The energy is warming, service is friendly and food is exactly what would be expected...good down home cooking!!! Try the GIANT pork tenderloin, the mini tacos or the burgers! All awesome and cooked perfectly. read more

I live about 80 miles from this place. I was out visiting a friend in Ottawa.....which is 10 miles from Skoogs. This place came highly recommended!! So we checked it out. It is located on Mill street in downtown Utica, IL......a small nice quaint town. This place survived the tornado that ripped through the town in 2004. Since we were told to get the wings we ordered the CASE (24).......with 4 different dipping sauces. They arrived in a saw-offed bucket with handles. OMG! These wings were HUGE and MEATY!! I expected them to be 90 percent breading. But this was not the case here!! They were succulent and delicious!! These wings put Buffalo Wild Wings to shame!! The 4 sauces on the side were GARLIC PARMESAN, KAMIKAZE, SPICY SWEET ASIAN and THE BOURBON. All 4 sauces were to die for!! Our server (can't remember her name) it was an unusual but beautiful name.......she was the greatest! She said she has worked here for 8 years and she attended our table and made sure we had full drinks and answered our question. What a sweetheart she was!! She explained all the sauces on the menu and said the kamikaze was her favorite. Out of the 24 wings we took 10 of them home. They were just too meaty to finish. So if you are ever out near the Starve Rock, Illinois area and you a looking for some good drinks and wings......I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!! Five Stars for Food and Five for !! read more

Here's the deal for me. I'm a burger guy, not wings. If I'm eating chicken (rare) it's going to be white meat. NOW, as to their burger. It's wonderful. You get 3/4 pound of meat. This isn't an error. The burger is a full 3/4 of a pound. I don't know where they get their meat, but it's the best I've ever tasted. It's fresh ground daily from steak. With the burger you'll get a large amount of fries done just right, along with a side of creamy slaw that's really good. For me and the lady, two 3/4 pound burgers, 2 fries and two soft drinks WITH tax totals $21.00. Now, that's a deal. On Friday and Saturday night they have steak which is melt in your mouth tender and wonderfully flavorful. Need I say the portions of the steak are large and prices are more than reasonable. Service by the way is friendly and fast. I drop by every time I'm hiking in one of the three parks in the area. I've been there three times already this year and seven times last year. The food is always great and the service matches. When you arrive check out the lunch specials on the chalk board. Last year they really went overboard with a 3/4 pound burger topped with an all beef split hot dog, first rate cheese, grilled onions and bacon for the price of their standard 3/4 pound burger. It was outrageous and great. I'm a big guy and this was the first time I couldn't finish my lunch. read more

Been To Skoogs TOO often. For "tavern food", I would rate it as very good. As noted by others the Kamakazi wings ARE excellent. the large "tenderloin" is TOO good for comfort, sort of an overgrown pork schitzel on a bun with all the trimmings. The chili served in the fall and winter is outstanding, some of the best American style meat and bean chili I have eaten (and I have been to many chili cookoffs). Burgers are also a good choice, along with the chicken sandwich. Sandwiches are large, fairly priced and the other entrees which include specials are good. You certainly will not leave hungry. The bar scene is local. If you are hungry after visiting Starved Rock, you cannot go wrong with either Skoogs or the place across the street. Skoogs is a little less expensive and has a somewhat smaller menu, but you will find several things you will like. If you are looking for "gourmet" food or some "foodie" thing or other, you are in the wrong town. In Utica they have REAL food. read more