This place is so cool. If you've seen the Netflix show "Drink Masters," you'll have been wowed by…read morecontestant Tao Zrafi's insane creations, and wished you could drink them in real life. Well, this is about as close to doing so as you can easily get, because Tao opened NST, and this is his creation (in fact, I saw him there during my first visit!). Many of the other reviews cover the drinks really well, so there's little else to add. If you're there for "classic" cocktails, this isn't really the place (although, the foie gras old fashioned was super, sort of classic, but also unique). The point of the place is to drink flavors you've never tasted in a glass before. The BLT cocktail...literally tastes like an actual BLT (literally!)...except you're drinking it rather than chewing it. This place is so great, employees seem to really love their job. The only negative experience I've had there was related to a group of 10 or so who showed up, and this was clearly not their first stop of the evening. They were loud and already clearly buzzed, and just ordered Modelos. Not NST's fault, but I say this to say: if you come here, you should come to get completely immersed in this one-of-a-kind experience.

Definitely one of the most innovative cocktail bars in the country, if not the world (I feel…read moreentitled to say this as I've been to cocktail bars on 3 continents !). Located on the grounds of a suburban Country Club (WTF?!?!), it was worth the hour plus non rush hour drive. Decor is like a young mad scientist's Midwest basement, with different seating arrangements, from comfy couch to school gymnasium cafeteria. But to the drinks -- many classifications of cocktails to choose from on the large menu (as well as some wines, grab and go cocktails, NA/mocktails and a couple beers. Don't sleep on the empanadas from aforementioned country club. They're fantastic). Sone classic cocktails, their riffs on other classic cocktails, and then the main events : their specialties, their experiments and what is in the pipeline. Plus flights that allow you to sample the creativity. The flavors and the combinations are insane. Thick foams, clarified drinks, multi- ingredient, multi-spirit-- all well balanced (though the welcome shot of Bubble Gum and the Kinder Surprise were a tad sweeter than I usually go for). Think savory like pizza or salads. I know you can't so you better go and see what I mean !' Depending on specials, prices are $10-20/drink plus a couple of large format offerings. Games and good tunes. Come alone, with a friend or a group. That's what was there early on a Thursday. Easily accommodated. Cute bathrooms with exceptional hand towels. Take the drive and maybe get a hotel room -- that's what we're doing next time so we can really get into the offerings. I hope the area recognizes what they have in their midst. If not -- please relocate to Chicago !

What a fun place! Conveniently located in Wood Dale, this lounge gives visitors a casual place to…read moreenjoy an interesting array of fun and colorful drinks at reasonable prices. Though I didn't get to try it on this visit, the food menu fits the tiki bar theme of the lounge and is cooked to order. Service was quick and friendly and it only took a few minutes to make each drink. With each drink I also got a good amount of background on the alcohol used to make the drink and some knowledge on how each flavor combination was developed. The space inside is nice with a mix of everything from tables to a bar to couches. This would be a perfect place to enjoy some board games or a casual evening of conversation with plenty of space to spread out. Parking is plentiful in the shopping center as well.

I walked in to the Pau Hana Lounge and expected a tiki bar but did not expect to get an education…read moreon rum. We were looking for a unique bar, and boy, did we get that. The bartender, Ron, seemed to have a good deal of knowledge about rum. All of the specialty cocktails contain rum. Ron was very engaging and enthusiastic about the cocktail menu. He was very friendly and spent a lot of time talking with us. We ordered the Zombie (a trio of light, gold, and dark rum with lemon, lime, passion fruit, and bitters - limit two per customer), the Navy Grog (lime, grapefruit, honey liquor, light rum, dark rum, and Demerara rum), the Painkiller (Pusser's rum, fresh nutmeg, pineapple, orange, and cream of coconut), and the Pineapple Coconut Delight (white rum, coconut, orgeat, pineapple, and lemon). The drinks were very good and I liked the sweetness in the drinks we chose. The drinks that we were served were very strong. I can see why some of them have a two drink limit. Ron kept telling us about the his brother who cooks in the kitchen. He is a classically trained chef, but we were unable to try any of the food because the kitchen is closed on Monday. Overall, the Pau Hana Lounge is a nice bar with a neighborhood feel to it. I recommend Pau Hana Lounge, just be prepared to get a lot of alcohol from these drinks.

Ciao Isabella was open for lunch on a Monday, which worked out nice for me. I had a taste for…read moreItalian food and this restaurant really came through. The inside dining area is very pleasant. I had the calamari appetizer which was perfectly cooked and came with a flavorful red sauce. The spaghetti bolognese was absolutely delicious. The bread was better than I've had in quite a while. It was charred only slightly on the outside and fluffy throughout. Good service, and fair pricing for delicious food. I will be back again soon to try some of their many other offerings. The sandwiches on the menu look tempting, and the dessert list was mouthwatering. I highly recommend.

Bella Ciao! Bella Ciao! Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao!…read more I was blown away by Ciao Isabella. The food was incredible. I got the bucatini bolognese ($22) and it was perfect. The sauce was tangy and zesty. I inhaled the pasta in record time and our server was nice enough to bring extra bread so I could use it to scrape up as much sauce as possible. My wife really enjoyed her rigatoni vodka ($22). Our server Enid was friendly and personable. I'll be back to try even more marvels off the menu. If everything is as good as my bucatini, Ciao Isabella is going in my permanent rotation.

I've been here on Sunday and Monday Aidan is the best! He loves to take care of the people in his…read morebar. He the absolute best man

Hidden gem! Great people, prices and service. The perfect dive bar and historic ambiance.read more

I have never heard of Fox & Turtle before, but looking at the NW Chicago Restaurant week, it looked…read moredelicious to try. I was treating my parents for my dad's birthday month (My daughter has a lot of activities, lol) and the menu appeared to have something for everyone. The 22 minute drive to Itasca was so worth it! The restaurant, which is open to the public, is on the same property as the Itasca Country Club, which is not open to the public. You go down the stairs, through the developing pizza bar, and to the restaurant. The restaurant space itself is cozy, with beautiful, natural lighting, and lots of seating options. We were asked booth or table and seated right by the picture window with beautiful views of their ice rinks and golf course. The food was above and beyond my expectations! Between the 5 people at the table, I sampled the French Onion soup, Sweet & Spicy Brussels, Bacon Smash Burger, Pot Roast Grilled Cheese, Sweet Tees (Donut Holes), Peanut Butter Smore-o, and Verde Dulce. The soup was not salty as I find some iterations, the brussels had complex flavors with hot honey, bacon, candied pistachios, and crumbled feta. The pot roast grilled cheese was very flavorful, but my boyfriend did state he wished the sandwich had more meat in it. The Sweet Tees donut holes were cooked to perfection without being oily and the jam accompaniment was a perfect texture and level of sweet. The Peanut Butter Smore-o was creamy and decadent with its perfectly ratioed layers of ganache, peanut butter mousse, Oreos, and whipped cream. The Verde Dulce, though, was the delicious classic olive oil cake with pistachio gelato & that throwback of candied pistachios from my appetizer. Even better than the food, our server, Kara, was one of the sweetest, most attentive human beings! She answered all of our questions, refilled our fountain drink and iced tea glasses when they were at 75% without prompting, made sure my dad felt celebrated with a candle, etc. Her teammate who was in charge of clearing our table was also prompt and I appreciate her asking what plates she could take. Overall, it was a beautiful late morning/early afternoon with delicious food and impeccable service. 10/10 recommend!!!

If you haven't discovered Fox & Turtle yet, you're missing one of the best hidden gems in the area…read more I was genuinely surprised to learn it's open to the public because it feels every bit like an upscale private country club. The outdoor patio overlooking the golf course is absolutely beautiful--relaxing, scenic, and the kind of place that makes you feel like you're on vacation. Even on a busy Thursday evening, the atmosphere was lively without ever feeling hectic. Our server, Jordyn, was outstanding. She looked young, but don't let that fool you--she was completely on top of everything. We were a party of six that couldn't decide what we wanted, laughed way too loudly, and probably tested her patience more than once. She handled us with grace, humor, and a smile the entire time. Somewhere along the way we started calling her "Wednesday" from The Addams Family, and she rolled with it perfectly. Great sense of humor and fantastic service. The food was excellent. The Crispy Eggplant Salad was absolutely phenomenal--fresh, flavorful, and easily large enough to share between two people. The burger was cooked perfectly, the cocktails were outstanding, and everything arrived promptly. The bar staff also deserve a shout-out. They were welcoming from the moment we arrived, made great eye contact, acknowledged everyone immediately, and had drinks in our hands in no time. That's the kind of hospitality that makes people want to come back. Fox & Turtle has the rare combination of great food, attentive service, excellent drinks, and a beautiful setting. It's the kind of place you expect to find inside an exclusive club, yet thankfully it's open for everyone to enjoy. We'll definitely be back.

I had a disappointing experience at Woody Sports Bar. ALL TEA NO SHADE BUT HAILEY, was largely…read moreinattentive throughout our visit. We were not checked on regularly, were not offered refills, and were not asked about our experience with the food. Additionally, there were some concerning hygiene practices. She handled drinkware by the rims, and her hair was worn down while serving food and drinks, which raises concerns about cleanliness if hair were to come into contact with items being served. Service was also delayed, as she appeared to be on her phone multiple times before completing our payment. When I chose to switch from card to cash, her response came across as unprofessional. I was also surprised to see a $1.30 surcharge for card payments. While the fee itself is not the primary issue, it was not disclosed anywhere on the menu or within the restaurant, which makes it feel misleading. Lastly, I was incorrectly charged three times for a drink despite only receiving one refill. Overall, the service and lack of transparency made for a frustrating experience, the food was decent though for the price!! especially if theres "2 mexicans in the back" cooking up AMERICAN food.

A local place we've driven by many times and decided to go there for dinner one night. We now have…read morebeen there several times since and we love it! The food is exceptional and the staff is friendly and hard working. We haven't been disappointed yet!

My friends and I went to dinner there for the first time last week. The restaurant has a modern and…read morewelcoming atmosphere. The staff were quite accommodating, and the food was delicious with generous portions. We started with the maple balsamic brussels sprouts which had an amazing sauce. We really enjoyed their harvest apple salad, chicken Marsella, cheeseburgers, cajun soup and some hearty chilli. We will definitely be back!

I'd give a 3.5 if I could. The food was pretty good honestly. Service was slow. We were told…read moreliterally on 3-4 occasions "be right back" prior to having our order taken. So I would say food Service this time around

The Bartender Katrina is unbelievable great person, very personal along with professional knowledge…read moreabout business. The food was delicious n Katrina suggested cheeseburger n was very good. I will suggest Local Bar n Grill to Everyone. Can't wait to go bk n order Bang Bang Shrimp. Thank U Katrina

We hadn't been here in over a year. We had seen how far things had gone downhill since they opened…read more Thought we would give it another try. Definitely will not be back! The food was just drowned in grease; a fish tacos were just a piece of greasy fish and a greasy tortilla with some green sauce and nothing else. Brussels sprouts were floating in grease. The people at the bar were loud, obnoxious, and the few people that were in the restaurant part kept looking over there like what the heck is going on so don't bother coming here. There are so many other good options around.

Stopped in after picking some items up at Italian Bakery next door. Nice selection of beers and a…read morehuge menu of typical brew pub fare. The Margherita flatbread was great and the bartender was friendly and attentive.

First time at Dunkley's Tavern for me and my boi Omer!…read more Very chill low key bar with lots of room to sit and vibe to the music. The customer service is super friendly and you get your food here real quick! Everything we ordered tasted fresh and delicious - Definitely recommend this spot to all :).

The service was immaculate. Our servers name was Danielle. She was amazing from the beginning and…read morethen we met the owner Ray, who was also amazing. This is a family owned business. Big shout out to small business supporters! A hidden gem extremely close 50 steps from or too the Metra Station with pool tables, delicious food, service with an exquisite barbecue sauce hidden secret recipe and a bar! I want to also include parking is accessible for all! Come check this place out. #HideAwayCafeAndLounge #JoeysCsDeli

When you advertise best jumbo wings, make sure they're not chicken nuggets which taste better at…read moreMcDonald's. McDonald's 4 nuggets for $1.00. Hideaway 16. $20.00 and he tried to get away charging us &29.00!! Very very bad!