We saw this tavern on the way to our hotel. Not a huge parking lot. Walking into this place was definitely not how I expected. They were jamin' out to soul music! Good vibes all around. Felt bad for the bartender, I believe his name was Rodney? He was the only one working the front! Husband had a burger and fries. He really enjoyed his meal. I tried their grilled pork steak chop dinner. Comes with two and you have options to have them grilled, fried, or smothered. Two sides I had corn bread and green beans. Also a side of cabbage. All very good!! Pork chop I give a 8/10! For drinks I did try one of the drinks of the night which was a pink senorita. Wasn't too bad and then finished off with a Stella Artois! Husband drank modelo. The Friday night drink special was a bucket of modelo or coronas. read more

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Four Waters and Other Trials of the Soul If a man wanders long enough, he will eventually stumble into a place that reveals more about himself than any sermon. For four sailors reunited after forty years, that unlikely sanctuary was Toby's Bar & Grill, a weary outpost crouched on Green Bay Road like a tavern set between two kingdoms: one ruled by hunger, the other by Providence. The place sagged under winter's grime. Its windows streaked as though it had spent the season mourning. Inside, the room was split as neatly as the world: to the right, an oversized bar tended by a woman clinging to the fashions of another century. Around her, four elderly patrons who seemed carved into their stools by time. Most striking was a woman in a leopard coat crowned with trembling feathers. Regal and tragic. Like a queen who misplaced her throne. We, four men of advancing years, entered awkwardly and collided into one another like schoolboys. The moment held that subtle modern tension, the instinct to divide the room into "us" and "them." Yet we pressed on. A man must not let discomfort masquerade as virtue. The tables on the left leaned and sighed under our weight, their outdated chairs demanding one foot on the floor for balance. When the barmaid arrived with menus sticky from long neglect, she declared that most of what they offered did not, in fact, exist. The prices were fiction as well. It was the sort of warning one receives at the start of a fable, though we ignored the warning and asked for water. Time thickened. Minutes dragged. When water finally appeared, it came with a bottle of lemon juice, as though sliced fruit at a bar was mere legend told by travelers. Our first man ordered a hamburger. "We're out," she replied with the calm finality of a sentry who has turned away better men. Pork chops became our new hope. She shouted the question across the room to the cook, a man we presumed to be Toby himself, perched at the bar with a drink like a minor god who had grown tired of his own kitchen. His answer drifted back with the voice of a beaten-down foe. We surrendered our plans and followed the path of pork chops. I asked only for a BLT, trusting that even a troubled kingdom could manage bread, bacon, and lettuce. Another long wait. More unquenched thirst. The barmaid floated among her regulars, leaving us to the silence of our own conversation. When the food arrived, the pork chops still carried their bones, the fries were seasoned with the enthusiasm of an unsupervised child, and my BLT came on untoasted loaf bread with lettuce shaved into confetti. It looked as though an angel had attempted cookery without understanding how gravity or sandwiches worked. A refill of water arrived in a plastic pitcher last seen in church basements of the 1970s. Still, it was cold. Gratitude has survived on less. The bill was merciful. The experience was not. Yet we left oddly richer, for not every journey nourishes the body. Some teach the quieter truths. Toby's offered us little comfort, but it did grant us something more: the rediscovery of fellowship in a place that time forgot. We walked back into the cold afternoon bemused and strangely full of story. Four old sailors, carrying a new tale no map would ever trouble to mark. read more

I don't frequent bars in North Chicago, but Toby's is a nice bar with really friendly staff. The guy behind the bar asked if we had ever been in before, and we said no. He actually took the time to tell us all about Toby's, their hours, when the kitchen closes, and their homemade from scratch food. They have all the typical foods you'd find in a bar along with hearty options like fried chicken and fish, southern soul food like collard greens and mac n cheese, wings, pastas, etc. We just came in for some Friday night drinks, but we'll have to come back for dinner sometime. They also have a DJ on Friday nights and karaoke on Thursday nights. I'd come back here! read more

Food is good, great customer service But please get some new chairs, they sink and tilt!!

this place is terrible I would never come here again ordered food and they charged me extra also gave me the wrong food it's then they won't serve you unless you literally talk as loud as you can its not even a busy place pretty shitty if you ask me but hey atleast they getting their $1 tips read more

We viewed Toby's Web Site and it said they had a Southern Cooking Buffet we called and called to confirm but they NEVER answered the phone. We drove 25 miles to get there and we walked in and ONE customer was eating at the table around 1:30 in the afternoon. We asked where was the Buffet and they told us they Stopped having the Buffet during Covid How disappointing and mismanaged a place. read more

I'm pretty sure this was a great place back in the days. However, our experience for a family of 5 was not the best! The place is duty, the bathrooms floors were so slippery, just run down. Plastic cups, plastic ware, out of the grilled chicken and many more items. I wanted to walk out but our server was so nice, I just didn't had the heart. Do not waste your time and money like we did. read more

Food was amazing service was excellent. I would definitely recommend to anyone. Ambiance was okay read more

Tobies....wow....ask to be served by chris or shannell order the fryed chicken .....drink a peach cooler...order the home made soup...and...enjoy relax read more

Visiting from LA and thought the food was delicious. Ate here 2 times while on vacation. read more

Toby's Bar & Grill - Fried Chiken, Sweet potatoes, Baked Mac n cheese - Bars Near Me - North Chicago, Illinois

Food was great. Had wings, rib tips, and a hamburger. All awesome. 1/2 the restaurant was dancing when the dj started. read more

Me and my sister came into town for a family members graduation from the Naval Academy. We ate at Toby's Tavern twice while we were in the city. The customer service was wonderful, and the burgers were fantastic! We really enjoyed ourselves and the food. read more

Yaaaaasss! I finally ate at Toby's Tavern! Now I know what all the hype is about! My coworker kept inviting me to Toby's but I was a tad bit reluctant due to his past restaurant choices. Now I'm upset we didn't come sooner. I stopped by on Easter Sunday and boy was it a pleasant surprise. I was only able to eat one plate so I was a little upset by the fact I paid $15 for a buffet. The smothered pork chop and macaroni and cheese made up the difference. I couldn't wait for the next Sunday but I needed a good excuse so I invited my office out. We had 3 tables full and they enjoyed every bit of it. I wish I could give them 10 stars seriously. Not the best parking lot when it rains. read more

Toby's Bar & Grill - a plate of food - Bars Near Me - North Chicago, Illinois

Good food every time. Chicken Mac and sweet potatoes is my go to. It will take a while to get your order phone ahead highly recommended.

WTF is up with the bad reviews!? I think the passerbys that gave their reviews were trying to compare Toby's to the honky-tonk place they percieved it to be. Well, the area where Toby's rest is majority black(hard to honky tonk to r&b, huh) and families of Navy graduates should come here if u like no bullshit places. There are no pretty "Americana" waitresses, no bright lights and hostesses with fake smiles that hate ur guts but grin like they wanna bone you. It's a REAL PLACE FOR REAL PEOPLE! The Live house band plays great blues and older R&B songs!! The drink prices are great for stiff and tasty drinks, the staff is VERY genuine and warm without the fluff. The wings are killer with ranch. The grill closes at 10, the bar, last call is 1:45!! The patrons are usually local and loud and really don't care about where u came from or what color u are. And NO we black ppl don't start violence everywhere we go. This place is certified white ppl friendly(just don't act like u own the place and u will be ok)... Their Sunday Buffet from noon til 6 is the shit! If u like soul food aka REAL fucking food at a low price, bring ur greedy ass to Toby's. Where u can get full without an empty wallet! And nobody paid me shit to do this review. Just didn't like the previous rating it had. read more

Tobys is a small "hole in the wall" type bar that caters to the 45and older crowd. They offer a small restaurant (if that's what you want to call it) with a pretty full menu. However, don't disappoint yourself by ordering anything other then the plain (fried) chicken wings or chicken wingettes. Anything else is gag worthy. Now, I had been patronizing tobys for a few months, Calling only to order carry out. Most times upon arriving, and giving ample time to have the food prepared I would often still have to wait. Usually about 10 minutes so I tolerated it. But last night I arrived at nearly 10pm after calling to order at 9:30. The waitress who took my order over the phone (I remembered her voice) denied taking my order and lied to other staff about me even calling in. I brushed it off and decided to wait. It helped that the other waitress gave my friend a drink on the house for waiting. Well 10 turned into 10:30. We asked again about our food and were told that our order had been put in wrong. We were then told it would be another 15 minutes. At that point we decided to leave. I'm very big on customer service and this was unacceptable. I will never go back. read more

Just moved here and have been looking for some good spots or the family, and this place is awesome. With the dollar beers, people and service was great, the food was very filling and I wish I could have eaten more but... The endless cat fish was too much for me. I filled up after the rib tips (yummy). My daughter Enjoyed the chicken fingers and fries. We for sure plan on coming back soon, just us adults. read more

Toby's Bar & Grill - Rib tips with baked potato and veggies - Bars Near Me - North Chicago, Illinois

Unfortunately, I have no review on the actual food or service because I received NONE. My husband and I walked into the restaurant and was simply stared at by the staff and patrons. No one greeted us to let us know if we should seat ourselves or wait for seating. Finally we asked a waitress where we could seat (as there were no seats left in the area we were in). She directed us to another part of the restaurant and said she would follow us over to give us a menu. We proceed to seat in an area, where they were holding a steppers class and seat and waited. And waited and waited. Until 20mins later we were still sitting there without any service, or menu or even an offer of water. If you enjoy long waits and poor customer service, this is the place. read more

If you eat at his restaurant, you contribute to exploitation of these people. If you wouldn't buy clothes made in a sweatshop, don't eat at his restaurant. I saw Mr. Handy at the store again this morning. He bought over $900 worth of groceries, mostly chicken, like usual, and then handed the cashier a string of coupons as long as I am tall - 6 feet - which brought his bill down to $812 and some change. At least four different baggers helped with his order, for over 20 minutes each. Then he made a big show of holding up a $5 bill and flashing it around as he put it in the tip jar. He should have been embarrassed to be such a cheapskate. read more

Food is always amazing and karaoke is super fun on Saturdays! Owners are very friendly! Music could be a little more current but it is a older crowd. read more

Soul food buffet on Sundays is great... Good vibes and people! Multiple tv screens for the games and most importantly strong drinks!

I love the waitress Tanna. She's also very beautiful. She provides the best service in that place. I also like Love and Shante as waitress too. To me, the best wings, fries, and tacos I ever tasted. The cook Mama does a great job cooking. Very nice hangout spot to eat and chill. read more

We'd arrived to attend my son's graduation ceremony at the Navy Training Center and had rooms in a nearby Marriott. After returning my son to NTC before his liberty expired, four family members decided to go out for a drink and conversation because it had been an eventful day, but we were unfamiliar with the area and really wanted to avoid a place filled with noise or loud music. As we motored up Green Bay Road, we noticed Toby's Tavern & Grill and eased into an available parking space. Service was prompt, friendly. We ordered two appetizer plates and drinks, and relaxed for an hour or more. It reminded me of neighborhood bars I remembered in NYC. The bartender knew a number of the patrons as regulars, greeting them by name. The waitress had a sense of humor. Four of us couldn't devour all of both appetizer plates, and the drinks were a generous pour. We enjoyed our conversation without having to compete with loud music or televised sports. After an hour or so, we returned to our rooms at the Marriott and a good night's sleep. read more

The waitress took too long to bring us a menu and did not even bother to ask if wanted a drink! Then she disappeared and later we saw her chatting at the bar. We finally just left. Not a good first impression. read more

OK, here's the deal on Toby's. I only visited once, but I'm quite familiar with the North Chicago community. Toby's is a 'down home', quaint, neighborhood restaurant /tavern. I have never had the Sunday buffet, but from what I hear most everything is very good. I went to Toby's on a Saturday night to listen to live R&B music in a relaxed atmosphere. I had no pressure from 'creeps' to dance, there were no drunken fights, an the cover charge (for the band) was only $10. My drink was reasonable ($3.75), the waitress was funny, the chicken appetizer was good --portion size was enough for 2-3 people. If you can get past the fact that the building is old, the people are common-folk, and you may see or get approached by an old drunk guy or two, I think you will experience a decent time and full-tummy at Toby's. read more

The food was great and very reasonable. Mugs of beer on tap were cold fresh and only $2. The staff was very friendly! So glad we went there! read more

Toby's Bar & Grill - I should have taken a picture to show you how much food there was!! - Bars Near Me - North Chicago, Illinois

This place is the classic, "don't look like much from the outside." As a dive connoisseur this place is great! Go for lunch for huge fried baskets, stay for the karaoke later. Shrimp and Catfish basket was HUGE and the staff are authentically dive. read more

They give lots of food and it was absolutely delicious. This will be my go to from now on. The food was hot and fresh. I had the cod dinner and liked so much read more

I wouldn't give them any stars if that was an option. Idk about any other night, but Fridays are the absolute WORST!!!! Don't bother coming to this place unless u want to be limited to a fried food only menu (after 9pm), and wait 2 hours to get it. For some reason they accept a lot of call-in orders and neglect to serve the actual patrons dining in. The drinks are watered down and they take FOREVER to be served as well. Don't bother complaining to management, because they accept no responsibility. The service is not worth your hard earned money. The fish has been known to be good, but it's not worth the hassle! Overall, they don't pride themselves on providing a great experience, because their regulars don't require much. They still make money with their below average service, so they don't care. So if you're anything like me, and u want good food and good drinks in addition to good service...don't bother! read more

I was at Toby's again yesterday (9/4/2016) and it was as wonderful as I remembered. I went with 3 of my veteran friends and we had a wonderful time. The wait staff, the wonderful owner (I think her name is Marcella) and the patrons were all very nice and welcoming. I haven't been to Toby's in a while, but that same southern feel was back and I was very happy to be there. Yesterday was Sunday, so it was the Sunday buffet and the fried chicken wings, meatloaf, greens and mac & cheese were all phenomenal just like I remembered. I recommend going there to all of you. It's really a treasure and always a special treat to go there. I will be back soon......I know that for sure. read more

The best chicken in this area! If you want good service and good food go to Toby's! Try the Hollywood burger and let people know you ate the whole thing! read more

My husband and I are regulars on sundays after church,We enjoy the buffet and the staff are good people. Try it you will like it. read more

i actually really enjoyed the rib tips dinner and raved to my friends that i'd come back for them; one agreed. we spoke too soon. a drunk old patron came over and started talking to us and tried to scam us for money. the waitress was very nice and attentive, but i don't think i'd come back here. ribs were good, though. read more

when you walk in here, you think its a plain ole bar..boy would you be wrong..its a bar and also a restaurant...ah but the restaurant...evrything is prepared fresh, fish superfresh..theyve made a mistake on my order and immediately whisked it away to replace it. if its not on the menu, theyll cook it if they have the ingredients. im in waukegan and there really are no decent places to eat..really! i have much food experience including many years of restaurant ownership. these folk cook eggs fresh to make egg salad..chicken salad the same. and the prices are incredibly reasonable....ex..fish dinner..cod or catfish, about 10 oz. fresh breading, soup or salad and two sides..$8.99 12-14 anywhere else. ive not been to the sunday buffet..9.99 all you can eat..soul food and good! i work sundays so thats a pity. i see a couple poor reviews, more about service than anything..hey its a bar and grill..service is fine but its not a fine french house..they get really busy and the server/bartender runs around like crazy sometimes..really, check this place out..ive been there now probably ten times no complaint..if you want artisan beer fughet it..but the $2 pbr 16oz cans cant be beat..they have fancy vodkas though.. dont let a couple naysayers turn you away from this diamond in the rough read more