The food is still great, but this store cannot handle volume, and their service leaves much to be…read moredesired. Three years ago, we ordered curbside pickup on Father's Day, and it was a disaster. After waiting outside for 30 minutes, I went inside and was informed that it would be another 30. They were slammed and many others were in the same boat. I cancelled the order, but had to call the store the next day to have a manager handle the refund. Later that year we tried pickup again, for an elementary school fundraiser, and met a similar fate; we did get our food but they were backed up and it took forever. Well, fool me thrice, shame on me--we gave them another chance this past weekend, again on Father's Day...and they haven't improved. My wife ultimately waited over 40 extra minutes for our food. The staff member said "I understand" but never apologized or offered any restitution. I'm not asking for the moon and stars, but a free dessert and some sincerity would have meant something. They have two problems to solve: first, getting real-time feedback from the store to the online app, so that the app can give accurate estimates of the wait times. And second, handling a busy situation in the store with grace and empathy.

First I'd like to say that I'm not a huge fan of barbecue food…read more My wife wanted to go here for lunch one day. This location has its own parking lot. Very convenient. The employees here were very nice and the restaurant was very clean. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste of the food. I had a combo plate of pulled pork and beef brisket. I think it really helped that they put the sauce on the side instead of drowning the meat in it, like other places. The meat was surprisingly moist and very tasty.

The ambiance was chill and fun. The food was very tasteful. The service was very good. Our waiter…read morewas consistent and if we had a concern he was concerned and talked to his manager to take care of the situation. They have four separate courses to choose from. You can do the unlimited I think. The one side had two different ones and the other side seemed very similar or mirrored. They weren't really four different once's. I think they have two sides Incase it's busy. We ordered food but I forgot to take pictures. Good portions

Great concept, bad tech. I took my kids and we played 18 holes and it messed up our scores…read moresomewhere around 30%-40% of the time. It would randomly not count strokes from one or more players, and sometimes not register the score at all. In one instance my son went and shot a 4. I hadn't even gone yet and it suddenly gave me a hole in one and registered no score for him!! I continually had to go to the guy overseeing tee off for him to correct our scores, which was annoying, especially because it was crowded. He was apologetic and very nice about it though. After we finished I told the host at the front about how bad it was and not worth what we paid and he was just like yeah, it does that sometimes. No discount offered, no coupon, or even a "sorry about that." I'd avoid this place.

Amazing food and amazing service with a smile. During my most recent visit they had just sold out…read moreof their breakfast sandwich (which was amazing) but they offered to make one on a pita with crema it was one of the best breakfast wraps i have ever had. The owners remember their customers and have real conversations while making your food. They make me want to plan a party just to have them cater.

This was my first visit to this nice summer festival. Without any kiddos in tow, which is not…read morereally in the job description anymore except in umm special situations, I was only interested in the free concerts. The atmosphere on a pleasant Saturday evening was crowded, festive, buoyant, well-behaved, and safe with a good visible presence by the Skokie police. This festival is really great for the area and has grown in its local renown. I actually lived in Skokie from 1982 - 1995 and this event didn't exist until 2007. We saw about half of Americana singer Micheal McDermott's performance followed by alt-rock band Vertical Horizon. For the price, t'was very enjoyable. I never heard of either and it was no biggie, but I saw that the Bash drew Foghat here at least one year, so they occasionally get some big names. I also learned I didn't need to lug around portable chairs to watch the main stage. There's fold-up chairs already set up and available and it's easy to nab a couple of seats if you're there before a performance starts. Midway through one though, it's harder at prime time, but with people coming and going, the wife and I still managed to nab a couple seats pretty close to the front. Parking can be a little challenging as it's virtually all neighborhood street parking. You just have to circle around looking for an opening and be willing to walk a little. Great festival, and a great first visit for us! Thank you Skokie!

I like the fact that I could just walk to this event from my home, no car necessary, not at all…read more Downtown Skokie is experiencing a resurgence and the Backlot Bash is part of that good feeling about living close to Oakton and Niles Center Rd. And it's a three day event (Friday - Sunday) and there's a little something for everyone - kiddie rides, funnel cake, a beer garden, car show, good food (relatively speaking), live bands and you can go during the day and at night. I really have enjoyed the bands, here's a list of who I've seen - The Wailers (without Peter, Bunny and Bob), the Fixx (One thing leads to another), Blue Oyster Cult (more cowbell please), Flock of Seagulls (actually missed them as I was in Ireland) and most recently Foghat (I just wanna make, love to you - whoops, this is a PG rated review). So that's a pretty awesome list for a free neighborhood concert. I do worry though because this event is getting bigger and bigger and bigger each year. I think they need to go West on Oakton for more space. I haven't asked the home owners though, for their opinion. I do have to say that I enjoy the folks who bring their little kids or their aging parents to watch a rock concert, that just warms my heart. Like I said, there's a little something for everyone. It's also really safe, there's always the Skokie 5-0 swat truck parked right in front. Now I just hope next years band will be even better - how about Rush, REO or Cheap Trick, The Romantics, wouldn't that be great?!?

Pew pew pew! I love me some fireworks, especially during our nation's birthday. I've been to this…read moreone twice and I like it due to the accessibility. I'm not a fan of crowds or traffic, so you won't see me at Navy Pier. This place is located at the Maine East grounds, which is easy to get to. It's right-off of 294 Dempster exit and if you're not greedy and care to park super-close, you can find parking less than a 3/4 mile away on one of Northwest Highway's side streets. I usually park near there and walk, as walking down to Potter Road, you'll be met with lots of foot traffic and car traffic. The fireworks are at the stadium, so you can sit there, or there's plenty of grassy area to sit down, and just perch, waiting for the sun to set and the firework show to begin. I generally park in the grassy area as I feel it makes an easy exit, but if you want the up-close and personal feel, as if you were on the front row of a movie theater, stadium seating might be the way to go for you. But overall, the place didn't feel super crowded, and it didn't feel like you were sitting on top of each other. Plenty of porta-potties and there's even a reasonably priced concession stand near the stadium. As of 2018, nachos were only $4, there's freeze-pops for only $3, and drinks were cheap too. The fireworks itself was pretty good. It started near sunset, at around ~920PM CST or so, and lasts for about 20-minutes or so. There's a music track playing in the background while this happens. Overall, great display. So if you're looking for a place for fireworks, that's not too crazy busy, but a good time, definitely check out this fireworks display. Happy 4th, yo!

We've been having a heatwave and daily thunderstorms so it was questionable whether this event…read morewould take place. For 2026, they moved the start time an hour early to avoid rain. Before the fireworks, they had some kids games, a band, and maybe more. Maine East had their concession stand open too, serving pizza, cotton candy, drinks, hot dogs, etc. There was a good crowd, but the lightning detection system went off five minutes after the fireworks started and they asked folks to head out. That's ok, I'd rather be safe. The biggest issue was concerned was parking--specifically, preferred parking. I bought a pass since it was our first time attending and had no frame of reference for how difficult it would be to find a parking spot, how long it would take to get out, and so on. Here are my issues with the ($30-40) preferred parking: - Tailgating. I don't have a problem in theory--the execution is a problem. Tailgating needs to be parked separately from those who aren't, easily achieved by selling tailgating and non-tailgating passes. Or they could have an end time for tailgating. Because when we were leaving due to the Thorguard alarm going off per the organizer's request, some of us were trying to get to our cars through a bunch of tailgating that was blocking a dozen or more cars in. Our car was by another party leaving; the tailgates started one car away from us. Not one of those people moved at all. We had to back out of our spaces, carefully avoiding people. And it may have been the same even if everything had gone as planned this year since they may have wanted to continue tailgating past the end of the show. This is why I say they need to either have a space reserved for tailgaters--preferably further away from the exit, to make it easier for non-tailgaters to get out--or they need to make sure people pack up their gear by a certain time, and enforce it. - The volunteers disappear at some point. When we left I didn't see any volunteers in the parking lot. I'm not sure there were any near the entrance, because cars were still entering the preferred lot (so, they hadn't blocked it off to arriving traffic even though they were telling people to leave). This caused issues trying to exit. When I was backing out, some guy who I think was one of the tailgaters was kinda guiding me out, and there were cars entering the parking lot that were waiting for me as I was backing up. I think that entrance may have been the planned exit for the lot (according the the note enclosed with my parking pass detailing the original plan, you could only enter that lot until 8:45, so if it had started after 9 as planned that could have been used for an exit). As it was, that entrance was blocked since there were cars entering. Those of us trying to leave had literally nowhere to exit since cars were entering there and there were tailgaters down many of the rows, blocking us from driving down the parking rows. I had to get out of my car to move a barricade out of the way because there was nowhere else for those of us exiting to go. There was no one--not a police officer, park district employee, etc.--directing traffic, creating an exit, or making people pack up to leave. - Cars are parked in diagonally, rather than straight. I guess perhaps this is for the ease of the volunteers so they don't have to try and convince people to park straight (who would probably park poorly anyway) but as someone who helped park cars for football games for about 10 years from the time I was 11, it's the most efficient way to do it.

Garage looking type of brewery in Niles in some industrial type of building. It seems there's a lot…read moreof these, but this is among the good ones. Une Annee is one of the reasons to go to this pretty boring looking suburb. Hit up the bar for some cold ones plus on site made food. The prices aren't bad for craft beers and kitchens. A pretty impressive looking building. It's big and can fit hundreds. This is like a massive garage with a bar and a kitchen. First though it's a brewery. It's about $6 a pint. The one I liked the most was the Twist Of Wit. It's a wheat beer with Cara Cara oranges, coriander, and Meyer lemon. Tasted fruity but not too much. Also we got some food, which was actually good for a brewery. Vegan options are limited but there's a few. It's $6 for the Veggie Chili. This is vegan without the sour cream sauce. Also there's barbecue. There's pork belly and that kind of stuff. Beers are the best things to get here. It also has food from an on site kitchen. There's meaty options like pork and there's chili for vegetarians.

I've been coming here for years and have always enjoyed the food + beers. You can't go wrong with…read moreany of their bbq offerings and the additions of tavern style pizzas to the menu was a pleasant surprise. The wait staff has always been friendly and the kitchen staff really churns out consistently delicious options. Food You can never go wrong with the brisket and all of their sandwiches we've tried have a great smoky flavor. The pizzas are the kind you want while drinking a beer and watching a game; light, but great toppings options, including various bbq if you want something a bit more substantial. The topped mac & cheese is great too, and my partner & I both love the chili. Drinks Murder Hornet is the kind of summer beer you want on a hot day. Their rotation of flavors, such as blackberry, passion fruit, mango, etc, are a lovely, crisp option when you're looking for a lighter beer. Their stouts do not disappoint either, with flavors ranging from vanilla to hot pepper, each one provides a unique twist to my favorite style of beer. And they have most of their beers in to go packs and available in flights, making it very convenient to try all the styles. The Staff I can't speak highly enough about my experience with both the wait and kitchen staff. You do all of your ordering through QR codes on the table, but that doesn't stop the folks serving you food and drink from being extremely friendly and welcoming. They are all very down to earth and quick to help if you need anything. The kitchen staff are truly the magicians. The food is always so consistent and I honeslty don't know how they put together some of these meals so quickly, but keep them looking so presentable. The Bad Tonight was the first time I was truly disappointed in Une Année as a business. During dinner right after the soccer match finished, a member of the staff (or maybe an owner?) came in yelling at the kitchen staff, and I mean screaming, in front of all the indoor customers. Although we were unsure what he was saying, the contents of his tantrum were not important. It is NEVER acceptable to treat any staff member that way, in front of customers or not, and multiple times throughout the night. The kitchen staff did not raise their voice, except one time to ask this man to stop yelling at them. Several of the kitchen staff seemed to have walked out from the abuse by the time we paid up and left, and rightly so. Even as they were leaving, he was still taking jabs at them. I'm extremely bummed that I will likely not be returning after years of patronage as I feel gross supporting a business that is willing to be so disrespectful towards their staff.

2 Minutes for Roughing…read more Hatty's feels like a fancy restaurant in a non-fancy place. We made a reservation on OpenTable to dine before a concert at Allstate Arena. However, when we arrived, there was no host. A waiter stopped over and just told us it was opening seating. I asked about our reservation and he offered to seat us in the back where it's was quieter. What we didn't realize was that this place sits above and in between two ice rinks. Most clientele are likely players and families there for games. We were the nicest dressed in the place. The food was good but kind of bland. The fries needed salt and the cheese curds and spinach artichoke dip both needed less oil. Shoutout to our server Christa who was doing her best. She was very nice and took good care of us. Overall, rough feels like the right word. It is decorated well and the staff are uniformed. But the service felt scattered and the food was fine. With a little smoothing, Hatty's could be fantastic. Perhaps we'll try it again before our next concert.

We frequent Hatty's quite a bit since my daughter plays hockey at the rink it's connected to, and…read moreit's always a great experience. The beers are consistently ice cold, which is perfect during a long day at the rink. The appetizers are very good, with what I'd call a more modern flair compared to your typical rink restaurant. Service is fast, and the staff always seem friendly and on top of things...even when it's busy. There are always games on the TVs, and the floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides give you great views of the rinks. It's the perfect spot to grab food and drinks while still being able to watch the action. We'll definitely keep coming back.

I found this place while looking for a good local BBQ place. It was a holiday weekend and other…read moreplaces were closed. Glad we ended up here. They will be expanding soon. Street parking is available right in front of the store. You can order with the cashier or scan the QR code. We ordered the Meat Sampler that includes Brisket, Pulled Pork, Rib Tips, Cheddar Jalapeno link, and House Made Pickles. We also ordered the Sides Sampler that includes Mac & Cheese, Red Beans & Rice, Collard Greens, Apple Slaw, and Cornbread Muffin. Everything we tried was delicious and hit the spot on our BBQ craving. I will definitely be back to try other items from their menu.

Soul & Smoke in Evanston was excellent. I had the meat sampler and the side sampler, and it was the…read moreperfect way to try a little bit of everything. Considering I am from Texas, I will admit I can be a little particular when it comes to BBQ, but this was pretty good BBQ, especially this far north. The smoked meats were flavorful, tender, and had a good slow-cooked taste. The brisket, pulled pork, rib tips, and sausage all brought something different, and the variety made the meal feel like a true sampler experience. The sides were just as good. The mac and cheese, red beans and rice, collard greens, apple slaw, and cornbread all had that comforting soul food feel and paired really well with the BBQ. Overall, Soul & Smoke delivered on both the smoke and the soul. Great flavor, generous portions, and a satisfying meal from start to finish. Definitely a spot worth visiting if you are in Evanston and looking for good BBQ and soul food.