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    Whiskey River Bar & Grill

    3.7 (63 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 1:00 AM (Next day)

    Whiskey River Bar & Grill Photos

    WHISKEY RIVER BAR & GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Whiskey River Bar & Grill

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    Reviews With Photos

    John M.

    Update to previous review. Stopped School of Rock show to watch end of Bears game since a few patrons were complaining. Why did the owner schedule live music on a game Day? Plus service was awful. No servers..had to order at the bar and wait over 40 minutes for food! Terrible!

    School of Rock Glenbrook and Libertyville Show Teams each played two sets and rocked the house
    Annette M.

    Just a bar with sub par food and overpriced drinks with really poor service. They do have a good set up for bands to entertain. You have to be a contortionist though to get in and out of the bathroom stalls but they were clean. Sound was loud for the small sized room and mixing could be better. Looks like a decent outdoor patio to hang out in the summer but not the place to come in winter.

    We held a mostly private event at Whiskey River on a Sunday afternoon (patrons who had arrived before our start time were able to stay). We enjoyed the use of the outdoor patio and bar and used the area adjacent to the indoor bar for a food buffet and a gift/cake table. We worked with Miguel on event details, and he was very helpful recommending food and drink quantities for our large number of guests (about 150 people). Cat, Jack and Mike were very helpful with set-up, A/V support and making sure food and the water station were replenished. Our guests complimented the food and the spacious patio. It's a festive environment and has excellent indoor and outdoor entertaining space. If you are ever there, don't think twice about ordering the fried pickles - they are delicious. Thank you, Whiskey River!

    Shirisha K.

    Go try it !!! Seriously it's the best place Service to food to management absolutely amazing !! They were so hospitable, I loved their music play list and they were so grateful to share it with me .. made me my own little play list thanks Laura ! And the owner Ry was absolutely a sweetheart !! Definitely coming back

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    1 day ago

    A great place for food, drinks and entertainment. Every staff member is friendly and welcoming.

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

    Much better this time burger was excellent. Glad I gave it another chance. I'd go back. Excellent service and food

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Visited the venue on a weekend night. Enjoyed the live music. There's a cute patio outside. Tiny place inside with a mature crowd.

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    5 months ago

    A cover charge is ridiculous don't go Friday-Sunday. Music is loud, whiskey is good, food is okay.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    New manager, great customer service and the food was outstanding. Would recommend this one!

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    2 years ago

    Fish Fry was quite good. Service was also quite good. Ambiance was quite good. I liked the place and will go back.

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    2 years ago

    The food was amazing , I got a burger and it was incredible. The staff are so nice and caring, wonderful job and I will be back no doubt...

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Whiskey River Bar & Grill

    Review Highlights - Whiskey River Bar & Grill

    The new manager, Ryan, took great pride in the restaurant and all of the nice renovations he's been making.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Grandpa's Place

    Grandpa's Place

    3.5
    (147 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    What can improve? Everything…read more Apparently Grandpa's Place has been around for years. My dad had an office and n Glenview when I was younger and this place was there and he had never heard of it. I guess if you were local or took the Metra, then you knew. I made a reservation as there were twelve of us coming in. We arrive for our monthly Burger Club with high hopes. It's a cute place. They have a nice outdoor deck area and the inside has a nice wooden bar with tables around it with two or three additional rooms of seating, too. We asked for separate checks, and our server told us it was no problem (it was). They have a lot of burgers to choose from so we thought that this would be a great place to go. I'll say this, our server was wonderful. Super nice, really friendly, always refilling drinks. Just a wonderful experience with her. And that's where it ends. My burger came our perfectly prepared (they ask what temperature you want and I wanted medium rare). The patties are insanely thin and toppings, while fresh, are overly abundant. Fresh lettuce, tasty pickles, etc. the burger had no flavor. No salt or pepper to season it or anything. And mine was the best of the group. Others received burgers that were overcooked, had the wrong buns, came with caramelized onions, but were raw -were sent back and came back raw again - and the sides were underwhelming. I don't like ketchup, so I asked for ranch and it was thick and had a funky flavor to it. Then bills came and they were all wrong. She had mixed up every bill. Thankfully most burgers cost the same, but drinks and some side upgrades don't. We will never go back here. I have no idea how they stay in business.

    Grandpa's is a Glenview institution. It is perfectly located if you are getting off the Amtrak or…read moreMetra at the Glenview station, and if you sit on their patio, it's always fun to watch the train go by. The patio is just okay, in my opinion. It's small and nothing is very special about it, but on a nice, sunny day, it's perfect for lunch. I've never been a huge fan of the indoor dining area either, and I usually opt to sit at the bar if I can. The staff is very kind. They have an excellent burger. It's always cooked right and I love the bun. I add avocado to mine. The fries are great too, and always the perfect amount of crispy. I consistently used to order their Turkey Club, but at some point in the past few years, they switched from fresh cut turkey to deli turkey. It's not nearly as good anymore for that reason, and not worth ordering. The only Glenview restaurants I know of that still use fresh turkey in their sandwiches are Hackney's and Meier's Tavern. Also, their Guinness pours can be questionable depending on who's pouring. Nowadays, when I go to Grandpa's, I only ever order the Chicken Kabobs. They are absolutely delicious! If you like medium spice, I advise you to ask for them cajun-style. They are best this way! The kabobs come served over rice with the most juicy oven roasted tomatoes, and this addicting peanut sauce on the side. I pour it over the whole thing. It is a must-try and no doubt the best thing on their menu. Highly recommend Grandpa's food, as most things on the menu are enjoyable. They also have Merkt's Cheese!

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    Tavern on The Glen

    Tavern on The Glen

    3.8
    (28 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    Appetizers were the best part of the meal. The grilled calamari was cooked to perfection, very soft…read moreand delicious. The roasted potatoes served with them were marvelous. The sweet kale salad was very large, easy to share, and had a nice dressing. The crunch potatoes straws were also a good touch to the dish. So far a great start to the dinner. For entrees we ordered the grilled chicken giardiniera and NY strip. Both of these were subpar and did not live up to our expectations. The NY strip was bland and did not have a nice texture to it. Moreover, the grilled chicken dish was way overcooked and very dry. The chicken itself lacked flavor and did not have much seasoning on it. The only flavor came from the peppers on top. The positive parts of the entrees were the large portions and side of potatoes. The chicken dish came with 3 chicken breasts and a healthy amount of potatoes. Our server was kind, and the restaurant had a nice vibe to it. When I went, only a couple of tables were occupied so it was pretty quiet when I dined in. Overall a decent addition to the Glen but would only come back for the appetizers. The entrees could be revamped and this place would be awesome.

    The server was inattentive and did not get anyones order correct…read more The food was acceptable but ordered a salad with chicken. No chicken. The other two got the wrong sandwich. Not recommending

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    BDG Sports Gastropub

    BDG Sports Gastropub

    4.6
    (135 reviews)
    2.6 mi
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    Quite a surprise for me since the photos of this spot suggest that this is an obscure dive bar. But…read morethe food here is beyond passable bar food -- and is actually very good. The atmosphere here is definitely unique, unlike most restaurants, and even bars in the suburbs. Definitely great if you're someone who is into sports, comic books, and also likes to discover hidden gems. Service here is best described as prompt but sassy, but also something that can't be accurately described (in a good way) and just needs to be experienced in person. I'm not exactly sure if there's a menu, as the regulars seem to already know what to order - but this is something that can be researched online and is both bolder in flavor and more interesting than what you can typically find in a bar, or Korean restaurant. Kind of a fusion between familiar and tasty American bar food -- but with Korean influences to elevate the flavors. All the food I tried here shined both in texture and flavor. The seafood pancake had a great crisp on the outside and generous amounts of seafood inside. It was packed with tasty herbs and a slightly chewy texture that was still fantastic after I reheated it the next day. The Korean fried chicken used large wings and drumsticks, which really helped to provide more tender and moist meat than some local competitors. This was super crispy, possibly more crispy than similar options at Bonchon and CM chicken. A small warning for the spicy options, as this is a higher spiciness level than what many people may be used to with fried chicken. The kimchi fried rice has a great mix of egg, kimchi, and seasonings that create a delicious dish even for those who may not particularly care for the flavor profile of kimchi. Putting the flame torch to the egg and rice adds a good smokiness to the dish, and the mix of onion and egg really adds a lot of umami to the dish. Overall, this is a unique dining experience and worth a visit as the food is flavorful, inexpensive, and well executed. Especially worth a visit for anyone who likes bar food but wants something a bit higher quality and packed with flavors -- this is definitely not the menu you'd find at a traditional Korean spot.

    June is absolutely amazing!!! I highly recommend this place. Food is amazing, service is fast, and…read moremusic is perfect. Do yourself a favor and pay June a visit pls!!!

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    Sizzle

    Sizzle

    4.4
    (18 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    Halal

    Sizzle is on Oakton in downtown Skokie with super easy street parking. They have huge floor to…read moreceiling windows at their store front and they are open late! The store is brightly lit and clean (almost sterile feeling) when you walk in, with plenty of tables for dine-in eating. There is a counter to order with menus on the wall. The menu is simple and straight forward, you pretty much have burger, chicken sandwich, or wings. They also have a boba menu with many flavors and they have a soft serve ice cream machine! My partner and I had stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner and we dined in. The gentleman who took our order was very kind and as it was my first time in, answered all my questions about the menu as I ordered. I got a chicken sandwich (but without whatever their signature spicy ... addition? topping? seasoning? is) and a strawberry boba. My partner got a ghost burger, loaded fries, and a pina colada boba. We grabbed a table to wait and the boba came out first. These are super delicious, I've never ordered a boba anywhere else and had it come out like these, but they are like blended and creamy and also some of the best "popping" or "tapioca" additions/mix ins that I've ever had. I went back the next day to get another strawberry boba it was so delicious. The food here is over the top good. The sandwiches and fries come out loaded and messy and in huge portions. The chicken sandwich is so moist and tender, they are definitely frying chicken right here. The house sauce is tasty, flavorful and not too spicy. Neither of us were able to finish our orders here (you really get your money's worth!) but we left stuffed to the brim. I'm so happy this spot is within walking distance for me, I can treat myself to their delicious boba any time, and we will definitely be back for more sandwiches. Thank you, Sizzle! We love having you in the community!

    A newer restaurant to downtown Skokie, how exciting! We love seeing all these new places opening up…read moreand livening the downtown area. We were in the area and decided to stop by. When you walk in you can tell it's a new restaurant, the sleek clean simple and modern design. What threw me off was not having someone there for a bit but then I realized there's a bell to ring for someone to come out. They are a halal restaurant which is so great to know and have. They have some great food specials. We got the blended Thai tea and it was decent, not too sweet. Overall a good experience, looking forward to coming back to trying other things on the menu.

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