Chez Marilyn

Good food and good service in a good upbeat environment. More urban chic in Alton. I have to go back when the weather is nicer for the outdoor dining and live music. Nice place.

Strolled in on a Friday evening and they had live music rolling on. The music was great. The décor is a tad much. Every wall on the bar side was mirrors. I did really like all the old movie posters that seating area side. They did have a tv in plain view, which was great because the Blues game was on. The bartenders are friendly and the crowd was slightly mixed, but primarily 40s and up. From what I saw it looks like the place has a lot of fancy martinis, so if that’s your thing, I’d definitely check it out.
Nutshell: If in the area and there is music that night, I’d stop in. Otherwise, it’s just ok.

Cute bar with an outdoor area. It was chilly when we arrived so we sat indoors. Live music was setting up as we were dining. Waitress was pleasant. Food was meh. I had the roast beef panini which seemed excessively salty. Salad was drenched in dressing (I am so used to everyone serving the dressing on the side, I didn’t think to ask for it that way). And my husband had the spaghetti which was just ok. Not bad but we wouldn’t make a special trip to go back.

I visit Chez Marilyn (or just Marilyn’s if you’re local) every time I get back to my old stomping grounds. It used to be just a bar but in the last year or two, they’ve more than doubled their size and added a dining room and large patio. Martinis are their specialty and they are all named after classic movies. That makes it difficult to choose one because the name gives you no indication of what you’ll be getting, but the descriptions are there and honestly, you can’t go wrong! They also have an extensive craft beer selection of both local and national brews.
Last time I visited was the first time I tried the food. I ordered a burger and it was fantastic (see the picture I added)! Usually a burger is a burger, but they put some magic into theirs! Definitely a homemade patty — no frozen stuff here! The patty was crusted with seasonings you could see and taste. It was tender and juicy, had plenty of toppings, and a choice of tasty sauces to go along with it.
Our lunch on the patio was very enjoyable and I look forward to visiting Marilyn’s the next time I’m in town!

Really liked this friendly little place downtown Alton. The martini menu is very clever and fun. The atmosphere is unique and the service and food were very good. I enjoyed the live music as well. The outdoor area is also a plus on a beautiful summer night. The pizza was really yummy… kind of crispy the way I like it… as well as the homemade desserts. The shrimp pasta dish I ordered was good but a bit too dry. I will definitely go back again and highly recommend this place!

I’m pretty neutral on this place. Environment feels a little awkward and décor is very feminine.
Beer selection is pretty weak, especially compared to the other options in the area. My wife and I had a couple sandwiches. You could tell they put a lot of thought and effort into making them something original. They were fine, but nothing to get crazy about.
My main complaint here was the sides. They brought us plain old, straight of of the bag Ruffles (or Wavy Lays?). For the steep prices our meals were, it was pretty disappointing.
Probably won’t be back.

Really great food! Went here by accident, but will definitely be back. I loved everything. Friendly Service as well.

I was invited to a lunch meeting at chez Marilyn We started with age with a great bottle of Chardonnay I ordered the Philly Cheese Chicken Sandwich It was not only beautiful to the eye to was filling to your belly We had the homemade bread pudding for dessert I was so delighted to know that it did not have raisins in the pudding The waitress was engaged and attentive It was a pleasant experience I will be back

Neat little bar and restaurant with pleasant patio. Excellent service but it wasn’t busy. Food was good but not great.

I’ve never actually been able to sit down and eat (they’ve always been entirely too busy) until a couple of weekends ago. We met some friends there and I could not get over the level of service, especially at 3pm on a Saturday. The service was great, the pasta portions were HUGE and some of the best that I’ve had locally, they told us several times that if we didn’t see something on the menu that we wanted for the kiddos, they would make it. The pasta portion was large enough that I ate it for three meals — and the homemade crackers they served with their clam chowder were fantastic. My 2 year old son loved them (even though they were spicy), and the server brought us as many as we wanted. The chef came out several times to ask if we needed anything, if he could do anything different or if we had any suggestions. AND they gave our group several desserts to share! We’ll definitely be back!

Excellent service!
Soups were homemade– chicken tortilla was the favorite, and chicken mushroom risotto and pumpkin soup were also delicious.
Salads were crisp, fresh and very tasty. Orange almond salad was a favorite and a little sweeter and the house was great as well, just a little thick on the dressing.
Homemade key lime pie to finish the meal! Yum!
Definitely will be returning again.

Only stopped for a quick drink, bartender Angie was a lot of fun.

I rarely give a bad review… However, I will probably never return to this place. First, when you walk in you are hit with a musty smell and the place looks like it is stuck in the 70’s. I was disappointed at the slow service. I came in at 1pm and was the only one being served. I sat at the bar. I hate having to always remind servers that I’m drinking n Arnold Palmer and not tea… by the time I get my third refill it was pretty much all tea. Of course it took some time to get second and third refills, I do not know what the bartender was doing but she wasn’t at the bar. I ordered the spinach salad. Who thinks that people want to eat a spinach salad drenched in dressing… (although to her credit, she did say she would remake it but I was already half way done when she got around to checking). Also, what restaurant these days has a $ 20 credit charge minimum? Again, to her credit she only charged me half for the salad.

The place has a great vibe. You can dine at the bar, dining room or outside patio. The food is above average and is quite affordable. The staff are very accommodating.

Me and about 20 people went here on Friday evening we all had a wonderful time the food was great the entire staff was friendly. I would suggest this place to everyone.

It is cozy because it is a small place .You enter and are faceing a wall .
The bar is big but it cuts you off from the entertainment, who is on a small stage in a small
the other room that you cant see them .It is also dimly lit and no room for a large group, unless you get there very early. Just needs opend up a little. O.k. as a start to the evening.

This is a really nice bar to sit and talk to friends. It’s narrow but has a good atmosphere and a Wii set up. Their chocolate martini is the best I have ever had and the bartenders are awesome!